Lead Medical Support Assistant

The incumbent serves as a Lead Medical Support Assistant (MSA) under the Department of Surgery at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Health Care System. Acts as the facilitator and administrative coordinator under Surgical Service and works closely with the other surgical MSA, Section Chief, chief/senior residents, and other surgical staff to maintain smooth workflow by addressing deficiencies as needed. May be required to act as a 'float' to assist with unit coverage.

VA Careers - Medical Support Assistant: https://youtube.com/embed/EE9c4XkaELo

Major Duties:

• Assists with the coordination of patients and follows them through their first clinic appointment to their post-operative appointments, making sure that any patient issues or problems are identified and resolved at the surgical subspecialty level, although a multidisciplinary approach may be needed.
• Provides knowledge of all VAMC programs, policies, directives, resources, and processing requirements for surgery, thereby offering continuity of patient care to the respective specialty.
• Serves as a multi-skilled person dedicated to patient care management of their assigned specialty by promoting patient flow and administrative efficiency in both the inpatient and outpatient setting.
• Takes calls from outside medical providers concerning referrals and transfers that would otherwise create complex coordination of encounters for patient and professional health providers.
• Ensures consults are received and addressed in a timely manner and to prioritize making clinic appointments based on the severity of the case and the order of patient acknowledged. Example: routine consults are scheduled within a month of receiving unless patient circumstances prevent a visit.
• Works with the surgical teams to arrange transportation, accommodations, and medical notices to the patient's employers, accomplished by completing and filling disability and leave of absence paperwork for California State and Medicare.
• Composes personalized letters requested by patients and obtains appropriate physician verification and signatures of highest importance that are urgent or stat consults. These are usually placed through email or phone by outside medical providers.
• Communicates effectively and articulates complex materials.
• Sustains high responsibilities by orchestrating emergent patient intake or a clinic visit with a 7-10 day time frame.
• Acts as the patients' primary advocate, updating and reassuring patients through the surgical scheduling process that may overload the subordinate team leaders or supervisors.
• Receives a high volume of calls from patients and effectively triages to appropriate providers.
• Interacts frequently with cardiology, radiology, ultrasound, pulmonary, social work, dentistry, physical therapy, and medical practice.
• Organizes set booking times with specific services midweek when patients are most likely to be at SFVA for clinic.
• Regulates bed control by communicating with the sub specialty MSAs, social workers, admissions office and medical teams and reporting to the Supervisory MSA. Coordinates coverage with consult scheduling, surgical scheduling, and ensures phone coverage while other MSA's are on leave.
• Helps with issues pertaining to the Surgical Package, delinquent op reports, discharge summaries and patient encounters.
• Addresses patient concerns and complaints through working with the SFVA patient advocate and in some cases may report findings to the AO of Surgical Service.

Work Schedule: 8:00am-4:30pm or as determined by supervisor
Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 08126F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

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: 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.
• 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).

Grade Determinations:

Lead Medical Support Assistant, GS-7

Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-6 grade level.
AND
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: For all Lead assignments the Lead MSA must spend at least 25% or more of their time performing lead duties. 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.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: The work is mostly sedentary. It typically requires sitting with sustained periods of concentration. There will be some walking, standing, bending, and carrying of relatively light objects. The position may also require stooping, reaching, lifting, pulling, and other moderate exertion or strain. Incumbent may occasionally have to walk some distance to a meeting.

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• 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.