Supervisory Medical Support Assistant

The Supervisory MSA collaborates with and has an extensive knowledge of all clinical services and programs to include services under the Surgical Department. The Supervisory MSA is flexible multi-skilled and creative in solving everyday challenges unique to a remote site.

• Assigns work and daily priorities to all Lead and Advanced MSAs and ensures the goals and mission of the Clinic and Health Care System are being met.
• Responsible for all performance management functions related to Lead and Advanced MSAs as well as work study students and volunteers providing support within the Supervisory MSA program.
• Applies principles methods and guidelines to evaluate administrative operations in order to determine best practices for organizing administrative work and flow of patients throughout the clinic.
• The Supervisory MSA must take into consideration the staff ratios and skill mixes needed to accomplish the work. Analysis results in recommendations for improvement and implementation of new systems and processes that are discussed with the rest of the management team for decisions regarding the efficiency of clinic operations.
• Performs duties related to the receipt intake and indexing of health and administrative information. The Supervisory MSA will interface with personal computer (PC) applications as well as numerous VISTA applications.
• Serves as a backup for time and leave processing.
• Plans and directs programs in the surgical services.
• Responsible for implementing and enforcing clinic changes. Advises supervisor strategies to manage clinic access and ensure compliant appointment management practices per VA scheduling directive guidelines.
• Manages CPRS view alerts from providers for action involving patient care follow-up.
• Ensures subordinate Lead and Advanced MSAs appropriately manage new consults for specialty and/or primary care clinics in CPRS to ensure consults are scheduled timely and within VA guidelines.
• Ensures surgical scheduling staff have the appropriate equipment supplies and space to safely accomplish work.
• Monitors and analyzes Automated Call Distribution (ACD) data to ensure timely phone access for patients and provides feedback and training to staff; identifies developmental and training needs for all staff operating on the ACD system.
• Disseminates new VA Directives and procedures that impact/relate to front desk and clinic operations and provides training to staff.
• Anticipates problems and develops systems and processes to ensure the goals and mission of the VA are able to be met.
• Other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 662-12024F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

• 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 ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers licenses or state-issued identification 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 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.

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.

***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

***Creditable Experience: Knowledge of MSA Practices. To be creditable the experience must have demonstrated the knowledge skills and abilities (KSAs) associated with current MSA responsibilities or an equivalent administrative patient support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting. Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid/non-paid employment as an MSA or an equivalent position in a non-VA hospital or clinic setting.

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: None
• Education: High school diploma General Education Development equivalency certificate or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education.
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f).

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 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 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: In addition to the Basic Requirements listed above the following education and experience criteria must be met when determining the grade of the candidates:

Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-7 level. (Creating daily workload assessments assigning work and assuring proper staffing coverage; evaluating training records; determining training needs of MSAs to provide support across interdisciplinary settings; assisting with complex and non-standard procedures including clinical flow processes related to access to care across multiple clinics specialties and/or community resources; 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 level staff patients and other interdisciplinary staff to resolve day-to-day conflicts.)

AND

In addition to the experience or education above the candidate must demonstrate the following Knowledge Skills and Abilities (KSAs):

1. Advanced knowledge of managing or leading patient support staff in a clinic. This includes independently utilizing reference sources decision making and empowering the team to collaborate and resolve problems within a complex systems environment.
2. Ability to provide the full range of administrative and supervisory duties to at least one subordinate MSA supervisor or team leader in patient support setting which includes assignment of work performance evaluations selection of staff and recommendation of awards and/or advancements.
3. 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.
4. Ability to provide briefings orientations staff development and training in a patient support setting.
5. Ability to manage fiscal matters forecast resource and equipment needs and identify budget needs.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard please visit full performance level of this vacancy is GS-08.

Physical Requirements: The position involves work that is mainly sedentary but requires some bending walking standing and lifting/carrying (under 15 LB) of supplies patient records staff and patient mail. Some assignments may involve more frequent walking but these assignments require no unusual physical demands to perform work.