Lead Medical Support Assistant

Full Job Description

Come Join Our Team! The Richmond VA Medical Center is recruiting for a Lead Medical Support Assistant.

The incumbent of this position is responsible for overseeing the administrative functions that are associated with the delivery of patient care and treatment within the Mental Health Service (MHS).

This position is located in the Mid- Atlantic Healthcare Network (VISN 6) in a Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC).

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: 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: MSAs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.j.

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).

Grade Determinations: Lead Medical Support Assistant, GS-7 Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-6 grade level.

Assignment: The Lead MSA is responsible for the coordination of Advanced MSA assignments and workflow found in an interdisciplinary unit.

The Lead MSA is responsible for daily workload assessments, assigning work, and assuring proper staffing coverage; evaluating training records; and determining training needs of MSAs to provide support across interdisciplinary settings.

The Lead assists 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.

Assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: 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; and acting as a liaison among Advanced MSA staff, patients, and other interdisciplinary staff to resolve day-to-day conflicts.

For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time.

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.

Note: You must provide detailed information of your experience performed. Information such as "I was a Medical Support Assistant" is insufficient to determine your qualifications.

Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates and hours worked per week.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-7.

The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-7.

Physical Requirements: No special physical qualifications are required to perform the work; however, emotional stability is required to make sound decisions and resolve crisis situations.

The work requires ability to move around the office and the medical center and carry such items as records, books and equipment.

The work environment involves everyday risks or discomforts which require normal safety precautions typical of such places as offices/clinical setting, meeting and training rooms, or libraries.

The work area is adequately lit, heated and ventilated. Major Duties:

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The Lead MSA position requires the incumbent to be highly organized, patient centered, and able to function in a high-profile service area.

The incumbent must be able to coordinate patient appointments across other service lines, with MHS, arrange for continuous patient flow with varied follow-up appointments, and to complete the documentation/administrative paperwork and tracking for extensive patient care services and encounters.

Duties include but are not limited to: Serves as a work leader, ensuring the work assignments of employees in the MHS are carried out.

Works with the Administrative Officer and Health Systems Specialist within MHS in the assignment of functions to team members in or meet routine and unusual deadlines and priorities.

Distributes and balances workload and tasks among employees in accordance with established workflow and/or job specifications.

In case of shortage of personnel due to scheduled or unscheduled leave, the incumbent will be responsible for filling in and for distributing the workload to other team members to ensure smooth workflow.

Maintains current knowledge and answers questions from other employees regarding procedures, policies and directives.

Trains or arranges for the training of team members in the accomplishments of tasks or projects. Conducts quality assurance reviews, summarizes the results and initiates corrective action.

Provides information to the Supervisory, MSA, Administrative Office or Health Systems Specialist concerning reassignment, recognition of outstanding performance, and personnel needs.

Resolves simple, informal complaints of employees and refers others, such as formal grievances and appeals, to the supervisor or appropriate management official.

Reports to the Supervisory MSA, Administrative Officer, or Health Systems Specialist on performance, progress and training needs of employees and on behavior problems.

Resolves simple, informal complaints of employees and refers others, such as formal grievances and appeals, to the supervisor or appropriate management official.

Uses software applications to draw information from a wide variety of sources in order to prepare reports.

The Lead Medical Support Assistant (LMSA) will serve as a point of contact for patients, medical center staff, VISN staff, community agencies, and various others who may contact the program office.

Incumbent will assist with any future proposals/projects that are implemented.

Work Schedule: 8:00am - 4:30pm, Monday - Friday Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases.

When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).

Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.

Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.

Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized