Lead Medical Support Assistant
What you'd do
The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this occupational series. For more information, refer to Required Documents below. This Lead Medical Support Assistant position is assigned to the Office of Community Care Service of the Eastern Colorado Health Care System. The purpose of this position is to provide face to face customer service regarding Community Care issues related to administrative and financial management support for medical services associated with care in the community.
Major duties
The Lead MSA plays an integral role in identifying and developing ways to resolve problems with ECHCS administrative and clinical staff on access, customer service, patient flow, and data validation issues. Lead will: Consult & Authorization Management Review active/pending/scheduled Community Care consults for accuracy and disposition using CPRS/VistA/VSE, OCC applications, and the Third-Party Administrator (TPA) portal. Process authorizations promptly and document vendor demographics, authorization details, and billing remarks in applicable OCC systems. Determine legal entitlement for authorized/unauthorized care, Mill Bill, and contract authorizations; compile supporting documentation for supervisory review Customer Support & Liaison Activities Serve as the primary liaison for OCC customer support across ECHCS sites; provide face-to-face assistance and telephone guidance on CITC processes. Utilize PATS-R to address PEL/PAT complaints, respond to Veterans/community providers, and draft written responses; support White House Hotline, Congressional, and other short-notice, high-priority suspenses. Maintain effective communication with Veterans, families, interdisciplinary teams, and external providers; educate providers about shared patients receiving dual VA/community care. Scheduling, Access & Patient Flow Interpret and apply VHA Scheduling Directives; schedule with patient input by phone or in person; manage Electronic Wait List accurately and timely. Coordinate appointments to minimize multiple trips for Veterans; monitor patient workload/scheduling reports for consistency and accurate reporting. o Participate in huddles/meetings with interdisciplinary teams to plan patient flow and resolve access issues. Documentation & Data Quality Enter appropriate information into the patient record; conduct administrative follow-up and problem solving; document complaints and provide resolution updates to leadership. Interpret and apply laws, regulations, directives, and policies related to VA Healthcare Benefits and community care. Team Leadership (Lead MSA Responsibilities) Organize, set priorities, and guide MSAs to meet deadlines, ensuring compliance with established processes and policies; adjust workflow to meet team/patient needs and follow up on pending issues across multiple clinics. Maintain proficiency in the varied and complex duties performed by OCC MSAs; provide training and feedback on clinic procedures as needed. Site Presence & Travel Travel between OCC main office and ECHCS divisions/clinics within a single day, as needed, to support customer-facing liaison functions. Work Schedule: Permanent; Monday - Friday Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade). Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 57446-A Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized
What you need to qualify
Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. 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. 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). Grandfathering Provision: Grandfathering Provision. Employees in VHA in this occupation, under a permanent, appropriate, and legal placement on the effective date of the qualification standard, are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade and/or assignment held, including positive education and registration/certification where applicable. For employees who do not meet all the basic or assignment-specific requirements in this standard but met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed, the following provisions apply: 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. Employees retained in this occupation under this provision who subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation. Grade Determinations: Lead Medical Support Assistant, GS-07: In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements outlined above, candidates must possess the required specialized experience and be able to demonstrate all Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) as summarized below. Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-6 level. (Advising clinical staff on current administrative processes; interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with scheduling guidelines; scheduling, canceling, re-scheduling patient appointments and/or consults; entering no-show information; monitoring appointment requests from multiple electronic sources; participating in huddles with other MSAs and/or clinic staff to determine the daily needs of the clinic, monitoring both inpatient and outpatient appointments in areas of responsibility; verifying and updating demographics and insurance information when patients check-in for appointments. Coordinates administrative functions relating to emergency and non-emergency transfers to other facilities or private hospitals and determines appointment type based on the patient's eligibility status (i.e. sharing agreements, collaterals, research patient, employee, etc.) AND KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES (KSAs): In addition to meeting the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 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. Skill in communicating with individuals to obtain the desired effect and coordinating with a variety of interdisciplinary care team staff. 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. 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. Preferred Experience: None Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.The full performance level of this vacancy is GS 07. Physical Requirements: The work performed is predominately clerical in nature and requires no special physical standards. The work is usually performed in an office setting, working with others and/or alone. As typical in an office setting, there is the possibility for multiple distractions from normal operating functions and the incumbent is expected to be able to physically perform the duties of the position, aides permitted (which may include walking, sitting, standing, reaching, and bending.) The work may also include the need for light lifting and carrying (under 15 lbs.) of work materials (i.e.: books, binders, papers, etc.).
Before you apply
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