This is the Lead Medical Support Assistant (MSA) position. The Lead MSA is responsible for the coordination of Advanced MSA assignments and workflow found in an interdisciplinary unit.

Duties

At this level, the Lead MSAs ensures staff applies general rules and policies relating to clinic functions, staff, and automated data processing methods in support of treatment to patients. They utilize a variety of patient data systems in scheduling patients for treatment and annotates patient records. They can perform front desk duties, receives telephone call, and visitors to the MSA. They can make and cancel appointments, review patient records for necessary information, and review patient demographics and insurance verification. They will meet with clinic staff to ensure clinic scheduling priorities are met through monitoring data. Duty/Function 1: Provide Customer Service. Consistently communicates and treats all internal and external customers (veterans, their representatives, visitors, and all VA staff) in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner. Provides customers with consistent information according to established policies and procedures and handles conflicts and problems in dealing with the customer constructively and appropriately. Effectively communicate proactively, under stressful with sometimes angry, hostile, dissatisfied patients and/or family members. Performs assigned duties in a manner that promotes quality health care, outstanding customer service, and maintenance of an environment committed to serving the veteran. Duty/Function 2: Train and accomplish scheduling of medical appointments. Using various VHA computer systems, train compliance of the local and national standards, schedule, cancel or modify patient medical appointments and annotates in patient records. Coordinate and meet with clinical and administrative staff to accomplish priorities to address patient appointment needs in a timely manner. Communicate in an efficient and clear manner when seeking assistance from clinic staff when processing clinical scheduling, administrative orders and addressing patient requests for information. Utilize directed and written procedures to address patient and staff administrative needs. Train staff on how to, and to be able to themselves, accomplish front desk duties, receives telephone call, and visitors. Review patient records for necessary information, review patient demographics and insurance verification. Able to provide staff development and training; orient and provide on-the-job training for new and current employees. Duty/Function 3: Support Clinical Team. Through participation in meetings the incumbent will communicate, and interact with staff from varying backgrounds and other health care team members in a courteous and helpful manner in order to facilitate medical care for patients. Apply advanced knowledge of medical terminology specific to understand medical diagnosis and procedures sufficient to communicate clinical staff instructions to patients. Use, and navigate between, various types of office automation equipment and software to support patient care. Record patient messages and understand physician requests pertaining to follow-up medical care in internal or external clinics. Assist staff by communicating and training scheduling practices and principles used in supported clinics. Able to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties in accomplishment of patient support work. Duty/Function 4: Support VHA Mission. Able to manage staffing requirements, manage workflow priorities, and adjust the flow of work to meet team and patient needs. Apply 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. Organize work, set priorities, and delegate tasks/responsibilities in order to meet deadlines. Communicate with individuals to obtain the desired effect and coordinating with a variety of interdisciplinary care team staff. Able to manage staffing requirements, manage workflow priorities, and adjust the flow of work to meet team and patient needs. Assure coverage of all areas of responsibility; conducts ongoing reviews to ensure quality of work; ensures accurate and timely scheduling of appointments. Provide necessary guidance to staff members to include changes in policies and procedures; distributing and balancing workload. Create and maintain employee work schedules and organize the work structure of his/her assigned areas. Act as liaison between MSA and staff in order to resolve day to day conflicts. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm (MST) Virtual: This is a REMOTE position. Functional Statement #: 51654-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized 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: 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: 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; (A transcript must be submitted with your application if you basing all or part of your qualifications on education) 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: MSAs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.j. 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 Assistant, GS-7 Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-6 grade level. The required specialized experience for this position must include: Coordinates with patient care team to review clinic appointment availability utilization by to ensure that clinic schedules are closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinics, and makes adjustments as necessary. Maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary VA medical centers, and other agencies (e.g., assist with communications during the inpatient to outpatient discharge). Communicate with non-VA medical facilities. Prepare correspondence to notify patients of normal lab results. Manage a system for follow-up care such as consults, tests, etc. Participates in team huddles and team meetings to manage, plan, problem solve, and follow-up with patient care. 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. 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: At this level, candidates must also demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): i. 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. ii. Ability to utilize numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics in an interdisciplinary setting. iii. Ability to organize work, set priorities, and delegate tasks/responsibilities in order to meet deadlines. iv. Skill in communicating with individuals to obtain the desired effect [and coordinating with a variety of interdisciplinary care team staff. v. Ability to provide staff development and training. vi. 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. Lead Medical Assistant (GS-7) 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. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G45 - Title 38 Hybrid, Medical Support Assistant Qualification Standards, dated August 1, 2019 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-7. Physical Requirements: Generally, the work does not involve special physical demands. The majority of time is spent working at a desk. It involves the frequent use of office equipment including the telephone, copier, personal computer, printer and mainframe terminals. There is the potential for extended periods of sitting, standing and carrying items weighing up to 20 pounds, i.e., medical records and manuals. May involve transporting of patients in wheelchairs. The incumbent is expected to use proper preventive ergonomic techniques to perform duties.

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/.

Contacts

• Address Cheyenne VA Medical Center 2360 East Pershing Boulevard Cheyenne, WY 82001 US
• Name: Zoe Payomo
• Phone: (925)967-3768
• Email: [email protected]