Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

The Lead Inpatient MSA is responsible for answering questions for lower graded staff relating to healthcare services in an inpatient setting. The Lead MSA monitors and makes work assignments, provides input on performance, resolves daily workplace issues, and maintains efficient workflow.

• Assuring coverage of all areas of responsibility; conducting ongoing reviews to ensure quality of work.
• Ensuring accurate and timely scheduling of appointments; providing guidance to staff members, to include changes in policies and procedures; distributing and balancing workload; creating and maintaining employee work schedules; orienting and providing on-the-job training for new and current employees; ensuring all training requirements are met; organizing the work structure of his/her assigned areas; and acting as a liaison between MSA and staff to resolve day to day conflicts.
• Plans, distributes, and balances workload among employees in accordance with priorities and established workflow, grade level {GS 3, 4, 5) and the capabilities of the employees. Sets and adjusts short-term priorities. Assures timely accomplishment of the workload. Promotes team building.
• Performs a variety of administrative functions which includes management of program/unit day-to day operations and assisting with contingency plans, assuring coverage of all areas of responsibility, conducting ongoing reviews to ensure quality of work, ensuring timely and accurate scheduling of appointments, providing guidance to staff members to include changes in policies and procedures, distributing and balancing workload.
• Ability to provide staff development and training. Observes workers' performance and conducts regular work performance evaluations/audits. Communicates to supervisor when all required standards are met or if the completed work is not meeting established standards. Provides feedback to supervisor on both work and administrative matters.
• Possesses knowledge of VHA Directives, Facility Policies and Standards of Practice, and Policies and Standards of Practice as it relates to management of the medical record, computer entries related to physician orders and computer entries related to patient movements. Applies this knowledge to program/unit operational activities.
• Maintains records and statistical data as requested for the purpose of ensuring timeliness, accuracy and quality of inpatient MSA work. Collects and compiles information as needed, provides reports and feedback to inpatient MSA staff and inpatient MSA supervisors.
• Possesses knowledge of quality assurance/performance improvement and system redesign principles. Conducts routine audits as related to inpatient MSA work. Creates and implements ways to eliminate or reduce significant bottlenecks and barriers to efficiencies.
• Orients/Instructs staff in basic administrative policies and procedures related to inpatient MSA work. Provides orientation and training to new inpatient medical support assistants. Makes available reference materials and written instructions. Updates online resources for training and communicates to department staff.
• 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 inpatient units.
• Is aware of safety concerns, regulations, policies and procedures, and employs appropriate safety practices. Shares in the responsibility for patient safety and maintenance including the environment of care by placing work orders when appropriate.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 0730am- 1600 pm
Telework: Not eligible for telework
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives: 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 physical 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

***KSA Recommendation - All qualifying experience you possess must be clearly described in your application package. We will not make assumptions when reviewing applications. Failure to demonstrate your experience and knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) in your application may result in disqualification. It is strongly recommended that you write to each KSA (found below) to demonstrate how you have gained each one in your application package or on a supplemental document***

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.
• 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
• 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.

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-6

Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level, which includes, but not limited to:

• Ability to operate computerized programs and systems in order to enter, modify, and retrieve sensitive medical and patient identifying information (PII) into or from electronic health records, scheduling systems, and/or reports;
• Advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients;
• Ability to schedule medical appointments in a clinical setting;
• Ability to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties performing patient support work;
• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally in person, electronically, and/or by telephone, with internal and external customers;
• Skill in customer service with the ability to identify customer concerns, and refer to the appropriate staff, as necessary, to ensure a satisfactory resolution.

AND

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

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06.

Physical Requirements: 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.

References: VA Handbook 5005/117 Part II, Appendix G45

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

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
• Write to the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) on a separate document - KSAs are found under qualification/grade requirements in the announcement.
• Resume/CV exceeding two-pages
• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Next steps