The incumbent is assigned to the Medical Care Clinical Center (MCCC) at the VA Maryland Health Care System (VAMHCS), Baltimore division and reports directly to the Supervisory Medical Support Assistant (SMSA). Lead MSA provides support across multiple ancillary and inter professional clinics and determines the needs of the Veteran/caregiver.

Duties

The Medical Support Assistant (MSA) at this grade level is a Lead MSA. The Lead MSA works independently and is considered the chief source of patient information and plays an important role in accomplishing the administrative work within the outpatient clinics by the duties listed below: Scheduling appointments in accordance with VHA Directive 1230(3) and VHA Directive 1232 including canceling, re-scheduling, and no showing patient appointments and/or consults. Verifies and updates patient demographics to include capturing of insurance data. Ensures clinic assigned staff are appropriately utilizing Recall List (Delinquent), Return t Clinic Orders (Query from VS GUI), insurance capture buffer report, and view electronic health record (EHR) alerts for accurate disposition daily. Ensures patient encounters are completed for clinics assigned by the end of each business day (no-shows and patient cancellations through AudioCare, VeText, etc.). Ensures that consults greater than 30 days have proper documentation for additional scheduling attempts or dispositioning directed by the provider. Extracts medical information from electronic records when requested by Providers, Social Workers, Nurses, and Supervisors while maintaining HIPPA standards. Ensures clinic assigned staff is appropriately using the insurance capture buffer exception list and appropriately utilizing Vet Link for clinics assigned. Receives and directs patients and visitors by telephone, answering routine inquiries, an making appropriate referral of questions concerning patients' care. Receives and directs patients and visitors by telephone, answering routine inquiries, an making appropriate referral of questions concerning patients' care. Relays test results to appropriate medical staff to include recognizing and referring urgent results to the professional staff for immediate action. Directs patients to Beneficiary Travel for transportation support and vouchers as required. Monitors and makes daily work assignments, resolves daily workplace issues, and maintains efficient workflow in the clinics assigned. Completes daily rounds to ensure adequate administrative support coverage in all areas distributing and balancing workload in clinic areas assigned Orients and provides on-the-job training for new and current employees as required. Ensures AMSAs are well informed of management goals and directives. The incumbent will also ensure employees are informed of new procedures, instructions and techniques required in the function of the sections. Responsible for working with MSAs to set up, cancel, modify, and inactivate clinics through the Clinical Requests (Group Practice Management) LEAF portal. Monitors pre-appointment requirements to ensure readiness for the patient visit; perform administrative follow-up actions; evaluate patient information and clinic schedule list. Monitors the Medicine Dashboard to review the status of consults, at minimum to include consults greater than 90 days, unscheduled no activity greater than 30 days linked to past appointment, and other status that require administrative/MSA action. Disseminates these tasks to the appropriate MSA. Ensures accurate daily posting of employee's time assigned to specific T&L unit. Other duties include but are not limited to ensuring all patient areas are covered during episodes of vacancies, annual and sick leave. Work Schedule: Day Shift: 7:30am - 4:00pm EST Telework: Not Authorized Functional Statement #: 000000 Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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: Citizenship: Citizen of the United States. English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in spoken and written English. Experience and Education. (1) 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, (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. Grandfathering Provision. All MSAs employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series, and grade held, [which] are [a] part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: (1) Such employees may be reassigned, promoted, or [changed to a lower grade] within the occupation. VA HANDBOOK 5005/117 August 1, 2019 PART II APPENDIX G45 II-G45-4 (2) Employees who are appointed on a temporary y 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. (3) If an employee who was converted to [Title] 38 hybrid status under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs. Physical Requirements: Must have the mental, emotional and physical ability to satisfactorily perform the duties of the proposed assignment and pass the requisite laboratory and other screening as required by Federal regulatory agencies. Grade Determinations: GS-7 (a) Experience One year of experience equivalent to the [GS-6] grade level. (b) Assignment The Lead MSA is responsible for the coordination of Advanced MSA assignments and workflow found in an interdisciplinary unit. The Lead MSA is responsible for daily workload assessments, assigning work, and assuring proper staffing coverage; evaluating training records; and determining training needs of MSAs to provide support across interdisciplinary settings. The Lead assists the unit with complex and non-standard procedures, including clinical flow processes related to access to care across multiple clinics, specialties, and/or community resources. Assignments at this level include but are not limited to; 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 staff, patients, and other interdisciplinary staff to resolve day-to-day conflicts.] For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. (c) Demonstrated 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. Reference. VA Handbook 5005/117, Part II, Appendix G45 (Medical Support Assistant Qualification Standard) dated August 1, 2019. Physical Environment: The work is sedentary. Typically, the employee sits comfortably to do the work. However, there may be some bending, walking, standing, and carrying of light items such patients' files, mail, and records. No special physical demands are required to perform the work.

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 VA Maryland Health Care System 10 North Greene Street Baltimore, MD 21201 US
• Name: Padmini Elayath
• Phone: 6123697619
• Email: [email protected]