Lead Medical Support Assistant

Veterans Health Administration•East Meadow, NY

10d•Onsite

About The Position

The Lead Medical Support Assistant serves in an outpatient clinic setting, including primary care, specialty clinics, and/or mental health. Duties may be performed in a Clinic Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC), inpatient unit, Central Intake, Community Care, call center, outpatient clinic, Patient Aligned Care Team (PACT) model, or a specialty care setting involved in a PACT model. The position supports clinic operations, appointment scheduling, staff coordination and training, workload tracking, and communication among patients and care teams. The full performance level is GS-07. The position is not telework eligible or virtual. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, with schedules of 7:30 a.m.–4:00 p.m. or 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m. Relocation and recruitment incentives and permanent change of station are not authorized.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship is required, subject to the stated exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited under VA policy.
High school diploma, GED equivalency certificate, or state/territorial proficiency certificate.
Proficiency in spoken and written English.
For GS-7, one year of experience equivalent to GS-6, including coordinating appointment availability with patient care teams, participating in team huddles and meetings, setting priorities and sequencing work, entering information into electronic records, monitoring pre-appointment requirements, managing patient systems and resolving issues, and evaluating patient information and schedules to identify patients needing immediate appointments.
Advanced knowledge of medical terminology and clinical flow processes related to access to care across multiple clinics, specialties, and/or community resources.
Skill communicating effectively to obtain desired outcomes and coordinating with interdisciplinary care team staff.
Ability to use numerous advanced patient systems in support of multiple clinics in an interdisciplinary setting.
Ability to organize work, set priorities, and delegate tasks or responsibilities to meet deadlines.
Ability to provide staff development and training.
Ability to manage staffing requirements and workflow priorities, adjust work to meet team and patient needs, follow up on pending issues, and understand the impact of incomplete work across multiple clinics.
Must complete all required application steps, including an online assessment.
Must register with Selective Service if a male born after December 31, 1959.
Subject to background and security investigation and online onboarding requirements.
Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA Health Care Personnel.
Must serve a one- or two-year trial period, with continued employment subject to written certification that it advances the public interest.
Applicants using foreign education must provide a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with transcripts; only education recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited institutions may be used.

Responsibilities

Monitor daily operations, assign work according to supervisory priorities, balance workloads, and maintain efficient workflow.
Ensure coverage for assigned areas and create and maintain employee work schedules.
Review work quality and ensure appointments are scheduled accurately and on time.
Guide staff on scheduling policies, procedures, and workflow changes.
Orient and train new and current employees, provide on-the-job training, and ensure training requirements are completed.
Coordinate special projects and scheduling deliverables in accordance with the National Scheduling Directive.
Provide input on employee performance and resolve routine workplace issues and conflicts, escalating matters when necessary.
Serve as a liaison among Medical Support Assistants, clinical staff, patients, patient advocates, and supervisors.
Track and report workload related to consults, return-to-clinic orders, recall reminders, enrollments, registries, health screenings, and care coordination.
Serve as a subject matter expert on scheduling, cancellations, no-shows, encounter management, screening protocols, insurance capture, registration, patient reminders, clinic profiles, eligibility, Community Care, and related communications.
When assigned to Primary Care, back up PCMM functions, support data collection and validation, troubleshoot relevant software applications, validate provider-assignment information, and provide NEAR disposition coverage.