Clarification from the agency

Open to current, permanent, Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System employees only.

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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.

• Monitors daily staffing levels and ensures equal distribution of workload/coverage daily.
• Assists the Supervisor with developing contingency plans for staffing and data/input/transmission.
• Maintains suspense files necessary for monitoring the processing of consults, orders or any other requests for appointments.
• Ensures working and complete knowledge of current access both within VA and in the community to effectively schedule patients as quickly as possible.
• 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.
• Provides weekly, monthly and quarterly reports within established time frames and report to the supervisor.
• 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.
• Collaborates, communicates, sets priorities, and organizes the work in order to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations.
• Monitors work for the assigned area to ensure that backlogs or other delays are not occurring.
• Monitors updates of demographic information to ensure organizational goals are being met by the team.
• Provide on-the-job training to new employees and assist AMSAs with difficult and more complex consult problems, providing accurate instructions and workable solutions. Reviews and updates procedure manuals at least quarterly ensuring all staff have updated information.
• Responsible for reviewing the work of full performance and developmental AMSAs for accuracy and completeness, using current laws and directives.
• Skilled in tactful and effective communication both orally and in writing.
• Demonstrates advance knowledge of the technical health care process as it relates to access to care.
• Assists with contacting Veterans by telephone to explain pending or new consult requests.
• Ensures that Veteran appointments are made with other VA facilities, contract providers, and/or community providers of Veteran's choice as appropriate.
• Effectively communicates with all providers on care needs for both in-house and community care needs.
• Utilizes automated tracking tools as well as computers to perform a wide variety of recordkeeping, correspondence, and tracking operations is required.
• Skilled in data entry to manipulate and correct information in various databases or records.
• Scanning medical documentation into Veterans' electronic medical records.
• 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 in order to provide coverage as needed.
• Performs quality control and monitoring, specifically ensuring that patient documents are linked to the correct consult and closed accurately for Community Care only.

The Lead MSA is able to 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.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Conditions of employment

• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
• 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.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• 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 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).
• 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 be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 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:

• 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. 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 one year above high school OR Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.
• 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.
• 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: Lead Medical Support Assistant, GS-7

• Experience - One year of experience equivalent to the GS-6 grade level.
• Assignment - 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. 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.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below:
  • i. 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.
  • ii. Ability to utilize numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics in an interdisciplinary setting.
  • iii. Ability to organize work, set priorities, and delegate tasks/responsibilities in order to meet deadlines.
  • iv. Skill in communicating with individuals to obtain the desired effect and coordinating with a variety of interdisciplinary care team staff.
  • v. Ability to provide staff development and training.
  • vi. 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 HANDBOOK 5005/117, PART II, APPENDIX G45The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-7.

Physical Requirements: The majority of work is performed in an office setting, primarily while seated. The position requires some standing, ambulation, bending and carrying of items such as training manuals. In addition, there can be increased stress due to the intensity of a patient/customer complaint or concern.

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.