LEAD MEDICAL SUPPORT ASSISTANT

Summary

The position is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), at the George E. Wahlen VA Medical Center (VAMC) in Diagnostic Imaging. The primary purpose of the Lead Medical Support Assistant (LMSA) is to monitor and make work assignments in the absence of the Supervisory Medical Support Assistant (SMSA), provides input on performance, resolves daily workplace issues and maintains efficient workflow for Radiology scheduling.

Duties

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The position is responsible to lead the Advanced Medical Support Assistants (AMSA) at a GS-6 level. The Radiology Service LMSA monitors and makes work assignments, provides input on performance by completing weekly audits, resolves daily workplace issues and maintains efficient workflow.

The Lead MSA is the front-line contact for patients and staff, the incumbent sets the tone of perceptions concerning quality of Radiology Service at the VA. A high degree of tact and diplomacy is required when dealing with Veterans who have multiple health problems. The employee provides supportive assistance to the Veterans to assure prompt attention to their scheduling of radiology care . Distribute and balance the workload among employees in accordance with established workflow or job specialization, assure timely accomplishment of assigned workload. Assignments include but are not limited to assuring coverage all Radiology Service phone banks / check-in areas; overseeing scheduling of radiology patients; conducting on going reviews to ensure quality of work; ensuring accurate and timeliness of patient communications; and assuring administrative process flow in accordance with VA Guidelines. Assigning workload to individual Radiology Service AMSAs, providing guidance to other AMSAs to include changes in the policies and procedures; distributing and balancing workload; orientating and providing on the-job training for new and current MSAs in the Radiology Service; acting as liaison between the AMSAs and staff in order to resolve day to day conflicts, and completing other duties and special projects.

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, HIV, SCI, Military Sexual Trauma, etc.). Coordinates with the patient care team 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, 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.

Ensures all necessary medical data (x-ray and lab reports, admit orders, etc.) is available to clinicians prior to patients' arrival and assists with keeping program staff appraised of patient census and any changes / problems that might be encountered. Reviews patients' records and physicians' orders on a variety of records; and selects, completes, and routes requests for patient activities and treatment procedures. Oversees patient procedures from the time the exam / procedure is ordered until the patient is scheduled for all high volume, and very complex modalities of Radiology Service, e.g., Interventional Radiology, MRI, CT, Nuclear Medicine, PET / CT, Vascular Ultrasound, Fluoroscopy exams. These exams may with fasting contrast, neuro exams with contrast, etc., by verifying pre-procedure work is complete, i.e., fasting, ceasing medications, review of medical history, including allergies, protocol request for orders, lab orders, etc., and meets specific pre-procedure requirements. These includes review of lab results, AMU admission, previous exams, and pre-procedure clinical screening.

Responsible for accurate and timely collection of patient information pertaining to orders management, scheduling / rescheduling, pre-screening procedure questions, and registration check in. Procures necessary data by interviewing veterans and their representatives as well as from reviewing official records. Accountable for adherence to all organizational and departmental policies, directives, and standards pertaining to all job functions, especially the universal scheduling process, check-in, clinic "clean-up", patient confidentiality and privacy laws, and business office policies. Will actively assist the department in meeting performance measures, collecting information that allows the organization to collect revenue and maintain all policies / procedures / operation job aids to meet Joint Commission (JC) and other VHA Quality Assurance (QA) standards.

Work Schedule : Monday - Friday 7 : 00am - 03 : 30 pm

Telework : Not Available

Functional Statement # : 57428-0

Relocation / Recruitment Incentives : Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS) : Not Authorized

Fi nancial Disclosure Report : Not required

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12 / 31 / 1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background / security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Must pass TB Test.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

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 :

(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

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 :

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.

2. Ability to utilize numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics in an interdisciplinary setting.

3. Ability to organize work, set priorities, and delegate tasks / responsibilities in order to meet deadlines.

4. 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.

6. 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.).

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave : Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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