This position is located at the VA Erie Medical Center and serves as the Lead for assigned Medical Support Assistants (MSA) under the Group Practice Manager (GPM). Providing administrative support for multiple outpatient clinics throughout the medical center, as well as the Call Center, Consult Group, and/or other assigned areas. Also assists with education, scheduling and MSA training, scheduling audits, clinic assignment, work delegation.

Duties

Monitor and make work assignments. Distribute and balance the workload among employees in accordance with established workflow or job specialization. Set priorities and delegate tasks in order to meet requirements and deadlines. Assure timely accomplishment of the assigned workload. Assure that each employee is tasked with appropriate workload, while ensuring equal distribution amongst staff. Organize the work structure of his/her assigned area. Resolve daily workplace issues, manage staffing requirements, assure coverage of all areas of responsibility and maintain efficient workflow. Ensure accurate and timely scheduling of appointments. Follow-up on pending issues and problems. Understand the impact of incomplete work and communicate results to the supervisor. Communicate tactfully and effectively, both orally, in writing, and with staff in order to meet program objectives and obtain the desired effect. Ensure compliance with established policies and regulations and effectively relay information to all concerned parties. Work with clinical leaders and various other employees to efficiently implement the respective programs and changes. Estimate and report on expected time of completion of work, maintain records of work accomplishments and time expended, and prepare production reports as requested. Review and monitor data to ensure all reports are complete and accurate. Orientate and provide on the job training for new and current employees. Provide staff developmental and instructional training (e.g. formal, on-line, face-to-face) as needed. Follow-up on work in progress or spot check work not requiring review and review completed work to see that the supervisor's instruction on work sequence, procedures, methods and deadlines have been met. Conduct ongoing reviews to ensure quality of work. Create and maintain employee work schedules. Approve leave for a few hours or for emergencies. Inform employees of available services and employee activities. Resolve simple, informal complaints of employees and refer others to supervisor. Report to supervisor the performance, progress and training needs of employees, and on behavior problems. Pilot, implement, and monitor the successes and obstacles of new processes, projects, and/or programs. Ensure that equipment funds and employee work time is used efficiently and financially responsible. Coordinate interviews and collaborate with the supervisor during the hiring process. Ability to manage staffing requirements, manage priorities, and coordinate with staff in the unit in order to complete duties in an accurate and timely manner. Serve as Point of Contact for programs and systems within GPM. Grant access to clinics or scheduling programs as needed and update special instructions for respective clinics. Problem solving and feedback stemming from patient safety concerns, complaints, or inefficient processes. Processes all telephone calls, customer interactions, and secure messaging to the clinic regarding availability of appointments for care and/or procedures and provide assistance with regard to changes in scheduled appointments and/or procedures. Utilize computerized data entry and information processing systems, understand the medical center's organization, services, and basic rules governing visitors and patient treatment to efficiently and effectively provide information, schedule appointments, perform record keeping duties, and provide referrals. Determine the legal and appropriate eligibility of the patient for care using the knowledge of VA regulations, Public Laws, and State Laws and regulations with regard to type and extent of medical care. Analyze records for deficiencies, referral information and assess the completeness of records for transfer and/or specialized care. Reschedule all cancellations and notify the patient of the rescheduled appointment by the phone utility computer information process, verifying that all data is entered in the computer system. Utilize the computerized appointment list to organize the daily activities of the Team including all additional emergency appointments and coordinating such with clinical team members. Interact with patients, family members, and medical center staff. Some contact and communication with patients is difficult due to their poor physical or mental health. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30am - 4:00pm Telework: Available Upon Supervisor approval Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Not Available Financial Disclosure Report: Not required This is a Bargaining Unit Position

Requirements

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 of 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. 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: Lead Medical Support Assistant (GS-6): Experience: One your experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level. Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to: 1. Answering phones, greeting patients, relaying messages to appropriate staff inside or outside of the unit 2. Scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources; participating in huddles with other MSAs and/or clinic staff to determine the daily needs of the clinic, monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility; 3. Verifying and updating demographics and insurance information when patients check-in for appointments. 4. Coordinating administrative functions relating to emergency and non-emergency transfers to other VA facilities or private hospitals 5. Determining appointment type based on the patient's eligibility status (i.e., TRICARE, sharing agreements, [collaterals, research patient, VA employee], etc.). Demonstrated Knowledge, Skill, and Abilities (KSAs). Candidates must also demonstrate all of the KSAs below: 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, ensuring compliance with established policies and regulations. Ability to provide staff development and training. Ability to manage staffing requirements, manage priorities, and coordinate with staff in the unit in order to complete duties in an accurate and timely manner. This includes the ability to follow-up on pending issues and demonstrate an understanding of the impact of incomplete work. Ability to review and monitor data to ensure all reports are complete and accurate. References: VA Handbook 5005/117, Part II, Appendix G45, Medical Support Assistant Qualification Standard. Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary, but may require some walking, standing, bending, stooping, stretching, and carrying objects such as papers, books, and files/binders. Work also requires spending time performing keyboarding duties. Assignment. The Lead MSA is responsible for answering questions for lower graded staff relating to healthcare services in an inpatient or outpatient setting. The Lead MSA monitors and makes work assignments, provides input on performance, resolves daily workplace issues, and maintains efficient workflow. Assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: assuring coverage of all areas of responsibility; conducting ongoing reviews to ensure quality of work; ensuring accurate and timely scheduling of appointments; providing guidance to staff members, to include changes in policies and procedures; distributing and balancing workload; creating and maintaining employee work schedules; orienting and providing on-the-job training for new and current employees; ensuring all training requirements are met; organizing the work structure of his/her assigned areas; and acting as a liaison between MSA and staff to resolve day to day conflicts.

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Erie VA Medical Center 135 East 38th Street Erie, PA 16504 US
• Name: Krystal Jancze
• Phone: (412) 822-2222
• Email: [email protected]