Program Support Assistant (OA)

Summary

This position is located in the Connected Health section at the Central Iowa VA Healthcare system located in Des Moines, IA. The incumbent performs program operations support, staff training support, Veteran outreach, and content and records stewardship to sustain compliance, increase enrollment and usage, and produce reliable artifacts that management uses to monitor performance and maintain continuity of operations.

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Duties

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Major duties include but are not limited to the following:

• Pulls telehealth participation figures from modality utilization reports, Secure Messaging activity data, My HealtheVet enrollment dashboards, and Annie/VA Mobile App usage logs.
• Consolidates and reconciles telehealth and Connected Health metrics in Excel using tables, pivot summaries, and Power Query transformations.
• Updates local reporting trackers for enrollment, usage, Secure Messaging activity, telehealth appointment volumes, training completion, and readiness items.
• Generates charts and status summaries using approved Word/Excel templates to show changes in enrollment, usage rates, readiness progress, and training compliance.
• Maintains suspense lists for Connected Health requests, overdue readiness steps, incomplete training items, and unresolved routing cases.
• Logs program related requests in SharePoint trackers and updates routing status from receipt through resolution.
• Files all reporting artifacts (status summaries, charts, reconciled spreadsheets, routing logs) in SharePoint with correct metadata, permissions, and retention labels.
• Supports continuity of Connected Health operations by executing recurring reporting cycles when program staff are unavailable and documenting deferred actions.
• Maintains attendance logs and records any training related action items or follow up required by supervisors or program owners.
• Updates job aids, guides, and procedural checklists, verifies accuracy against current Connected Health guidance, records effective dates, and archives prior versions.
• Monitors training completion status by service and staff group using facility or VISN training trackers; identifies incomplete or overdue requirements.
• Routes questions requiring clinical or policy interpretation to program owners and documents the outcome in the training content archive.
• Supports onboarding by demonstrating where to find official Connected Health materials and explaining standard routing practices associated with telehealth digital communication workflows.
• Plans outreach events by coordinating room or virtual setup, posting announcements through approved channels, and assembling event materials based on Connected Health offerings such as My HealtheVet, Secure Messaging, Annie, VA Mobile Apps, and VA.gov navigation.
• Delivers presentations and demonstrations for Veterans, caregivers, families, and service organizations that explain Connected Health tools, appropriate Secure Messaging and nonurgent communication practices, and steps for accessing available self-service resources.
• Assists Veterans with account setup navigation for My HealtheVet, Secure Messaging, and VA.gov within established boundaries; documents interactions; provides next step instructions; and routes issues to program owners or help desks for resolution.
• Records outreach attendance and frequently asked questions to identify common themes and support refinement of event materials and Connected Health informational resources. Creates and files post event summaries describing event attendance, topics covered, logistical issues, and lessons learned, and uploads these artifacts to SharePoint with required metadata and traceable version history.
• Documents and tracks outreach related follow ups by logging referred issues, verifying completion with program owners or help desks, and maintaining routing and resolution notes within assigned trackers.
• Prepares, formats, and finalizes Connected Health correspondence, training materials, outreach content, and internal visuals using approved Word templates, Canva branding elements, and accessibility standards before storing both final versions and source files in designated SharePoint libraries with correct metadata, naming conventions, and version history.
• Other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Program Support Assistant (OA)/ PD636D-30492A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. You may be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.
• 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 or 2-year trial 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, 09/25/2026.

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.

Preferred Experience: Connected Health experience

TYPING PROFICIENCY: This position requires the skills of a qualified typist. In addition to meeting the experience requirements, you must be able to type at least 40 words per minute.

You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

• 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: generating reports, data management, consolidating metrics, tracking information, and creating charts and summaries; coordinating training and tracking completion & attendance, updating desk guides and checklists; assisting staff with administrative and clerical processes and workflows; managing connected health records and SharePoint site; scheduling training sessions in Outlook, including room/virtual setup, invitations, and follow up reminders.

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

Physical Demands: The work is primarily sedentary and performed at a desk or in a virtual environment. It requires periods of standing during presentations and training sessions, routine walking to meeting rooms, and carrying light items such as laptops, notebooks, and boxed materials for events. The incumbent may move display materials, handouts, and small equipment for outreach venues. No special physical demands are required; the work involves ordinary office movement and occasional event setup consistent with safety practices.

Work Environment: The work is performed in an office or virtual setting with normal safety precautions and adequate lighting and climate control. Outreach events may occur in community venues where ambient noise is higher and space is shared with the public. The incumbent follows facility practices for privacy and records handling, uses approved collaboration and communication channels, and observes standard safety expectations when transporting materials or setting up displays.

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.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.