Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. Open to current permanent Eastern Oklahoma VA Healthcare System employees

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

Major duties include but are not limited to:

• Serves as a member of the integrated administrative and clinical team in the area assigned. This may include Primary Care, Specialty Care, Mental Health, Community Care, or call center. The goal is to ensure continuity of care, accurate and timely scheduling and appropriate follow up for any care required regardless of where it may be rendered and in compliance with current guidance and directives.
• The Lead MSA assists the Supervisor with developing contingency plans for staffing and data/input/transmission.
• The incumbent is responsible for identifying backlogs in workload and potential procedural problems by observation/monitoring of the activities for the AMSAs and brings them to the attention of the Supervisor.
• Incumbent will perform spot checks to ensure that all AMSAs are processing consults following assigned procedures and guidelines for the work accomplished and ensuring appropriate authorizations are entered if required.
• As the Lead MSA, the incumbent will 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 MSA assists with contacting Veterans by telephone to explain pending or new consult requests.
• The Lead MSA will maintain Office of Community Care-approved electronic systems to track consults for Community Care services. Demonstrates a high level of flexibility, teamwork, and multi-faceted skills by cross-training to other areas to provide coverage as needed.
• The Lead MSA can independently manage position responsibility with little to no supervision as well as set priorities and deadlines adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs.
• Acts as the primary timekeeper for MSAs and AMSAs within the Business Office. Updates employee timecards, enters leave and premium pay requests when instructed by the Supervisor, submits LWOP and AWOL requests, maintains FMLA, jury duty and other documents required for time keeping audits. The Lead MSA validates timecards, prepares corrected timecards, investigates discrepancies on timecards and contacts employees to clarify and resolve timekeeping issues and problems.

Work Schedule: Monday to Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 54010-A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): 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

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:

BASIC REQUIREMENTS. To qualify for appointment to this position, all applicants must possess the following:
a. 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).
b. Experience: None.
c. Education: High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education.
d. Licensure/Certification/Registration: None.
e. Grandfathering Provision: Employees in VHA assigned to this occupation, under a permanent, appropriate, and legal placement on the effective date of the qualification standard, are considered to have met all the qualification requirements for the grade and/or assignment held, including positive education and registration/certification where applicable. For employees who do not meet all the basic or assignment specific requirements in this standard but met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed, the following provisions apply:

• 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.
• Employees retained in this occupation under this provision who subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation.

Note: This provision is not intended to regularize appointments/placements.

Note: If a current MSA does not meet the basic requirements, they are covered under the grandfathering provision. However, since this occupation does not require licensure/certification/registration, they may be reassigned, promoted, or demoted within this occupation.

Grade Determinations: Lead Medical Support Assistant, GS-7 In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements outlined above, 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 level. (Advising clinical staff on current administrative processes; interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with scheduling guidelines; scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources; participating in huddles with other MSAs and/or clinic staff to determine the daily needs of the clinic, monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility; verifying and updating demographics and insurance information when patients check-in for appointments. Coordinates administrative functions relating to emergency and non-emergency transfers to other facilities or private hospitals and determines appointment type based on the patient's eligibility status (i.e. sharing agreements, collaterals, research patient, employee, etc.)

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.

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).

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.

Physical Requirements: The work is mostly sedentary. Occasionally, light physical effort may be required, such as that involved with walking, stair climbing, and carrying of light office items.

How you will be evaluated

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

Area of Consideration: Employees of the facility only

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.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position:

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.

NOTE: Waiver of Veterans Preference for Occupational Series GS-0679.

Although hybrid title 38 occupations follow title 5 Veterans' preference rules, as required by the Merit Systems Protection Board (Graves v. VA, 117 M.S.P.R. 697 (2012)), 38 U.S.C. § 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans' preference to external applicants for appointments made during the fiscal year to hybrid title 38 occupations among those reported to have the largest staffing shortages.

Veterans Preference has been waived for the GS-0679 Occupational Series through September 30, 2026.

Ref: OFFICE OF THE CHIEF HUMAN CAPITAL OFFICER (OCHCO) BULLETIN. Annual Determination of Staffing Shortages: Dated October 1, 2025.

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

• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

Your resume (and/or curriculum vitae) must include the following information for each job listed:

• Job title
• Pay Plan and Grades/Step Held (for Federal positions)
• Duties (Please be as detailed as possible. We recommend that you include information directly related to the position you are applying to. Good examples of pertinent information can be found in the Duties and Qualifications sections of the announcement. If you have performed any of those duties or have any of that experience, we are looking for that on your resume. We make no assumptions in regards to experience. It has to be on the resume under the position it was performed in at the proper grade level to count towards qualifications.
• Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
• Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)

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.SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action: Your most current SF-50, if you are a current or former Federal employee (VA or any other Federal Agency) must be provided. Please note the following;

• SF 50 showing your time-in-grade eligibility/length of experience/tenure 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 of specialized experience, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year of specialized experience.
• Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
• Examples of additional/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.

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.

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)
• License
• Other (1)
• 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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