The Medical Administrative Assistant (MAA) is a management position located in Patient Business Services and is the central point of contact after normal duty hours, and is responsible for all medical, legal, and administrative functions of the health care facility. The MAA maintains the operations of all administrative activities during these hours, investigating all problems and incidents which may occur during the tour of duty.

Duties

The Cincinnati VA Medical Center is a two-division campus located in Cincinnati, Ohio and Fort Thomas, Kentucky serving 15 counties in Southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southeast Indiana with 6 Community Based Outpatient Clinics located in Bellevue, KY; Florence, KY; Lawrenceburg, IN; Hamilton, OH; Clermont County, OH, and Georgetown, OH. Cincinnati VAMC also supports two off main campus locations in the Cincinnati area via an Eye Center and Mental Health Outreach Community Division. Major Duties: The MAA is to represent the Medical Center Director and the Chief, PBS on all administrative matters occurring when assigned to other than a normal tour of duty. The MAA provides administrative support during at least 66% of all the overall operation tours at this Medical Center. Coordination of all contacts received by the health care facility during irregular hours, serving in the capacity of MAA and as a medical-legal resource person for all contact from staff patients and visitors. The MAA is delegated limited authority and responsibility to exercise the Medical Center Director's prerogative in matter occurring during the tour of duty, represents management in (non-policy making) administrative matters; represents management in matters pertaining to the lawful retention of Veterans in the VAMC; maintains continuity of functions and provides full medical administrative support during other than normal tours of duty to clinical and administrative medical center staff; is responsible for achieving management objectives and supporting the decisions of management in carrying out duties; and provides technical guidance necessary to meet procedural, legal, and administrative requirements relating to the care and treatment of patients to achieve optimum use of available resources. During day tour, provides coordinated care process/procedures for interfacility outpatient consultation and interfacility patient transfer center. Has coordination responsibility for acute admissions and transfers of veterans admitted to private sector facilities and other VA Medical Centers. In absence of Nurse Expeditor/Bed Coordinator or Care Coordinator, provides cross coverage for all positions. The MAA has responsibility for the overall operations of a nearly 100 bed medical, surgical, psychiatric facility. In addition, the Medical Center operates a 48 bed Nursing Home Care Unit, 17 bed PRRTP Unit, and a 58 bed Domiciliary. The facility services over 100,000 outpatient visits per year. Serves as the authoritative person during irregular hours and is delegated authority of the Chief, PBS, on all issues involving tentative enrollment and eligibility decisions and for administrative activities occurring on irregular tour. Interprets VA rules and regulations relating to determining legal entitlement to benefits relating to hospital admission; nursing home, fee basis, and outpatient care; dental treatment; patient transfer; and beneficiary travel. Authorized as certifying officer for documents pertaining to the administration of laws concerning VA. Coordinates the resolution of medical-legal problems concerning the medical center. Ensures that appropriate legal, regulatory and policy requirements are met. This includes interviewing and counseling Veterans concerning the law and regulatory guidelines on their enrollment and eligibility for health care benefits. Processes administrative issues surrounding beneficiary death, seriously ill cases, elopements, suicides, assaults, deaths on arrival (DOA's), homicides, cost recovery matters, and facility or community disasters, etc. Performs administrative functions necessary to release the remains of a deceased patient to the designated funeral home for proper burial. This includes counseling the deceased Veteran's immediate family about burial and memorial benefits. Work Schedule: Evening and Night Shift, Weekends and Holidays Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Medical Administrative Assistant/PD91414A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/19/2023. 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-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6. 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 as described below: Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: - Maintains continuity of functions and provides full medical administrative support during other than normal tours of duty to clinical and administrative medical center staff. - Coordination of all contacts received by the health care facility during irregular hours, serving in the capacity of MAA and as a medical-legal resource person for all contact from staff patients and visitors. - Processes administrative issues surrounding beneficiary death, seriously ill cases, elopements, suicides, assaults, deaths on arrival (DOA's), homicides, cost recovery matters, and facility or community disasters, etc .- Facilitates patient transfers to and from VA and non-VA facilities, using contracted emergency transportation services. - Prepares daily Gains and Losses sheet and other related statistical reports You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: 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: The work requires much walking through the medical center with occasionally the requirement to lift objects such as suitcases, clothing, or medical charts. The MAA shift changes require rotation on a five week basis, which provides added stress and strain, with various shifts requiring two or more sets of work hours per week. 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

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Contacts

• Address Cincinnati VA Medical Center 3200 Vine Street Cincinnati, OH 45220 US
• Name: Bradley Schultz
• Email: [email protected]