Supervisory Medical Support Assistant

Clarification from the agency

This job is open to current permanent employees of the Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

Duties for the Supervisory Medical Support Assistant include but are not limited to:

• Provide technical and administrative supervision; oversee daily operations of the unit, ensure that agency policies and priorities are being followed; develop performance standards; and evaluate work performance of subordinates.
• Establish procedures to meet accreditation standards and consistently monitor staff to ensure services provided meet nationally accepted standards and are maximally cost effective.
• Analyze, evaluate, and advise on the effectiveness of work methods and procedures, organizations, space and manpower utilization, management controls, information and documentation systems and similar functions of management.
• Manage and prioritize resources in a cost-effective and efficient manner.
• Develop workload-based staffing standards.
• Ensure staff use current tools and conform to current directives and policy.
• Develop and maintain functioning monitors and submit results in a timely manner to the Scheduling Manager or Community Care Manager as required.
• Conduct surveys and reviews to ensure that optimal program efficiencies are achieved, and those resources are being appropriately and fully utilized.
• Provide effective planning direction by identifying needs and potential issues/concerns, deciding flexibilities in operations and constructive cost-effective approaches to the resolution of problems.
• Hear and resolve minor complaints; refer serious unresolved complaints to a higher-level supervisor or manager; effect minor disciplinary measures and recommend action in more serious cases.
• Interview candidates for positions; recommend appointments, promotions, and reassignments to unit positions;
• Carry out Equal Employment Opportunity policies and program activities.
• Ensure personnel follow operational, safety, personnel and conduct requirements.
• Monitor daily staffing levels and ensures equal distribution of workload/coverage daily.
• Manages all aspects of the assigned MSAs and the leads in the team.
• Adhere to VHA policy regarding scheduling.
• Ensure use of standardized tools including Consult Toolbox, VSE, ICB scanners, etc.
• Identify workload backlogs and potential procedural problems by observation/monitoring of team activities; bringing concerns to the attention of the Scheduling Manager or Community Care Manager as appropriate.
• Provide weekly, monthly and quarterly reports within established time frames and report to the supervisor.
• Collaborate, communicate, set priorities, and organize the work in order to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
• Review staff competency folders regularly to ensure current information and that staff are capable and competent.
• Identify and provide for training needs; find ways to improve production or increase the quality of work within the area of authority.
• Attend VISN and national calls on scheduling and access; disseminates to staff; updates competency folders with changes.
• Assist with contacting Veterans to explain pending or new consult requests, recalls or orders for complex situations. Ensure that Veteran appointments are made based on current access and regulations. Ensure patient needs are met.
• Effectively communicate with providers both orally and in writing.
• Incorporate training and education modules into teams.
• Oversee adoption and utilization of new tools, technologies, and SOPs into staff and facility work plan.
• Screen/receive phone courteously and timely, provide information using privacy rules and established clinic processes.
• Perform quality control and monitoring, ensuring patient documents are linked to the correct consult and closed accurately. When records are received, ensure that necessary health/administrative information is integrated into Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS).

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday-Hours to be determined upon selection
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 52418-O
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.
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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.
• 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

BASIC REQUIREMENTS.

a. 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.).
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
d. Grandfathering Provision. Employees in VHA in this occupation, under a permanent, appropriate, and legal placement on the effective date of the qualification standard, are considered to have met all 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:

(1) 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.

(2) Employees retained in this occupation under this provision who subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet 5 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

f. Foreign Education: To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials

g. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements

g. English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)

GRADE REQUIREMENTS FOR GS-8: 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.

1. Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the [GS-7] grade level: [leading or supervising MSAs or equivalent administrative patient support staff in a non-VA medical inpatient, outpatient, or interdisciplinary setting. 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.] For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time.

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

(a) Advanced knowledge of managing or leading patient support staff in a clinic. This includes independently utilizing reference sources, decision making, and 13 empowering the team to collaborate and resolve problems within a complex systems environment.

(b) Ability to provide the full range of administrative and supervisory duties to at least one subordinate MSA supervisor or team leader in a patient support setting which includes assignment of work, performance evaluations, selection of staff, and recommendation of awards and/or advancements.

(c) 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

(d) Ability to provide briefings, orientations, staff development, and training in a patient support setting.

(e) Ability to manage fiscal matters, forecast resource and equipment needs, and identify budget needs

3. Assignment: For all supervisory assignments the Supervisory MSA must spend 25% or more of their time providing administrative and technical supervision and perform major duties above those at the FPL that consist of significant scope, complexity, difficulty, and variety. Supervisory MSAs at this level plan and direct programs at medical centers and/or satellite outpatient clinics. They have full responsibility for supervising at least one subordinate MSA team leader, supervisor, or equivalent administrative patient support staff in a VA medical inpatient, outpatient, or interdisciplinary setting. Assignments at this level include but are not limited to evaluating the work of subordinate staff; resolving complex problems to ensure patient services are met; evaluating new products, equipment, and systems to make recommendations for improved operations; identifying educational or training needs; making final decisions on hiring selections; evaluating performance and taking disciplinary action when necessary. The employee has administrative and professional responsibility for planning and directing the subordinate lead, supervisor, and MSA's activities. Responsible for extracting and analyzing data to provide reports to senior management in support of tracking measures.

References: Medical Support Assistant Qualification Standards, GS-0679

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-8.

Physical Requirements: The work performed is predominately clerical in nature and requires no special physical standards. The work is usually performed in an office setting, working with others and/or alone. As typical in an office setting, there is the possibility for multiple distractions from normal operating functions and the incumbent is expected to be able to physically perform the duties of the position, aides permitted (which may include walking, sitting, standing, reaching, and bending.) The work may also include the need for light lifting and carrying (under 15 lbs.) of work materials (i.e.: books, binders, papers, etc.).

How you will be evaluated

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

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

Area of Consideration - Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order:

1. Current permanent VA employees of the facility

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.

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

• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.
Resume (and/or curriculum vitae) which must include the following information for each job listed:

• Contact Information: Your name and how best to contact you, including email address and phone number.
• Job Title/Employer Name: For each relevant work experience, be sure to include the Job Title and Employer/Company name.
• 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 specific information can be found in the Duties and Qualifications sections of the announcement.
  • Brief descriptions of job duties should demonstrate your ability to perform the tasks at the required level as stated in the job announcement - If you have performed any of those duties or have any of that experience, we are looking for that detail on your resume.
    • We make no assumptions about prior work experience based on job title.
    • We make no assumptions about prior work experience if you don't include the types of duties or tasks which would qualify you for the position.
  • Experience must be listed on the resume under the position in which the duties were performed.
  • For Federal applicants, this experience must be listed under the proper grade level to count towards qualifications.
• Month & year start/end dates: Include both month and year for each position start and end dates (example: June 2007 to April 2008)
• Full-time or part-time status: Include the average number of hours you worked per week (example: 40 hours per week; 32 hours per week, 20 hours per week, 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.

Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application. Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted."

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)
• Other (1)
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-15
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

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

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 September 25, 2025

Next steps