Supervisory Medical Support Assistant

Veterans Health Administration • Tuscaloosa, AL

13d

About The Position

The Supervisory Medical Support Assistant functions as an administrative expert and is accountable for the Community Care process while providing or supervising administrative staff. The position provides operational and administrative support to the Chief and/or Assistant Chief of Community Care. The role manages daily departmental operations, staffing, workflow, consult management, quality assurance, staff training and development, and performance improvement activities. It works with healthcare professionals, employees, labor and employee relations, and other stakeholders to support quality and continuity of patient care and compliance with policies, procedures, and accreditation standards.

The position is scheduled Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Telework is available on an ad-hoc basis; the position is not virtual. Relocation and recruitment incentives and permanent change of station are not authorized. The position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, except that non-citizens may be appointed only when qualified citizens cannot be recruited in accordance with VA policy.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• High school diploma, GED equivalency certificate, or state or territorial proficiency certificate, unless qualifying under the applicable VHA grandfathering provision.
• One year of creditable experience equivalent to GS-07 leading or supervising Medical Support Assistants or equivalent administrative patient support staff in a non-VA medical inpatient, outpatient, or interdisciplinary setting.
• Advanced knowledge of managing or leading patient support staff in a clinic, including independent use of reference sources, decision-making, and empowering teams to collaborate and resolve problems in 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, including assigning work, conducting performance evaluations, selecting staff, and recommending awards or advancements.
• Ability to collaborate, communicate, and demonstrate customer service and interpersonal skills with internal and external customers to support quality and continuity of care and compliance with 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.
• Meet applicable background and security investigation requirements.
• Register for Selective Service if applicable to males born after December 31, 1959.
• Complete the required online onboarding and provide acceptable identification for pre-employment requirements.
• Participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program as a VA Health Care Personnel requirement.
• Serve a one- or two-year trial period, subject to written certification that continued employment advances the public interest.
• Complete application requirements specified in the announcement.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with Community Care scheduling, referral, and authorization workflows.
• Prior staff supervision experience, including workload management, performance monitoring, and performance appraisals.
• Demonstrated ability to compile and analyze reports identifying workflow barriers and performance data, and to implement effective process-improvement strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to train and orient staff in scheduling accuracy, timeliness standards, and compliance requirements.
• Excellent communication and customer service skills in a healthcare or administrative environment.
• Strong knowledge of the VHA Scheduling Directive and Veteran Community Care consult management procedures.
• Proficiency with VA systems such as VistA, CPRS, Healthshare Referral Management (HSRM), VEText, and Automatic Call Distribution Line (ACD).

Responsibilities

• Demonstrate leadership and knowledge of processes and procedures related to the assignment, and collaborate effectively with others.
• Support compliance with regulatory and accreditation standards, directives, policies, and standard operating procedures.
• Lead employee professional development and motivation, and manage the department’s daily operations.
• Collaborate with healthcare professionals to coordinate care and seek assistance when needed.
• Ensure the department is appropriately staffed according to staffing guidelines.
• Promote performance-based improvement activities and share information with staff to enhance patient care quality; consult with management.
• Collect and prepare required reports in a timely manner, including performance improvement reports, certified time, Issue Briefs, Heads Up Messages, Action Items, workload data, and consult management data.
• Plan and coordinate orientation and training for new employees; provide ongoing on-the-job, cross-training, and annual training for supervised employees.
• Facilitate staff education and development.
• Participate in interdisciplinary team huddles, workgroups, and performance improvement meetings.
• Conduct regular unit staff meetings that encourage open communication and discussion of options for addressing problems.
• Collaborate with Employee Relations and Labor Relations to support communication between management and employees and resolve workplace conflicts.
• Counsel staff and provide constructive feedback as indicated by performance or conduct; document actions according to procedures and maintain objective relationships.
• Work in partnership with the union and adhere to Equal Employment Opportunity principles.
• Create daily assignments according to departmental metrics and workflow.
• Monitor workflow and performance standards, including weekly or biweekly productivity reviews.
• Complete quality assurance audits on consults and assigned tasks.
• Complete performance standards within facility deadlines.
• Manage consults, including processing them appropriately.
• Complete and discuss quarterly time-and-attendance reviews.
• Complete and adhere to required annual VHA training.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package.
• Selected applicants may qualify to receive credit for prior work or military service when determining annual leave accrual; this must be requested and approved before appointment and is not guaranteed.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: High school or GED