Supervisory Medical Support Assistant

Job Details

Qualifications & Requirements

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: Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens according to 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a). Experience. None. Education. High school diploma, General Education Development equivalency certificate, or proficiency certificate from a State or territorial-level Board or Department of Education. Licensure/Certification/Registration. None Grandfathering Provision: 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) Foreign Education: To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements. English Language Proficiency. Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f) Experience Creditable Experience. To 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 setting. Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid/non-paid employment as an MSA or an equivalent position in a non-VA hospital or clinic setting. Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience is creditable according to its relationship to a full-time workweek. For example, an individual employed 20 hours per week, or on a half-time basis, would receive credit for 1 full-time workweek for each 2 weeks of service. Quality of Experience. Qualifying 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 level of the position being filled. For all assignments above the full 3 performance level (FPL), the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity, 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. Grade Determinations: Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-07). Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Advanced knowledge of managing or leading patient support staff in a clinic. This includes independently utilizing reference sources, decision making, and empowering the team to collaborate and resolve problems within a complex systems environment. Ability 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 regulations. Ability to provide briefings, orientations, staff development, and training in a patient support setting. Ability to manage fiscal matters, forecast resource and equipment needs, and identify budget needs. Assignment: For all supervisory assignments the Supervisory MSA must spend 25% or more of their time providing administrative and technical supervision and perform major duties above those at the FPL that consist of significant scope, complexity, difficulty, and variety. Supervisory MSAs at this level plan and direct programs at medical centers and/or satellite outpatient clinics. They have full responsibility for supervising at least one subordinate MSA team leader, supervisor, or equivalent administrative patient support staff in a VA medical inpatient, outpatient, or interdisciplinary setting. Assignments at this level include but are not limited to evaluating the work of subordinate staff; resolving complex problems to ensure patient services are met; evaluating new products, equipment, and systems to make recommendations for improved operations; identifying educational or training needs; making final decisions on hiring selections; evaluating performance and taking disciplinary action when necessary. The employee has administrative and professional responsibility for planning and directing the subordinate lead, supervisor, and MSA's activities. Responsible for extracting and analyzing data to provide reports to senior management in support of tracking measures. Preferred Experience: The preferred candidate will have experience supporting VA Community Care processes, including proficiency in navigating the HealthShare Referral Manager (HSRM), CTM, External Scheduling system, and coordinating with community providers and other external partners. Supervisory or team-lead experience overseeing Medical Support Assistants or comparable administrative patient-support staff is highly desired. The candidate should demonstrate dependability, strong organizational and communication skills, attention to detail, and the ability to prioritize workloads, resolve operational barriers, and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders. These preferences align with the positions responsibilities for staff supervision, workflow oversight, patient access, and coordination with external partners. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-08. Physical Requirements: Sedentary work with occasional lifting (=20 lbs.). May require periods of walking, standing, bending, or climbing, and employees may carry light items such as books, instruments, laptops, and other similar materials.

Position Overview

The Supervisory Medical Support Assistant (SMSA) serves as the first-line administrative supervisor for Medical Support Assistants (MSAs), Advanced MSAs (AMSAs), and Lead MSAs within the Health Administration Service (HAS). The SMSA directs daily operations across John J. Pershing VAMC, the Cape Girardeau Health Care Center, the Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) in Farmington, West Plains, Paragould, and Pocahontas, and the Care in the Community program.

Duties

• VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The Supervisory MSA applies advanced knowledge of VA administrative operations, scheduling directives, eligibility regulations, patient privacy requirements, and interdepartmental coordination. The SMSA is dedicated to supervisory responsibilities such as planning and assigning work, evaluating performance, delivering coaching and mentorship, and ensuring staff accountability for attendance, conduct, and workload standards. Assignments at this level include, but are not limited to: Plans, assigns, and directs work collaboratively across all SMSAs, ensuring equitable workload distribution and alignment with system-wide goals. Manages fiscal matters, forecasting resource/equipment needs, identifying budget needs. Monitor daily schedules, consult queues, and encounter closure reports to ensure timeliness and accuracy. Maintains continuous coverage for breaks and lunch periods ensuring operational readiness. Coordinates with peer supervisors to maintain standardized practices and shared solutions for common challenges. Adjust assignments in real time, in coordination with other supervisors as needed, to address staff absences, peak workload periods, emergent coverage needs, and ensure seamless operations across sites. Analyzes audit findings, implements corrective actions, and monitors for sustained improvement. Operates under VA directives, VHA handbooks, and local SOPs; uses independent judgment and applicable reference sources to make operational decisions, resolve complex workflow/access issues, and empower team leaders/staff to collaborate in achieving performance and customer service standards. Expected to operate within a collaborative supervisory structure as part of a unified business unit, contributing to shared goals, providing active input in discussions, and implementing decisions collectively with peer supervisors. Active, consistent engagement in supervisory and interdisciplinary meetings-including coming prepared, contributing informed recommendations, asking clarifying questions, offering solutions, and visibly supporting shared decisions-is a critical performance expectation for this position. Performs additional supervisory or administrative duties to meet evolving operational needs. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 4:30 PM Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade). Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 0000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized