Clarification from the agency

ONLY OPEN TO: Current permanent employees of the Nebraska-Western Iowa (NWI) Health Care System, to include the Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), and the NWI Veterans Canteen Service. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

VA Careers - Lead Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/UJO_XH5uCLs
Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

A large part of the duties of an Lead MSA coordinates with the patient care team to review the clinic utilization by using various reports (e.g., Clinic Utilization Statistical Summary, Consult Management, Encounter Action, etc.), ensures that the clinic setup is closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinic, and makes any necessary adjustments. They develop/maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary team, VA medical centers, and other agencies (e.g., assists with communications during the inpatient to outpatient discharge; communicates with non-VA medical facilities; facilitates/processes secure messaging with the patient and team; develops and manages a tracking system for follow up care such as consults, tests, etc.).

Major duties include (but not limited to):

• Monitoring and responding to requests for services.
• Participating 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.
• Working with the team to reinforce the plan of care and self-help solutions and entering appropriate information into the electronic record.
• Monitoring pre-appointment requirements to assure readiness for patient visits/procedures.
• Participating in and providing input in problem solving on operational issues or procedures in team meetings.
• Performing administrative follow up actions.
• Independently following up on team huddles by sharing information and collaborating with the medical team to assure continuity of care.
• Evaluating patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether patient is vested.
• Collaborate, communicate, set priorities, and organize the work of the unit in order to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, directives, and regulations.
• Utilize advanced knowledge of the technical health care process as it relates to access to care.
• Have knowledge to manage the assigned segment of the clinic, to include independently utilizing reference sources, decision making, and empowering the team to collaborate and resolve problems with a complex systems environment.
• Use advanced knowledge of policies and procedures associated with operational activities that affect the patient flow, patient care, and the revenue process.
• Apply advanced knowledge of medical terminology to understand, explain and apply technical language utilized by clinicians.
• Serves as a technical advisor and liaison for various medical chart applications.
• Manage and respond to incoming electronic patient messages.
• Monitors and manages insurance capture application and patient demographics, manages encounters, return to clinic orders, recalls, and consults to ensure daily completion and interprets, verifies, and dispositions provider orders.
• Completes reports or captures data, completes special audits, studies or surveys on routine basis per VHA directive and per special assignment from department.
• Responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of information obtained to carry out required duties.
• Special Duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: 7:30 am to 4:00 pm
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)
Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.
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 #: 000000
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

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.
• 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

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11:59 PM (ET) on 11/06/2025.

Medical Support Assistant Basic Requirements:

Citizenship: Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.g.).

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.

Certification. None required.

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.
2. 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.

Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

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 Determinations:

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 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 for 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.

In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements, candidates must possess the required specialized experience and be able to demonstrate all Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) as summarized below.

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

1. Ability to organize work, set priorities, and delegate tasks/responsibilities in order to meet deadlines.
2. Skill in communicating with individuals 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.
5. Ability to review and monitor data to ensure all reports are complete and accurate.

AND

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

1. 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.
2. Ability to utilize numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics in an interdisciplinary setting.
3. Ability to organize work, set priorities, and delegate tasks/responsibilities in order to meet deadlines.
4. Skill in communicating with individuals to obtain the desired effect and coordinating with a variety of interdisciplinary care team staff.
5. Ability to provide staff development and training.
6. 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.

References: VA Qualification Standards

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-7

Physical Requirements: The position requires no special physical demands, but will require some physical effort such as
standing, walking, bending, and sitting.

You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

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.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job-related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs), completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified.

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.

ALL applicants must provide a resume that fully supports the required specialized experience and respond to the vacancy questions by the closing date of the vacancy.

**Failure to submit any of the required documents by the closing date of the vacancy will result in your removal from consideration for this position.

Please review the application prior to final submission and ensure you have submitted all appropriate documents. Uploading your documents to USAJOBS does NOT ensure inclusion with your application to our system.

FEDERAL EMPLOYEES: SF-50 Notification of Personnel Action is required.

• An SF-50 showing your one-year specialized experience eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year specialized experience, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you MUST provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year specialized experience.
• Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying specialized experience.
• Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:
  • Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
  • Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
  • SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.

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 (VA)
• Resume/CV exceeding two-pages
• Resume
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Next steps