LEAD MEDICAL SUPPORT ASSISTANT
About This Position
The position is in Health Administration Service and serves as the Lead Medical Support Assistant in PACT, Specialty Care, Mental Health, Radiology, and/or Community Care Sections. Incumbent performs administrative support functions including scheduling appointments, inbound/outbound phone support, consult review and necessary documentation related to care coordination for treatment of patients in the medical center or outpatient clinic.
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: (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 - Equivalent combination of experience and education.
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 3j.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). 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-07. In order to be found qualified for this position, you must possess the following: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-6). The required specialized experience for this position must include: Works collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model; Applies 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 Develop and/or maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery model teams, VA medical centers, and other agencies 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; Setting priorities and deadlines, adjusting the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs; Monitors pre-appointment information and/or requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure. Candidates must also demonstrate the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 1. 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] 5. 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.
GS-07 Lead Medical Support Assistant 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 5005/117, PART II, APPENDIX G45 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-07. 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.
Physical Requirements: The employee must be able to perform all activities of the position without restriction. The work is primarily sedentary although some slight physical effort may be required. However, there may be some walking; standing; bending; carrying of light items such as papers, books, or small parts.
Incumbent may be susceptible to eyestrain from working long hours on the computer. The physical demands of the work are generally minor. The work is primarily sedentary (6-8 hrs.) although, there is some walking (1 hr.), bending (1hr), and carrying of bulky files (1-10 lbs.) and some extended periods of standing (2 hrs.).
Major Duties
The position is in Health Administration Service and serves as the Lead Medical Support Assistant in PACT, Specialty Care, Mental Health, Radiology, and/or Community Care Sections. Incumbent performs administrative support functions including scheduling appointments, inbound/outbound phone support, consult review and necessary documentation related to care coordination for treatment of patients in the medical center or outpatient clinics. The Lead MSA is a subject matter expert for scheduling processes/operations and assists in training as well as workload coordination and daily workflow assignments.
The Lead MSA demonstrates strong communication and customer services skills and works closely with all staff members performing the administrative duties essential to support the timely care of patients and support of the service/unit goals. 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; assist in providing workload; assist in 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 liaison between MSA and clinical staff in order to improve day to day operations.
Incumbent supports workload distribution among employees in accordance with established workflow or job specialization, assures timely accomplishment of the assigned workload as directed by the MSA Supervisor; validates assigned work and reviews completed work to ensure adherence to applicable to work sequences, procedures, directives, methods, and deadlines, and communicate accordingly to the MSA Supervisor. Incumbent may amend or reject work not meeting established standards and provide appropriate intervention/training as directed by the MSA Supervisor. Lead MSA checks the status and progress of work and may support adjustments in accordance with established priorities and/or obtaining assistance from the supervisor when necessary.
Lead MSA creates and maintains consult, RTC, and recall reports for assigned areas to ensure that patients are scheduled in a timely manner; assists with access measures by monitoring clinic appointment availability and ensures that all open appointment slots are filled; reviews open encounters on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis for all clinical areas; provides reports about open encounters to all supervisors and distributes encounters to staff for completion as directed. Perform clinical cancellations in accordance with policy and ensures that insurance capture has been achieved for assigned areas. The Lead MSA coordinates with the patient care team to review the clinic utilization by using various reports, 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, VA medical centers, and other agencies. Other Incumbent's supervisor sets priorities but coordinates directly with the Lead MSA to organize recurring activities. The incumbent must coordinate efforts to ensure all aspects of duties are accomplished efficiently, timely, and correctly.
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:00am - 03:30 pm Telework: Not Available Functional Statement #: 53191-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Conditions of Employment
You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Subject to background/security investigation.
Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
Must pass pre-employment TB Test. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
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/.
How You Will Be Evaluated
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.
Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social).
Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.
You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.
Additional Information
During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.
If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
How to Apply
All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 04/14/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12925291. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account.
Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.
Required Documents
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: Resume SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.
Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.
1.
Your resume (and/or curriculum vitae) must include the following information for each job listed: Job title Pay Plan and Grades/Step Held (for Federal positions) Duties (Please be as detailed as possible. We recommend that you include information directly related to the position you are applying to. Good examples of pertinent information can be found in the Duties and Qualifications sections of the announcement.
If you have performed any of those duties or have any of that experience, we are looking for that on your resume. We make no assumptions regarding experience. It must be on the resume under the position it was performed in at the proper grade level to count towards qualifications.
Month & year start/end dates (e.g., June 2007 to April 2008) Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week) 2. (If applicable) SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action: Your most current SF-50, if you are a current or former Federal employee (VA or any other Federal Agency) must be provided. Please note the following. The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position.
Please use this checklist to ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.
NOTE: Waiver of Veterans Preference for Occupational Series GS-0679 Although hybrid title 38 occupations follow title 5 Veterans' preference rules, as required by the Merit Systems Protection Board (Graves v. VA, 117 M.S.P.R. 697 (2012)), 38 U.S.C. 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veterans' preference to external applicants for appointments made during the fiscal year to hybrid title 38 occupations among those reported to have the largest staffing shortages. Veterans Preference has been waived for the GS-0679 Occupational Series through September 30, 2026,Ref: OFFICE OF THE CHIEF HUMAN CAPITAL OFFICER (OCHCO) BULLETIN.
Annual Determination of Staffing Shortages: Dated September 25, 2025. The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.
Cover Letter DD-214/ Statement of Service Disability Letter (Schedule A) Disability Letter (VA) License Other (1) PCS Orders Performance Appraisal Professional Certification Resume Separation Notice (RIF) SF-15 SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action Transcript Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire.
You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form.
Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference. Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.