Program Support Assistant

Summary

This position provides administrative, analytical, and operational support for the Patient Transfer Office, ensuring safe and efficient patient movement across inpatient units, outpatient services, VISN partners, and non-VA facilities. Customer service is central to the role, supporting Veterans and families through complex, high-stress transitions. The work directly impacts access to care, patient safety, transfer timeliness, and facility performance metrics.

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Duties

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Duties include, but not limited to:

Coordination of Patient Transfers 40%

• Facilitate the movement of patients between VA facilities, ensuring all necessary documentation, approvals, and transportation arrangements are in place.
• Incumbent plans, organizes, and coordinates all administrative aspects of the Transfer program.
• In conjunction with the clinical coordinator of the program, the incumbent ensures the appropriateness of transfer to and from other VA facilities.
• Acts as the liaison between the clinical and administrative staff within the CMCVAMC and other medical facilities. Coordinates and plans itineraries for meetings and as needed and ensures that all participants are kept abreast of changes in guidelines and problems encountered.
• Participates in an administrative advisory role in facility and inter-facility meetings and advises and assists medical center managers in problem resolution.
• Serves as the primary point of contact for inquiries related to patient transfers, providing timely and clear information to internal and external stakeholders.
• Assist with scheduling, documentation, and other administrative tasks as needed to support the overall function of the Patient Transfer Office.
• Assist Transfer Coordinator, Bed Control Office, Traveling Veteran Coordinator with loading/registering patients into CMCVAMC system from other VA locations or non-VA Transfers.

Data Management 30%

• Maintain accurate records of patient transfers, including tracking and analyzing data to improve transfer process outcomes.
• Analyzes administrative, budgetary and equipment problems and implements corrective actions as needed in resolving controversial situations. Take appropriate action or make specific recommendations which enable the clinical transfer coordinator to respond administratively to problems as they are presented.
• Responsible for the day-to-day accuracy of patient transfer reports and varied financial accounting reports related to inter-facility patient cost transfers. Ensures accuracy of the Inter-Facility Transfer Programs monitoring and accounting systems, which consists of patient transfer activities.
• Collects and analyzes data to ensure quality and timeliness of work performed by the program staff to meet the needs of Inter-Facility Transfer patients.
• Maintains accurate data pertaining to tracking patients and services provided for transfer patients and Traveling Veterans.

Program Improvement 20%

• Identify opportunities for process improvements and implement best practices to enhance the efficiency and quality of the Patient Transfer Office operations.
• Plans, coordinates, and evaluates best practice methods for transporting patients for inpatient and outpatient procedures.
• With input from the Inter-Facility Transfer Coordinator, assesses the training needs of the technical and administrative staff within the medical center as they relate to the transfer process. Prepares training materials and maintains records of such training.

Policy Compliance 10%

• Ensure all patient transfers comply with VA policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements, safeguarding patient privacy and confidentiality.
• Develops and continuously monitors administrative guidelines of the inter-facility transfer program and coordinates with other facilities to ensure continued compliance with guidelines and directives.
• Interprets and applies VA directives to the Inter-Facility Transfer Program as they relate to provision of patient care, eligibility reform, and VA financial management programs. Coordinates all interactions with other VA facilities to ensure patient records are appropriately documented to accurately indicate treatment provided by the CMCVAMC.
• Plans, coordinates, and evaluates in-service education programs, and provides orientation for new medical center personnel on program policy and procedures.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 0730-1600

Position Description Title/PD#: Program Support Assistant~/070260

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Physical Requirements: Regular and recurring work is mostly sedentary involving sitting at a desk, although the position requires the ability to move from one geographic location of the facility to another. The incumbent works with a computer screen and keyboard. Some physical effort such as standing, walking, bending or prolonged sitting may be required. The incumbent may be exposed to walking to outlying areas. The work places no special physical demands on the employee.

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.
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc. is required
• 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 dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.

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.

GS-07 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-06 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes:

• Experience working in a healthcare environment, especially in patient flow, bed management, admissions, or transfer coordination.
• Familiarity with electronic medical records, patient movement systems, and hospital communication platforms.
• Prior administrative experience supporting a busy clinical or operational unit.
• Knowledge of medical terminology and standard hospital processes.
• Strong customer service background with an emphasis on communication and teamwork.
• Experience handling time sensitive tasks and coordinating between multiple departments.

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.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Additional information

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.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at

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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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.

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.