Summary The incumbent serves as a Lead Medical Support Assistant (MSA) under the Community Care department at the St. Cloud VA Health Care System (VAHCS). The incumbent performs expertise, guidance, and direction with responsibilities providing administrative support, coordination, and technical assistance in the planning, development in the daily operations of Community Care Medical Support Assistants. Responsibilities The incumbent will serve as a Lead MSA and function at full performance level and assists the department with complex and non-standard procedures. Incumbent is skilled in project management, time management and process improvement, which includes the ability to develop new or improved solutions to complex technical problems in Community Care. Has full knowledge of administrative eligibility, consult business rules, authorization/obligations, finding in network providers, medical terminology and documentation. Is responsible for the coordination of Advanced MSA assignments and workflow. Monitors daily workload, assigning work, assuring proper staffing coverage, monitors and provides input on performance, resolves daily workplace issues and maintains efficient workflow. Assures coverage of all areas of responsibility; conducts ongoing reviews to ensure quality of work; ensures accurate and timely scheduling of appointments; provides guidance to staff members to include changes in policies and procedures; distributes and balances workload; creates and maintains employee workload schedules; orients and provides on-the- job training for new and current employees; ensures all training requirements are met; organizes the work structure of his/her assigned areas; and acts as liaison between Advanced MSA staff, patients and other interdisciplinary staff in order to resolve day to day conflicts. Works collaboratively in an interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery team model; ensure that the clinic setup is closely monitored to effectively support the needs of the clinic, and make any necessary adjustments; develop/maintain effective and efficient communication with the patient, interdisciplinary team, VAMCs, and community facilities; assists with communications during the inpatient to outpatient discharge; communicate with non-VA medical facilities and community partners; develop and manage a tracking system for follow up care such as consults, tests. Participates in and independently follows up on team huddles and team meetings to manage, collaborate, and plan patient care; setting priorities and deadlines, adjusts the flow and sequencing of the work to meet team and patient needs; may work with the team to reinforce the plan of care and self-help solutions and entering appropriate information into the electronic record; fax and upload pre- appointment requirements to assure readiness for patient visit/procedure; participates and provides input in problem solving on operational issues or procedures in team meetings, performs administrative follow up actions; evaluates patient information to determine eligibility for the multiple care in the community programs; educates providers, community facilities about shared patients, those who receive their care at multiple VAs or those who have care in the community. Monitors incomplete consults, adherence to the consult business rules per VHA Directive 1232 and communicates to Community Care supervisors and Leadership on consult trends; provides clerical support to community care staff including correspondence, reports, letters, deadlines, priorities, and agendas. Completes recurring and special reports as requested by supervisor including a daily audit on STAT and Date of Death to ensure accurate authorization timeframes. Responsible for pulling, reviewing, and evaluating data in Health Share Referral Manager (HSRM), Secure Messaging (SM), monitor consult cube daily metrics and assign workload and distributing amongst the available staff to ensure authorizations are entered timely. Assists with preparation of drafts and replies to executive level and controlled correspondence for the signature as directed This includes senatorial and congressional inquiries, inquiries from service organizations, Federal, State, Local and private organizations, as well as from Veterans and/or representatives. Required to compose and type various letters, reports, forms and other appropriate correspondence pertaining to Community Care. Uses reports to ensure that consults are received and scheduled in an appropriate time from by subordinate staff. Monitors the status and age of Community Care consults through-the use of the Consult Tracking Reports. Completes audits as directed. Must be able to read and interpret data printouts and utilize information in performance of duties. Frequent contact with Veterans, non-VA facilities, and VA providers/staff is necessary. Works with a high degree of independence while completing day-to-day duties. Position requires assisting with access contingency plans by adjusting appointment times, location or dates as well as shift Veteran to other healthcare facilities. Work Schedule: 0800 - 1630, Monday through Friday Telework: Ad-hoc may be available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Requirements 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. 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. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/06/2025 BASIC REQUIREMENTS. a. Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3.g.). b. 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 Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable. c. Certification. None required. d. 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:(1) Such employees may be reassigned, promoted, or [changed to a lower grade] within the occupation.(2) 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.(3) 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. e. 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. f. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. g. 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. GRADE REQUIREMENTS FOR GS-7. Experience One year of experience equivalent to the GS-6 grade level, Examples of experience may include: Collaborate and communicate with a wide range of medical clinicians across multiple disciplines (e.g. medical doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, clinical pharmacists, and nursing staff) to accomplish team goal setting to ensure medical care to patients is met Independently set priorities and organize work to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established procedures, policies and regulations; Communicate tactfully and effectively, electronically, by phone, and in writing, with internal and external customers This may include preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various organizational levels, as well as resolving patient concerns Acquired advanced knowledge of the technical health care process (including, but not limited to, scheduling across interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community models and patient health care portals) as it relates to access to care. Acquired advanced knowledge of polices and procedures associated with interdisciplinary coordinated care delivery and/or care in the community operational activities that affect patient flow, and patient support care administrative functions to include, but not limited to appointment cycles, outside patient referrals, follow-up care, overbooking, provider availability etc. Acquired advanced knowledge of medical terminology due to the technical nature of language utilized by clinicians. AND 2. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: 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. 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. Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. References: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Preferred Experience: 1 year community care AMSA Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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/. 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. The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. 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.