Lead Medical Support Assistant (Primary Care)

Summary

The Lead Medical Support Assistant (MSA) position is located in the Primary Care service line at the VA Manchester Healthcare System. The Lead MSA is responsible for the coordination of Advanced MSA assignments, workflow, and assisting with complex procedures in an interdisciplinary unit.

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Duties

Major duties include but are not limited to:

• Coordinating Advanced MSA assignments and workflow in an interdisciplinary unit.
• Daily workload assessments.
• Assigning work, and assuring proper staffing coverage.
• Evaluating training records and determining training needs.
• Assisting the unit with complex and non-standard procedures, including clinical flow processes related to access to care across multiple clinics, specialties, and/or community resources.
• Ensuring accurate and timely scheduling of appointments.
• Providing guidance to staff members, to include changes in policies and procedures.
• Creating and maintaining employee work schedules.
• Acting as a liaison among Advanced MSA staff, patients, and other interdisciplinary staff.
• Performing other MSA duties as needed.
  
  

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm. Schedule may be adjusted to support facility needs.

Functional Statement #: F01612

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.
  
  

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:

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  United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Language Proficiency: Licensed practical or vocational nurses appointed to direct patient care positions must be proficient in both spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d).
• Experience and Education:
• Experience. Six months experience of clerical, office, customer service, or other administrative work that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position; OR,
• Education. One year above high school; OR,
• Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.
  

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Lead Medical Support Assistant, GS-7 Grade Determinations:

• Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the [GS-6] grade level. Examples of the required experience for this position include but are not limited to: Coordinating with patient care team to review clinic appointment availability; Maintaining effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary VA medical centers, and other agencies; Participating in team huddles and team meetings to manage, plan, problem solve, and follow-up with patient care; Setting priorities and deadlines, adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs; Identifying incomplete encounters and communicates findings to providers; Assisting the team to reinforce the plan of care and self-help solutions; Entering appropriate information into the electronic record; Monitoring pre-appointment information and/or requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure; Managing patient systems to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues; Evaluates patient information and clinic schedule lists. AND,
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology and a wide range of clinical flow processes relating to access to care across multiple clinics, specialties, and/or community resources.
• Ability to utilize numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics in an interdisciplinary setting.
• Ability to organize work, set priorities, and delegate tasks/responsibilities in order to meet deadlines.
• Skill in communicating with individuals to obtain the desired effect [and coordinating with a variety of interdisciplinary care team staff.
• Ability to provide staff development and training.
• Ability to manage staffing requirements, manage workflow priorities, and adjust the flow of work to meet team and patient needs. This includes the ability to follow-up on pending issues and demonstrate an understanding of the impact of incomplete work across multiple clinics.
  

Preferred Experience: One to two years of supervisor or lead medical scheduling experience is preferred.



Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this position is GS-7.



Physical Requirements: The work is mostly sedentary. Occasionally, light physical effort may be required, such as that involved with walking, stair climbing, and carrying of light office items.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.