Job Information
Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration Supervisory Medical Support Assistant in Hampton, Virginia
Summary The Supervisory Medical Support Assistant (MSA) position servers as the direct line supervisor for Lead Medical Support Assistants, Advanced Medical Support Assistants, and Medical Support Assistants (MSA) in the Mental Health, Med Sub-Specialty Care, Primary Care (PACT), Call Center, or Health Benefits and Enrollment Unit. Incumbent will provide direct supervision, guidance and leadership to the assigned staff and oversight of the assigned personnel. Responsibilities Call Center Supervisor: Incumbent will provide and ensure assistance to Veterans providing a smooth process for the management of his/her outpatient appointments and support work in connection with the care and treatment given to the Veterans by performing a variety of support duties that facilitate the work of physicians, physician assistants, nurses, nursing support staff, and other members of the medical facility who provide patient care. The Supervisory MSA typically supervises 10-30 MSAs from GS-3 to GS-7 level in an assigned call centers that are aligned with a clinical service. They have full supervisory responsibility over assigned MSAs. The Supervisory MSA is an important interface with their assigned call teams and is a liaison between those services (Specialty/ PACT) and Health Administration Service (HAS) to provide a range of administrative support. Health Benefits and Enrollment: Incumbent serves as the Supervisory MSA, Enrollment and Eligibility Section, with the responsibilities of supervising, planning, developing, coordinating, implementing, evaluating and reporting on plans and procedures required to meet the administrative activities and programs within the section and throughout the Medical Center, including all Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs). Primary Care/Mental Health/Specialty Care/Sub-Specialty: Important interfaces and collaborations also occur with larger health care system providers including VA and non VA specialists, hospitals, diagnostic and treating facilities, and community based programs. They have full supervisory responsibility over assigned MSAs. The employee has full administrative and professional responsibility for planning and directing the MSA's activities. Incumbent is responsible for establishing meetings and training to discuss work problems, adoption of new work processes, and in-service training. With input from staff, formulates training plans for all new employees and refresher training for existing employees. Schedules and encourages participation of employees in various Medical Center training programs and career development courses. Coordinates and establishes standardization written procedures and special instructions for non-routine and complex assignments for clinic staff. Under the direction of Senior HAS managers, coordinates with other HAS supervisory staff to ensure standardization of procedures throughout service and section. Incumbent coordinates leave schedules to ensure coverage of assigned areas is maintained and interfaces with other HAS Managers to seek additional resources if required and coordinates the use of float teams. Has final approval to approve annual and sick leave requests. Maintains assigned time and leave accounts and is certifying official for assigned Time and Leave Groups using the Electronic Time and Attendance program. The Supervisory MSA prepares performance standards and functional statements, ensuring they are current and accurate. Oversees performance ratings of assigned employees and makes recommendations for incentive awards. Has full authority to take disciplinary action, seek advice from human resources, address grievances, and attempts to resolve disputes at the lowest level possible. Orients all new staff to Health Administration Services, including position within organization, leave procedures, functional statements, and performance standards. Maintains training folders on assigned employees, assigns training lead and reviews training progress frequently during performance period. Incumbent provides briefings and training when needed or as directed by management. Work Schedule: 7:30am-4:00pm; 8:00am-4:30pm (Monday-Friday) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required 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. 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. 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 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: 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, Education. One year above high school; OR, Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable. 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 DETERMINATION REQUIRMENTS: Supervisory Medical Support Assistant, GS-8 Experience. Must have one year of experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level leading or supervising MSAs or equivalent administrative patient support staff in a non-VA medical inpatient, outpatient, or interdisciplinary setting. Assignment. 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 non-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.] 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. Candidates must demonstrate all of the KSAs below: i. 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. ii. 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. iii. Ability to provide briefings, orientations, staff development, and training in a patient support setting. iv. Ability to manage fiscal matters, forecast resource and equipment needs, and identify budget needs. v. 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. References: VA Handbook 5005/117, Part II, Appendix G45 The full performance level of this vacancy is 8. Physical Requirements: The work requires some physical exertion, such as extended periods of walking while making clinical rounds or making contacts with other services of the Medical Center. There are also some requirements for standing, twisting, bending, sitting, and carrying of supplies. Must be able to lift (30 lbs.) and carry short distances. 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 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. 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.