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
• 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
• Experience and Education
• Experience
• 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, Education
• One year above high school
• OR, Experience/Education Combination
• Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable
• Certification
• None required 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: GS-7 Experience
• In addition to the basic requirements above, applicants must have One year of experience equivalent to the GS-6 (AMSA) grade level
• Examples of experience include, but are not limited to: processes incoming patient secure messaging through MyHealtheVet or similar centralized scheduling program and coordinates with care team as appropriate
• participates in team huddles and team meetings to manage, plan, problem solve, and follow-up with patient care by sharing information and collaborating with the interdisciplinary team
• setting priorities and deadlines, adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs
• identifies incomplete encounters and communicates findings to providers
• as needed
• assists the team to reinforce the plan of care and self-help solutions
• enters appropriate information into the electronic record
• monitors pre-appointment information and/or requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure
• manages patient systems to verify and validate accuracy and resolve issues
• evaluates patient information and clinic schedule lists to determine whether the patient requires an immediate appointment
• informs team members about shared patients (i.e., those who receive their care at multiple VA centers or those who receive care in the community) AND GS-7 Lead MSA Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
• Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: 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
• Ability to utilize numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics in an interdisciplinary setting
• Ability to organize work, set priorities, and delegate tasks/responsibilities in order to meet deadlines
• Skill in communicating with individuals to obtain the desired effect [and coordinating with a variety of interdisciplinary care team staff
• Ability to provide staff development and training
• 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
• Preferred Experience: None Note: You must provide detailed information of your experience performed
• Information such as "I was a Medical Support Assistant" is insufficient to determine your qualifications
• Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hour worked per week
• 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-07
• The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-07 to GS-07
• Physical Requirements: Typically, the Lead Medical Support Assistant must be able to operate a computer terminal and be able to manage multiple activities at one time
• The LEAD MSA monitors and makes work assignments, provides input on performance, resolves daily workplace issues and maintains efficient workflow
• Work is generally sedentary
• however, there may be some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of light items
• Work Environment: The work may be stressful due to the accelerated pace for several hours at a time during peak clinic hours or on days that have a large volume of clinic activity.