The position serves as a Lead Patient Relations Assistant (Ambassador) for the South Texas Veterans Health Care System alignment to the Patient Experience Section Chief, located in San Antonio, Texas. You will serve as the Lead liaison between the patients and the staff of the Health Care System as a Greeter and Tour Guide for the Concierge Services.

Duties

Lead Ambassador may be located at any of the following facilities: Audie L Murphy Hospital, Balcones Heights Outpatient Clinic, Data Point Outpatient Clinic, North Bexar Outpatient Clinic, North Central Federal Outpatient Clinic, Shavano Park Outpatient Clinic, South Bexar Outpatient Clinic, or Northwest VA Clinic. Provides comprehensive assistance to Veterans and family members. As the Lead Ambassador, you will assign work to a team of Ambassadors and volunteers. Construct plans and maintain compliance with assignment of various sectors to ensure coverage of the Health Care System's campuses. Conduct daily meetings with Ambassadors to assign work as well as to communicate information provided from the Concierge Program Manager. Maintain and issue an extensive inventory of radios, golf carts and all other assets to ensure real-time connectivity and communication with team members on various aspects of the Health Care System to include services offered, location and changes. Recommend changes and improvements to the Concierge Program Manager. Serve as a committee member on the Experience Board and conduct Patient Experience Ambassador, Greeter, and Tour Guide training. Interpret the Health Care Center's mission, policies, procedures, and available services to Veterans and family members. Serve as a Greeter, working with and mentoring other volunteers/Greeters, to provide a consistent, exceptional experience that builds the trust and confidence of Veterans and their families. Assist Veterans, family members, and Health Care System staff members in recognizing and removing obstacles to providing the optimal patient experience. Assist patients arriving at the Health Care System by reducing their anxiety related to hospital navigation or other confusion, leading to improved clinical outcomes. Serve as a Lead Ambassador who is easily recognized, provide information and guidance, help ensure safety with assistance when needed, display brand consistency, and alleviate patient complaints. Assists patients in getting into and out of their vehicles, loading and unloading patient wheelchairs as necessary. This service also requires the opening and closing of patient wheelchairs as well as making other equipment available to the patient, such as walkers and other ambulating devices. Greet patients in the parking lot and orientate them on the availability of the parking lot shuttle cart to the lobby area and assists patients onto or off the shuttle cart. Assist family members, and visitors to parked vehicles by driving shuttle cart/van. Exercises Customer Service Skills to Enhance Patient Experience Program Through daily activities working with patients and family members, you will identify existing or potential problems and barriers to care and recommend solutions or alternatives to existing procedures that contribute to those problems or barriers. Work with the Patient Experience Team to resolve problems or expedite service within established Health Care System policies, procedures, and clinical practice guidelines. Receive and listen to complaints from patients or family members during the course of their duties. Initiate action or changes necessary to rectify the situation, then report back to the patients or family members the corrective measures taken. Assist patients departing the Health Care System by problem-solving with the patient and enabling service recovery prior to departure. Assist patient with understanding the patient's bill of rights. Establish and promote effective working relationships with other employees through the Health Care System. Respects patients' rights, e.g., maintains privacy, confidentiality, and self-determination. Safeguards sensitive patient information. You will track and trend requests for information, concerns, and suggestions presented to the incumbent by patients. Produce a weekly analysis and categorization of data to Superior Ambassador and will assist Ambassadors in developing patient experience improvements. You will assist the public relations program in increasing community and Veteran awareness of the Health Care System and help patients register for MyHealthy Vet. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, daytime hours based off the needs for the Agency. Telework: Not applicable Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Lead Patient Relations Assistant (Ambassador)/PD03885A 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, 10/05/2023. 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-04 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:extensive knowledge of Health Care System policies, procedures and regulations; translate medical center policies and procedures and regulations in a manner to help respond to patients' requests for assistance; extensive knowledge of patient rights and responsibilities law, eligibility laws, benefits regulation and medical terminology in order to thoroughly interpret these areas to patients in an easily understood manner; analytical and statistical skills in order to track, trend and prepare recommendations to problem areas. OR, - Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have four years of education above high school. OR, - Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond high school. Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. One full academic year of study (30 semester hours) beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: - Communications - Customer Service - Interpersonal Skills - Organizational Awareness 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: Moderate lifting, 15-44 pounds; Moderate carrying, 15-44 pounds; Pushing (8 hours); Walking ( 8 hours); Standing (8 hours); hearing aid may be permitted. This employee will spend majority of the shift on his/her feet. Will also push Veterans in wheelchairs. Employee will be working outside and inside, excessive heat and cold, working around moving objects or vehicles, working closely with others or working alone. 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.

Note: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

Contacts

• Address Audie L Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital 7400 Merton Minter Boulevard San Antonio, TX 78229 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]