SUPERVISORY MEDICAL SUPPORT ASSISTANT

Summary The Supervisory Medical Support Assistant (SMSA) leads Medical Administration Service at VA Northern Indiana Health Care System - serving Marion - Fort Wayne - and five CBOCs within VISN 10. Duties include supervising/training MSAs - personnel actions - leave and timekeeping - employee issues - workload distribution - and process improvement. The SMSA is the primary contact for clinics - inpatient ward administration - the call center - and specialized care teams; may serve as Acting Service Chief. 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 PolicyExperience: 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 Education: High school diploma - General Education Development equivalency certificate - or proficiency certificate from a State of territorial-level Board of Department of Education English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C.7403(f)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)Creditable Experience (1) Knowledge of MSA PracticesTo 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 settingExperience 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 ExperienceQualifying 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 levelFor 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 ExperiencePart-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 workweekFor 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 serviceSupervisory Medical Support Assistant - GS-08 Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment listed above - the following experience criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: 1Experience: To qualify - you must posses one (1) full year of experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level supervising MSAs or equivalent administrative patient support staff in a non-VA medical inpatient - outpatient - or interdisciplinary settingThis experience may include - but is not limited to: assigning and evaluating the work of subordinate MSA staffresolving complex problems to ensure patient services are metevaluating new products - equipment - and systems to make recommendations for improved clinic operationsidentifying educational or training needsmaking final decisions on hiring selectionsevaluating performance - and taking disciplinary action when necessaryThe employee has full administrative and professional responsibility for planning and directing the MSA's activitiesNote: This experience must be clearly demonstrated in your resumeNOTE: This experience must be clearly demonstrated in your resume**AND** 2Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSA)In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all the following KSAs Advanced knowledge of managing or leading patient support staff in a clinicThis includes independently utilizing reference sources - decision making - and 13 empowering the team to collaborate and resolve problems within a complex systems environmentAbility to provide the full range of administrative and supervisory duties to at least one subordinate MSA supervisor or team leader in a patient support setting which includes assignment of work - performance evaluations - selection of staff - and recommendation of awards and/or advancements Ability to collaborate - communicate - and demonstrate customer service and interpersonal skills with internal and external customers to ensure quality/continuity of care and ensure compliance with established policies and regulationsAbility to provide briefings - orientations - staff development - and training in a patient support settingAbility to manage fiscal matters - forecast resource and equipment needs - and identify budget needsNOTE: The Specialized Experience and KSAs outlined above must be clearly demonstrated within your resumePlease do not copy or paste the Specialized Experience or KSAs verbatim into your resumeProvide specific examples and details that illustrate how you meet these requirementsFailure to do so may result in your application not being referred to the hiring manager for considerationDocumentation Requirements for Proof of High School Completion or Higher: If selected - to meet the basic requirement of high school education or equivalent and prior to a firm job offer being extended - applicants must provide one of the following as verification of the education requirement if not covered under the grandfathering provision: Copy of high school diploma OR high school transcript (unofficial or official) OR GED Certificate OR homeschooling completion OR proficiency certificate issued by a State or Territorial Board or Department of Education OR college transcript (official)Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/The full performance level of this vacancy is GS8Physical Requirements: The majority of work is performed in an office setting - primarily while seatedThe position requires some standing - ambulation - bending - and carrying of items such as training manualsThe Advanced MSA is required to sit for long periods of time at a computer terminal typing data while having face to face contact with Veterans and answering the telephoneIn addition - there can be increased stress due to the intensity of a patient/customer complaint or concern. Duties VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo The Supervisory Medical Support Assistant (SMSA) provides administrative and supervisory support to Primary Care - Specialty Care - Ward Administration - the Call Center - and specialized care teamsThe SMSA promotes team-based care by participating in daily huddles and weekly meetings - supporting patient-care planning - and coordinating administrative information between Veterans and clinical staffWith assistance from the Lead Medical Support Assistant (LMSA) - the SMSA assigns work - establishes priorities - defines objectives - and sets deadlinesThe SMSA independently plans and carries out daily office operationsresolves scheduling problems - unusual situations - and deviations using knowledge of clinic operations - policies - schedules - and provider preferencesand coordinates work to ensure duties are completed efficiently - accurately - and timelyThe SMSA sets priorities while allowing the LMSA to organize recurring activities and evaluates completed assignments for quality - usefulness - and compliance with VA requirementsSupervisory responsibilities include day-to-day management of MSAsreview of scheduling reports - insurance data capture - and performance standardsand consideration of clinic-team feedback to ensure mission accomplishmentThe SMSA may serve as Acting Chief or supervisor for Medical Administration Service programs - including Beneficiary Travel - Health Benefits - Primary Care - Specialty Care - Ward Administration - and the Call CenterIn an acting capacity - the SMSA reports to the Chief of the Ambulatory Care and Ward Administration SectionThe SMSA performs appointment scheduling and coordinationdemographic and insurance verificationconsultation and electronic waitlist managementdata entryVeteran notification and advocacydiagnostic and specialty appointment coordinationand administrative support for physicians - nurses - advanced practice providers - and other clinical staffThe SMSA must complete required training and competencies and demonstrate proficiency in at least two areas of Ambulatory Care and MAS AdministrationDepending on assignment - the SMSA must possess knowledge of clinic operations - ambulatory and inpatient care - call center operations - data management - patient advocacy - enrollment and eligibility - beneficiary travel - revenue cycle processes - and specialized care servicesThe position requires knowledge of medical terminology - clinic procedures - and VA systems - including VistA - CPRS - the Bed Management System - and Microsoft applicationsIn Primary Care - the SMSA supports the Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) and interdisciplinary care partnersIn Specialty Care - the SMSA coordinates appointments and consultations across clinical servicesIn Ward Administration - the SMSA supports inpatient and residential unitsmonitors admissions - discharges - transfers - and other patient movementsmaintains accurate bed-management recordsand trains staff on applicable systemsIn the Call Center - the SMSA schedules - cancels - and reschedules appointmentsprovides customer servicemonitors call activityreviews management reportsand ensures compliance with policies - procedures - and approved scriptsWork Schedule: 6:00am - 7:00pm - Monday - Saturday - as determined by the needs of the serviceCompressed/Flexible: Not AuthorizedTelework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual positionFunctional Statement #: 92630-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.