The Lead Medical Support Assistant serves of the Eligibility Services Section of the Medical Administration Service, Miami VA Healthcare System. The Eligibility Services Section encompasses the following functions: Patient Enrollment, Eligibility Verification, Means Test, Veterans Identification Cards, additional duties of the Medical Administration service and the incumbent may be assigned to work at other sites to include CBOC's and may require different or rotating shifts.

Duties

This position is located at the Miami VA Medical Center, Miami, FL. The incumbent is expected to present to work in a professional manner in accordance with acceptable workplace behavior and established tours of duty. Assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: Distribute and balance workload among employees in accordance with established workflow and rotation schedule. Ensure timely accomplishment of the assigned workload and assure that each employee has enough work to keep busy. Keep in touch with the status and progress of work and make 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. Give on-the-job training to new employees in accordance with established procedures. Check on work progress , review completed work of newly trained employees to ensure correct procedures have been accomplished. Refer to supervisor questions or matters not covered by standards and problems that make it difficult for employees to meet performance standards and competencies. Resolve simple informal complaints of employees and refer others to supervisor. Makes daily and frequent personal and telephone contact with a variety of individuals, including physicians, nurses, technical support staff, veteran patients, and family of patients, and Veteran Service officers. "People skills' must be exceptional. Applies strong working knowledge with eligibility criteria for many different areas, such as prosthetic devices, medications, dental care, outside referrals and any special procedure which may be necessary or requested. In addition, the incumbent advises Medical Center Staff of any limitations to benefits before treatment is provided, Assists in orienting and advising physicians, residents and interns in VA regulations, policies and procedures on patient care medical administration matters as well as eligibility requirements and serves as a Team Advocate when current policies impair efficient and effective patient care. Work Schedule: Full Time/Permanent Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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: (1) Experience. Six months experience of clerical, office or other work that indicates the ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position; or (2) Education. One year above high school; or (3) 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. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. 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 My 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 Requirements: Creditable Experience: (1) 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. (2) Quality of Experience. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to MSA experience or equivalent administrative clinical support role in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting at the next lower grade level. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty), and a range of [varieties] as described in this standard, at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. (3) Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience as an MSA or equivalent administrative patient support in a non-VA medical inpatient or outpatient setting is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example, an MSA employed 20 hours a week, or on a 1/2-time basis, would receive one full-time workweek of credit for each two weeks of service. Grade Determinations: In addition to meeting the basic requirements for employment listed above, the following experience criteria must be met: Lead Medical Support Assistant, GS-6: (a). Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level. (b) Assignment: Incumbent serves as a Lead Medical Support Assistant to the Eligibility Services Section of the Medical Administrative Service. The incumbent assist the Supervisor as an administrative advisor to clinical and administrative staff. Competent interpretations of VA Regulations, Directives and the CFR are a major responsibility in assisting the clinical and Eligibility Unit staff. He/she is responsible for ensuring accurate statistics from the unit workload reports. The incumbent is also responsible for monitoring the the PCE error list and ensuring corrections are made to process the workload prior to the established closeout dates. As assigned by the Supervisor and within the pre-assigned time frame, the incumbent assists in congressional inquiries, investigating the impact of new directives, guidelines and Medical Center Memorandums and suggesting processes that need to be implemented or changed to assure compliance with policy changes. In the performance of official duties, the incumbent has regular access to printed and electronic files containing sensitive data, which must be protected under the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974, and other applicable laws, federal regulations, VA stature and policies. The employee is responsible for: Protecting that data from unauthorized release or from loss, alteration or unauthorized deletions; and following applicable regulations and instructions regarding access to computerized files, release or access codes, etc. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: A. Must possess knowledge of working processes of Medical Support Assistant positions as related to Eligibility and incumbent must be able to assess workload at any given time and assist all staff and/or redistribute workload. B. Vast knowledge of Code if Federal Regulations (CFR), Veteran Health Administration (VHA) directives and laws governing VA medical benefits and the overall programs related to health care delivery system. Knowledge of the Privacy Act and information Act. The incumbent must have the ability to refer inquiries or situations pertaining to any element within his/her jurisdiction to a manual or other VA reference to produce an acceptable resolution. C. The incumbent has the knowledge to and ability to locate, extract, present information in clear and effective language so decisions may be made to best achieve facility goals. D. Knowledgeable of the various facts of demographics, eligibility, and means test data that are necessary to capture all off station veteran functions, and how the information impacts workload, uniques and the medical center's congressional budgetary allocations. E. Able to provide accurate information to management, employees and patients regarding veteran benefits such as: applications and/or admissions to inpatient and/or outpatient status, nursing home care, and benefits. F. The incumbent mu.st be knowledgeable of the total VA health care operational structure and of the resources that are available to this facility. Understanding of the functions and responsibilities of other sections of Medical Administration Service is essential. G. Must be competent in determining eligibility pertaining to inpatient and outpatient care, death benefits, non-VA treatment, benefits, etc. H. Snap judgment situations are commonplace in the sections and the incumbent must perform in stressful situations, be astute in making judgment and maintain high productivity standards under situations of emotional pressure and extreme workload demand. I. Knowledge of practical applications of VistA, version changes and enhancements related to accomplishment of the mission of the Unit. This includes ·proper training of employees to ensure adequate knowledge in the daily use of these working tools. References: VA Handbook 5005/117, Part II, Appendix G45, dated August 1, 2019. Medical Support Assistant Qualification Standard GS-0679. http://vaww.va.gov/OHRM/Directives-Handbooks/Documents/5005.pdf this can be found in the local Human Resources Office. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06. Physical Requirements: The work involves walking, bending, and lifting of medical records and working at a PC. The incumbent may come in contact with angry and potentially violent customers. Position requires a high level of concentration.

Education

IMPORTANT: There is no substitution of education at the GS-06 Grade Level.

Contacts

• Address Bruce W Carter Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 1201 Northwest 16th Street Miami, FL 33125 US
• Name: Jeannette Ortiz
• Phone: 726-234-2724
• Email: [email protected]