Program Support Assistant

Summary The incumbent(s) serve as Patient Services Assistant in this university-affiliated Medical Center. The incumbent(s) provide a high level of administrative support and eligibility/enrollment expertise to the Medical Administration Unit to include the Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), Outpatient clinics at James J. Peters VAMC, Outreach Program, and Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation New Dawn (OEF/OIF/OND) Office, as well as the Emergency Room. Responsibilities Duties include but not limited to: Performs and coordinates administrative and clerical activities related to Veterans' benefits; Registration/Enrollment; Update Veteran records in the Health Eligibility Center's national Enrollment System database and use this system to verify heath care benefits Assist the OEF/OIF/OND and Outreach Programs with activities such as Health Fairs, Homeless Veterans Stand Downs, and Post Deployment Health Reassessment (PDHRA); Enter all Veteran information into Vista or the Health Eligibility Center's Enrollment System data bases for determination, verification, or termination of the eligibility status for healthcare; Provides applicant information on: completing and revising the application for care, the initiation and preparation of financial assessments, pharmacy co-pay, National Enrollment, decedent affairs, and inpatient/outpatient benefit regulations; Works closely with staff at .the Health Eligibility-Center (HEC), Regional Offices, and other medical centers around the country to assure the timely verification of Veteran's benefits. Review and scan all documents pertaining to the registration process (DD 214, 10-10EZ, etc.) into Management Documents in Enrollment System; Review eligibility related reports and records and statistical computations for accuracy and propriety; Utilize Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook software programs; Performs other duties as directed. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Support Assistant/PD12666A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized 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 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 ( 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) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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 probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/17/2026. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. GS-06 Requirements: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Maintains patient/customer database, used to track eligibility, enrollment status, demographic information(address, phone, emergency contact information); Prepares written documents such as correspondence, memorandum, reports, pamphlets and etcetera of a routine nature; Verifies eligibility/entitlement for benefits for all applicants using various methods; Familiar with medical terminology and communicates with patients that are presenting for admissions, applies policies, laws, and regulations to daily. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Accountability Attention to Detail Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: Incumbent functions in a high stress area where there is constant demand for accuracy and services. Workload is varied and may require extended periods of standing, reaching, bending, stretching, walking and carrying light loads of supplies and light items such as paper, books or small equipment parts. Eye strain is not uncommon since a great deal of time is spent inputting data into a computer. Extensive use of the computer/keyboard as well as telephone are involved. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at Education There is no educational substitution at this grade level. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit for 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. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. 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.