Lead Medical Support Assistant

Lead Medical Support Assistant

Department: Department of Veterans Affairs

Location(s): Charleston, West Virginia

Salary Range: $52727 - $68547 Per Year

Job Summary: The incumbent serves as a Lead Medical Support Assistant in the Health Administration Service for the Huntington VAMC. The Huntington Veterans Affairs Medical Center located in Huntington, WV is a teaching hospital affiliated with Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. It encompasses (2) Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC) one (1) located in Charleston, WV and one (1) in Prestonsburg, KY and two Rural Outreach Clinics; one (1) in Lenore, WV and one (1) in Gallipolis, OH.

Major Duties:

• VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo Duties include but not limited to: The lead MSA works collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model (i.e., patient aligned care team, or other specialty care setting where the patient aligned care team model is used such as oncology, eye, SCI, Military Sexual Trauma, etc.) and performs all related duties; customer service and other duties assigned for the proper and timely treatment of patients and assure appointment schedules are maintained by MSA staff for one or more outpatient clinics. He/she must assist with clinic access contingency plans by adjusting appointment times, location, or dates as well as shift patients to other healthcare providers as conflict with staffing and/or coverage occurs. The Lead MSA coordinates with his/her patient care teams to review the clinic utilization by using various reports (e.g., Clinic Utilization Statistical Summary), ensure that the clinic setup is closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinic, and make any necessary adjustments. They develop/maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary team, management team, VA medical centers, and other agencies (e.g., assist with communications during the inpatient to outpatient discharge; communicate with non-VA medical facilities; facilitate/process secure messaging with the patient and team; notify patients of normal lab results; develop and manage a tracking system for follow up care such as consults, tests, etc.). The Lead MSA Incumbent is able to explain the VA's mandate and importance of the collection of insurance information to Veterans, their families, other eligible patients and the clinical staff. He/she collects, scans, and updates health insurance information serving a major role in the revenue process. Promotes Veteran registration for and utilization of My HealtheVet (MHV). The Lead MSA may is required to train and monitor the training progress of other MSA levels on correct clinic operations. S/he may serve as preceptor to developmental level MSAs. The Lead MSA coordinates all administrative aspects of the Phone Unit, Switchboard, medical specialty clinics, and associated functions of the Clinic Support Section. Assures MSA staff explains the VA's mandate to collect insurance information to Veterans, their families, and other eligible patients. The incumbent assures staff collects, scans, and updates health insurance information serving a major role in the revenue process. The incumbent contributes to the revenue collection process by identifying patients with third party insurance. Promotes Veteran registration for and utilization of My HealtheVet (MHV). Assures front line staff sets the proper tone for perception concerning quality of healthcare services at the VA, by using a high degree of tact and diplomacy when dealing with Veterans, families, and other eligible patients. A caring, compassionate and sensitive manner is essential when explaining procedures to Veterans and their family members both in person and on the phone. Must be able to train staff on the requirements of VHA Scheduling Directives and complete accurate scheduling responsibilities. a. Schedule appointments and utilize electronic waitlist accurately in a timely manner. All appointments will be made with the patient's input, either in person or by phone. This may require a high level of coordination to avoid patients having to make multiple trips to the medical center or clinic whenever possible. b. Notifies his/her supervisor when clinic access is less than desirable or is an individual patient cannot be scheduled within the mandated clinic time frames. c. Daily review of active/pending consults, electronic waitlist, recall list and VistA alerts for accuracy and disposition. d. Daily review of Encounter "Action Required" Report, notify providers of all encounters needing to be completed. All encounters must be completed within 7 days of the visit. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 7:00am - 3:30pm Telework: Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 22056-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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. Education: High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education. Certification: None required. 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. 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). 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: Such employees may be reassigned, promoted, or [changed to a lower grade] within the occupation. Employees who are appointed on a temporary 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. 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. Grade Determinations: Lead Medical Support Assistant GS-07: Examples of specialized experience include but are not limited to: provides specialized and expert administrative patient support while working collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery mode, work involves specialized administrative judgment and the flexible use of a wide range of clinical flow processes relating to access to care across multiple clinics, specialties, and/or care in the community resources, recommends changes to existing clinic procedures based on current administrative guidelines, expertise in utilizing numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics involved in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model, coordinates with the patient care team to review clinic appointment availability to ensure that clinic schedules are closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinics, and makes adjustments necessary. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities GS-07: In addition, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following Knowledge, Skills and, Abilities (KSAs) on their Resume: 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: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is a GS-07. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is a GS-07. Physical Requirements: VA Directive and Handbook 5019 Work is partially sedentary, with frequent walking, standing, bending. carrying of light items such as papers and books, or small parts. Some slight physical effort may be required. Incumbent may be susceptible to eyestrain from working long hours on the computer.

How to Apply: Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online questionnaire and submission of the required documentation specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. To preview the application questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12946034. The application process is as follows: To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date, 05/04/2026. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. NOTE: Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

Application Deadline: 2026-05-04