Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. This job announcement is open to current Veteran Health Administration (VHA) employees only.

Videos

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

The incumbent is responsible for a range of clerical and administrative duties that demonstrate the level of the MSA. MSA's perform a variety of support duties that facilitate the work of Physicians, Nurse Practitioners, Registered Nurses, Nursing Assistants and other members of the Medical Facility who provides patient care. MSA's are considered sources of information and play an important role in accomplishing the work of the unit by performing the duties below.

MSA's at this level must have the ability to work rapidly and independently. The incumbent must be dependable, use good judgement, effectively and accurately analyze and evaluate situations to ensure all Veterans receives the highest level of care. Must have good written and oral communication skills. The incumbent must work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model to ensure delivery of care is high quality, efficient and patient centered. The MSA is the initial source of contact to the patient by phone and or in person, acts as the liaison to the clinical staff and provides administrative assistance for the assigned clinics. The MSA is the initial contact to patients, therefore sets the tone of the perception concerning the quality of healthcare services provided. The MSA coordinates and maintains the clinic's appointment schedules for all Providers within the Pain Management Service. The incumbent also participates and provides input in problem solving on operational issues for all clinics under Pain Service. The incumbent works closely with other departments within the facility to coordinate patient appointments to ensure all care is done and provided in a timely manner

Duties include but are not limited to:

• Assumes responsibility for all phone calls to the pain clinic, including both patient and staff inquiries and complaints. Triages phone calls to the appropriate Provider as warranted by the situation.
• Resolves all clinical and administrative issues by working with various members of the Pain Interdisciplinary team in the frame dictated by the situations (emergent and non-emergent) and communicates resolution to the relevant party.
• Schedules patients for clinic appointments and pain block procedures using VISTA scheduling software while adhering to the outpatient scheduling Directives.
• Scheduling patients for pain block procedures using VISTA surgical package if an Operating Room (OR) is needed.
• Ensure that the clinics' setup is closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinic and make the necessary adjustments.
• Contact patients scheduled for clinic appointments, pain block procedures and if appointment /procedure will be cancelled or rescheduled, rescheduled appointments appropriately.
• Manages clinic consult, triages them to the appropriate Provider and schedules the clinics appointments appropriately.
• 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; may work with team to reinforce the plan of care and self-help solutions and entering appropriate information into the electronic medical record ( EMR); monitoring pre appointments requirements to assure readiness for visit or procedure.
• Accepts appointments cancellation phone messages from patients and informs the Pain Clinic Providers of the patient condition and requests to cancel.
• Coordinates Hoptel arrangements for appropriate Pian Clinic patients as necessary per clinical evaluation or Providers.
• Manages clinic profile changes or cancellations and is responsible for rescheduling all new visits.
• Sets up and monitors electronic wait list (EWL) as necessary. Managing EWL to verify, validate accuracy, resolve issues, participating in and providing input in problem solving on operational issues or procedures in team meetings, performing administrative follow up actions.
• Sets up and mages clinic recall list for established patients.
• Familiar with relevant current procedural terminology (CPT) and international classification of disease (ICD) codes for clinic and procedures to assist in closing out encounters to ensure facility workload and billing.
• Serves as preceptor to new or transferred MSA's to the Pain Management Team.
• Supports patient safety standards through correct identification of all patients through use of two forms of identification. The incumbent facilitates and supports data integrity initiatives at the front line.

Other related duties may be assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm PST; Schedule may change depending on the service's needs.
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 662-09743F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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 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.

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:

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.

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 often sedentary but there is occasional walking to various locations in the clinic/medical facility, standing for prolonged periods of time, bending, and reaching while filing and carrying light medical and office supplies, medical records, and files. This position also requires frequent use of the handheld telephone while accessing different computer systems or while writing. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

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.

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.