Clarification from the agency

VETERANS PREFERENCE IS WAIVED FOR THIS OCCUPATIONAL SERIES IAW Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO) BULLETIN "FY26 Staffing Shortage Determinations" dated: 10/1/2025. Areas of Consideration are as follows: 1. Current permanent VA employees of the facility 2. Current permanent VA employees of other facilities (VA Wide).

The Lead Medical Support Assistant works independently and is considered the chief source of patient information and plays an important role in accomplishing the administrative and technical duties within the community care department by the duties listed below:

• Monitors daily staffing levels and ensures equal distributions of workload/coverage on a daily basis. Maintains suspense files necessary for monitoring the processing of consults.
• Screens new community care consults for eligibility, specialty service requested duplication, and appropriateness of sending patients to community care providers.
• Scheduling appointments in accordance with VHA Directive 1230; including canceling, re-scheduling, and no showing patient appointments and/or consults.
• Provide on-the-job training to new employees and assist AMSAs with difficult and more complex consult problems, providing accurate instructions and workable solutions.
• Responsible for reviewing the work of full performance and developmental AMSAs for accuracy and completeness, using current laws and directives.
• The Lead Medical Support Assistant assists with contacting Veterans by telephone to explain pending or new consult requests.
• Educates providers and team members about patient's medical care by e-mails, fax, telephone and scanning medical documentation into Veterans' electronic medical records.
• Performs duty as a facility and patient educator and advocate regarding the coordination of approved/authorized community and intra/inter-facility medical care.
• Complete multiple assignments varying in degree of difficulty to ensure patient needs are met, reducing internal transfers, and reducing barriers to unnecessary delays and patient care diversions.
• Performs quality control and monitoring, specifically ensuring that patient documents are linked to the correct consult and closed accurately.
• Other assignments include but are not limited to: contributing in team huddles and team meetings to manage and plan patient care; setting priorities and deadlines; adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm
Location: Columbia, South Carolina: Hampton Street Annex
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 544-57878F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required

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.
• 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 examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

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.
• 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).

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.

Grandfathering Provision: All MSAs employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series, and grade held, which are a part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: (1) Such employees may be reassigned, promoted, or changed to a lower grade within the occupation. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. (3) If an employee who was converted to Title 38 hybrid status under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

Foreign Education: To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs.

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.

GRADE REQUIREMENTS

Creditable Experience

(1) Knowledge of MSA Practices. To be creditable, the experience must have demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) associated with current MSA responsibilities or an equivalent administrative patient support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting. Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid/non-paid employment as an MSA or an equivalent position in a non-VA hospital or clinic setting.

(2) Quality of Experience. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to MSA experience or equivalent administrative clinical support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting at the next lower grade level. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty), and a range of varieties as described in this standard, at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time.

(3) Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience as an MSA or equivalent administrative patient support in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example, an MSA employed 20 hours a week, or on a 1/2-time basis, would receive one full-time workweek of credit for each two weeks of service.

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment listed above, the following education and experience criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates:

Lead Medical Support Assistant, GS-7

Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-6 grade level.

Assignment. The Lead Medical Support Assistant comes under the direct supervision of the Supervisory Medical Support Assistant. The Lead AMSA makes assignments by defining objectives, establishing priorities and determining deadlines. The Lead Medical Support Assistant assists with unusual situations which do not have clear precedents. The incumbent plans and carries out successive steps of work assignments (referral management) and independently handles scheduling problems and deviations based on personal knowledge of Community Care operations and policy, schedules, and provider's preferences designated by the referring provider. The incumbent must coordinate efforts to ensure all aspects of duties are accomplished efficiently, timely, and correctly. Incumbent plans and carries out the day-to-day operation of the office independently utilizing initiative to resolve problems. The incumbent conducts in-service training of regular employees and training of new employees. The orientation and training of new employees will be such that when placement follow-up is conducted, new employees acknowledge that training/instructions on all items in the position description are adequate.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate [all of] the KSAs below:

1. Ability to organize work, set priorities, and delegate tasks/responsibilities in order to meet deadlines.

2. Skilled in communicating with individuals in order to obtain the desired effect, ensuring compliance with established policies and regulations.

3. Ability to provide staff development and training.

4. Ability to manage staffing requirements, manage priorities, and coordinate with staff in the unit in order to complete duties in an accurate and timely manner. This includes the ability to follow-up on pending issues and demonstrate an understanding of the impact of incomplete work. v. Ability to review and monitor data to ensure all reports are complete and accurate.

5. Ability to review and monitor data to ensure all reports are complete and accurate.

Note: Please ensure how you meet these KSAs is clearly described in your resume; we may not make assumptions regarding your experience.

References: VA Handbook 5005/117 Part II Appendix G45 Medical Support Assistant Qualification Standard GS-0679 Veterans Health Administration August 1, 2019.

Preferred Experience: Prefer 3 years of VA experience, with 1 year of experience in community care.

The full performance level of this vacancy is 07. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of 07.

Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary but also demands some standing, walking, bending, lifting and carrying charts, clinical folder forms, and miscellaneous supplies to various locations within the medical center. The incumbent frequently walks to various parts of the medical center including patient care areas.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.

Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

• Cover Letter
• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (Schedule A)
• Disability Letter (VA)
• Other (1)
• PCS Orders
• Performance Appraisal
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.

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