LEAD MEDICAL SUPPORT ASSISTANT (Medical Administration Service)

Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position.

VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo

Duties and program responsibilities include but not limited to the following:

• Distributes and balances workload among MSA staff to ensure timely completion of assignments.
• Monitors work assignments and ensures adequate coverage of assigned areas.
• reviews work for quality, accuracy, and compliance with VA policies and procedures.
• Ensures accurate and timely scheduling of patient appointments and coordination of clinic schedules.
• Provides guidance, orientation, and on-the-job training to new and current MSA staff.
• Creates and maintains employee work schedules and assists with organizing workflow.
• Identifies and resolves scheduling issues, workflow concerns, and day-to-day conflicts.
• Educates MSAs on VA scheduling policies, directives, and access management requirements.
• Conducts scheduling audits and reviews data to identify errors and areas requiring additional education.
• Uses electronic medical records, scheduling systems, databases, and reporting systems to manage and review information.
• Review clinic access and workload data to identify potential issues affecting timely access to care.
• Serves as a Liaison between MSA staff, clinical staff, supervisors, and other departments.

Preferred Experience: 2 years experience in a Specialty Clinic or Specialty Hospital Setting.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
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: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position
.Functional Statement #: 51008F

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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• 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.

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENTS. To qualify for appointment to this position, all applicants must possess the following:

• Citizenship. Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens according to 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a).
• Experience. None.
• Education. High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education.
• Licensure/Certification/Registration. None.
• English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)

Grade Requirements

Creditable Experience

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 a MSA or an equivalent position in a non-VA hospital or clinic setting.

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.

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 in paragraph 3 above, the following education and experience criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates:

GS-07 Lead Medical Support Assistant:

Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower GS-06 grade level.

To qualify for the GS-07 level MSA you must possess at least one year of experience equivalent to the GS-06 level as described in the following KSAs:

Assignment: . For all Lead assignments the Lead MSA must spend at least 25% or more of their time performing lead duties. 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.

Demonstrate Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

1. Ability to provide the full range of administrative and supervisory duties in a patient support setting, which includes assignment of 12 work, performance evaluations, selection of staff, and recommendation of awards and/or advancements.
2. Ability to collaborate, communicate, and demonstrate customer service and interpersonal skills with internal and external customers to ensure quality/continuity of care and ensure compliance with established policies and regulations.
3. Ability to provide briefings, orientations, staff development, and training related to administrative functions in a patient support setting.
4. Ability to delegate authority, evaluate and oversee people and programs, accomplish program goals, and adapt to changing priorities

References: VA Handbook 5005/53, Part II, Appendix G45, Medical Support Assistant, GS-679.

Physical Requirements: The physical demands of the work are generally minor. The work is primarily sedentary (6- 8 hrs.) although, there is some walking (I hr.), bending (1hr), and carrying of bulky files (l- 10 lbs.) and some extended periods of standing (2 hrs.)

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-07.

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:

• Long-form resume/Curriculum vitae (CV)
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

Resume: for each job held, you must list the following: (REQUIRED)

Your resume must include the following for each job.
Do not include a personal photo.

1. Job title
2. Employer name and address
3. Month and year of start and end dates (e.g., June 2007 - April 2008)
4. Employer name and physical address
5. A detailed description of work duties you performed. Be sure that your resume clearly supports your responses to all of the questions in the announcement by addressing your work experience in detail. Even though we do not require a specific resume format, your resume must be clear so that we are able to fully evaluate your qualifications. If we are unable to match your experiences with the positions held, you may lose consideration for this vacancy. We cannot make assumptions regarding your qualifications.
6. Hours worked per week
7. Whether the job was full-time or part-time

SF-50 - Notice of Personnel Action: most recent copy with Title, Grade, Step and Tenure or copy. Proof of Area of Consideration and Proof of Qualification. (REQUIRED)

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
• Long-form resume/Curriculum vitae (CV)
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

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

Next steps