LEAD MEDICAL SUPPORT ASSISTANT

Summary The Lead Medical Support Assistant position is in the Mental Health Service Line at the VAMC, Leeds Massachusetts S/He uses initiative in completing recurring assignments independently and without specific instructions, but refers deviations, problems and unfamiliar situations to the supervisor for assistance. The employee works with the staff in the in/outpatient clinic areas to ensure the activities related to the day to day care of patients is maintained. Responsibilities VA Careers – Lead Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/UJOXH5uCLs Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Medical Support Assistant: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-MSA-VA-Career-Flyer.pdf The incumbent works closely with the staff in the inpatient and outpatient clinic areas to ensure the direct activities related to the day to day care of patients is maintained. The work requires knowledge of various policies and procedures relating to the business rules regarding Scheduling, Clinical Access and the proper flow of work within the team contributes significantly to the daily business. The Lead MSA performs a variety of administrative functions associated with the scheduling of patient care for the clinical programs at VA Medical Center. The incumbent oversees the status of work for all lower grade MSA positions working in the various clinical services makes day-to-day adjustments in accordance with established priorities, obtaining assistance from the supervisor on problems that may arise, such as backlogs which cannot be disposed of promptly. Duties include but not limited to: Provides educational sessions to train new employees in clerical process in an efficient and effective manner to ensure that clerical processes, functions and goals are understood and met. Utilizes knowledge of VA policies, regulations, guidelines and process as they relate to the scheduling of patient appointments, consults, NEAR, Electronic Wait Lists, and pre-appointment clinical requirements(i.e. labs, EKGs, x-rays) to ensure readiness for the patient visit. Monitors clinics Access to care. Monitors ICB usage ensuring insurance is collected at time of appointments and captured appropriately by the incumbent and other scheduling staff. Must keep abreast of rapidly changing regulations, directives, software patches, programs, and processes involved in the delivery of the healthcare benefits package. Assists with the clean-up of the EARR (Encounter Action Required Report) and delinquent recall report; supports clinics regarding utilization and clinic profile management i.e. set-up of clinic grids, cancel and restore clinics. Screens/receive phone calls in a courteous and timely manner, determine the nature of request and provide the information desired using privacy rules and established clinic processes. Prepares correspondence and memos as needed. Promotes Veteran registration for and utilization of HealtheVet (MHV). Stocks basic office supplies for the executive suite. Enters Veterans seeking emergent/urgent care, scheduling appointments accurately. Utilizes call lists and telephones Veterans to pre-register them before their scheduled visits. Incumbent updates all patient demographics. Communicates and interacts with patients in a manner which is appropriate to cognitive, emotional, and chronological maturation needs of the adult and/or geriatric patient. Assures that all appropriate VA forms are used correctly, and regulations followed. – Additional duties or tasks may be assigned by the supervisor to ensure efficient daily operations Work Schedule: Monday – Friday, 07:30am – 4:00pm, EST Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #:F01612 Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement). NOTE: This position is in the Excepted Service. Current and former federal employees must submit copies of their most recent non-award SF50 (notice of personnel action). The SF50 must identify the position, title, series, grad, step, tenure and type of service (competitive or excepted). In some cases, more than one SF50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. This position is a NAGE Bargaining Unit position. This position is covered by a Special Salary Rate. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Requirements 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. 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. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) – See “Additional Information” below for details. 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: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education or Experience: One year above high school; OR 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 Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable. English Language Proficiency: Lead Medical Support Assistants appointed to direct patient care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English. IN ADDITION TO THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS APPLICANTS MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING:GS-07: Above the full performance level Grade Determinations: In order to qualify at the GS-07 level you must have one year of experience equivalent to the GS-06 grade and demonstrate the below GS-06 KSAs GS 06 KSAs: 1. Ability to collaborate and communicate with a wide range of medical clinicians across multiple disciplines (e.g. medical doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, clinical pharmacists, and nursing staff) to accomplish team goal setting to ensure medical care to patients is met. 2. Ability to independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes, policies, and regulations. 3. Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively, electronically, by phone, in person, and in writing, with internal and external customers. This may include preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various organizational levels, as well as resolving patient concerns. 4. Advanced knowledge of the technical health care process (including, but not limited to, scheduling across interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community models and patient health care portals) as it relates to access to care. 5. Advanced knowledge of policies and procedures associated with interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community operational activities that affect patient flow, and patient support care administrative functions to include, but not limited to appointment cycles, outside patient referrals, follow-up care, overbooking, provider availability, etc. 6. Advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians. To qualify at the GS-07 level you must have one year of experience equivalent to the GS-06 grade and demonstrate the below GS-07 KSAs. GS 07 KSAs: 1.Advance 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.The ability to utilize numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics in an interdisciplinary setting. 3.The 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.The ability to provide development and training. 6.The ability to manage staffing requirements, manage workflow priorities, and adjust the flow of work to meet team and patient needs. 7.This includes the ability to follow-up on pending issues and demonstrate an understanding of the impact of incomplete work across multiple clinics. Preferred Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS 06). The full performance level of this vacancy is a GS-07. 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. Work Environment: The work environment involves the normal risks and stresses typical in an office environment which supports an extremely busy clinical service with various professional staff. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. (VA HANDBOOK 5005/53, PART II, APPENDIX G45) Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicants criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.