This position is a Transition Patient Advocate (TPA). The incumbent is directly supervised by the facility level Transition and Care Management (TCM) Program Manager.

Duties

TPA acts as a communicator, facilitator, and problem solver for patients entering or receiving care within the VA HCS. Administrative, organizational and educational skills will be utilized. Incumbent may travel to Department of Defense (DOD) medical treatment facilities to introduce himself/herself to the injured/ill service member and family. Incumbent independently handles a wide range of difficult contacts and complex situations, including eligibility concerns. Transition Patient Advocates will use the VA computerized Patient Representative Tracking Package to enter all complaints/compliments of the service members, veterans and family members they follow in order to enhance collection of veteran feedback and opportunities to improve services. Interprets the facilities and VISN mission, purpose, philosophy, policies, procedures and services to the patient and/or family members and presents the patient's problems, opinions and needs to the appropriate staff and to management for resolution. Provides information and assistance to Veterans and family members regarding benefits, entitlement, and eligibility to health care and Veteran benefits. Assists, when necessary, with completion of administrative tasks in conjunction with the application of benefits. Assists patients, their families and the facility staff members in recognizing and removing institutional obstacles to provide optimum quality health care. Acts to resolve problems, expedite services, or implement necessary corrective measures within established facility policies and where appropriate. Maintains program requirements and/or validation criteria for assigned organizations. Incumbent acts as a quality assurance specialist, helping ensure accuracy of patient care data. Incumbent analyzes data, identifies discrepancies, makes corrections, and recommends a course of action to assure accuracy and timeliness of future data input. The incumbent collects, analyzes, and evaluates data generated and produces meaningful reports based on that data as it relates to quality and customer service standards. Compiles final reports of evaluation efforts. Notes discrepancies and the planned initiatives for effecting remedial actions. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday 8:00am- 4:30pm Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Patient Representative/PD24167A

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/14/2023. 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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9. 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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: thorough knowledge of Federal Laws, VA regulations and directives governing Veterans' medical benefits; facility policies, procedures and organizational structure; medical terminology; available services; capability of clinics and must be aware of changes which affect Veterans' benefits. Thorough knowledge of various public laws as well as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Freedom of Information Act, Privacy Act, Advance Directives Act and others is required. Knowledge of the duties, priorities, commitments and program goals of both administrative and clinical services in order to respond to concerns expressed by patients and their families relative to health care services. The incumbent must possess knowledge and skills to discuss and negotiate with the family and to help determine what course of actions are in the best interest of the patient. Skill in oral and written communication as well as interpersonal relations. knowledge of medical terminology and VA nomenclature used with a variety of administrative diagnostic and treatment procedures provided to all categories of patients. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related . OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: ClericalCustomer Service (Clerical/Technical)Interpersonal SkillsManages and Organizes Information 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: A high level of physical energy is required, as the incumbent is expected to meet with many people in many different locations in the course of a workday. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on 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. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Northport VA Medical Center 79 Middleville Road Building 200 Northport, NY 11768 US
• Name: Alicia Franklin
• Phone: 716-393-8342
• Email: [email protected]