The position is in the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), within the Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System and in Pathology and Laboratory Medical Service (P&LMS) at the Ernest Childers VA Outpatient Clinic.

Duties

The Program Support Assistant is responsible for greeting patients presenting themselves to the service for procurement of specimens for testing purposes, including interpreting and verifying provider orders in accordance with Eastern Oklahoma VA Health Care System and P&LMS guidelines. Major duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Review test requests, check to verify provider orders are in the system and process orders Verify patient information to include positive identification of patients and specimens Contact clinic personnel in correcting or verifying requests Place orders if patient arrives with no orders per provider request Monitor outpatients waiting to have specimens drawn. Making sure patients are not waiting too long for blood draw. Managing workflow of the draw area Follow up with appropriate personnel within the various services of the medical center when corrections are needed Receive all laboratory specimens from patients and other services within the facility Organize workflow within department Ensure the clerical workflow effectively supports the needs of the clinic and make necessary adjustments Answer basic technical laboratory questions or following up with appropriate department Receive packages delivered to the laboratory Ensure necessary documentation is completed to ensure appropriate workload credit Operate copier, scanner, fax, page printers, label printers, loading centrifuges, checking temperatures of laboratory refrigerators and freezers Review specimens brought to the service for correctness as to labeling and type and source of specimens for tests ordered Review correctness of specialized forms delivered to the service for both Clinical and Anatomic Pathology Answer and route of telephone calls Verify/document specialized tests with very specific often intricate specimen handling requirements Coordinate with nurses and providers requesting new or undefined laboratory tests by collecting relevant details to identify available testing options in the community Monitor and perform the basic collection of specimens when required Deliver specimens to appropriate departments. File patient records Submit reference laboratory tests that are generally unique Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 8:30am-5:00pm Telework: Not authorized Remote: This is not a remote/virtual position. Position Description Title/PD#: Program Support Assistant/PD13062-O Physical Requirements: The work requires manual dexterity, visual acuity, regular and often continual physical exertion.

Requirements

• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.
• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• May serve a probationary period
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. NOTE: Your experience must be clearly documented in your resume to be considered. For federal positions held, your resume must include the pay plan, grade and step for each entry. GS-05 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-04 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: ability to operate computerized programs and databases to enter, modify and retrieve sensitive information/data into or from electronic medical records, verify laboratory orders in electronic scheduling systems and/or reports; knowledge of basic medical terminology; ability to verify proper labeling and specimen type for test ordered for both clinical and anatomic specimens; ability to monitor/perform the basic collection specimens; skill to work independently in the accomplishment of a wide variety of duties, including setting priorities and coordinating work; ability to communicate effectively and professionally with employees at varying grade levels; ability to identify customer's concerns, perform the tasks required to resolve the issue accurately and timely, and follow-up as necessary to ensure a satisfactory resolution; skill to work rapidly, with a high degree of accuracy, under considerable pressure; OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-05 level. Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have education beyond the secondary level (4 years above high school); OR Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-05 level. You must have an equivalent combination of specialized experience and education as stated above to meet total experience requirements. Preferred Experience: Knowledge of laboratory-specific medical terminology, strong customer service abilities and phlebotomy skills is preferred but not mandatory. To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-05. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. 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

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.

If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education.

Contacts

• Address Jack C Montgomery VA Medical Center 1011 Honor Heights Drive Muskogee, OK 74401 US
• Name: Gina Lee
• Phone: 307-778-7550 X3629
• Email: [email protected]