The primary purpose of the position is to serve as the Transportation Assistant. and properly administer VA travel policies as they apply to Veterans Beneficiaries Transportation. This position will operate within the Health Administration Service located at the John J. Pershing VA Medical Center with several Community Based Outpatient Clinics. This position is a Transportation Coordinator at the facility level and acts as primary contact to Veterans for transportation needs.

Duties

John J. Pershing is committed to Diversity and Inclusion. Together, we strive to create and maintain a working and learning environment that promotes professional growth and teamwork. We offer an inclusive, equitable, and welcoming environment where we celebrate our individual differences and unite as a team toward a common goal of providing outstanding service to our Nation's Veterans. The primary purpose of the position is to serve as the Transportation Assistant and properly administer VA travel policies as they apply to Veterans Beneficiaries Transportation. Duties includes but are not limited to: Works closely with the Chief Business Officer, Fiscal Staff, and other stakeholders to ensure Beneficiary Travel, Special Mode Transportation, fraud prevention, patient funds and ambulance billing programs are complying with Code of Federal Regulations, Veterans Transportation Program, and local policies. Works closely with clinical staff and other health care professionals within the Veterans Administration as well as Community Care providers, for coordination of Veterans transportation needs. Responsible for overall planning, coordination, implementation, management, and evaluation of clinical applications of patient transportation with emphasize on improving care, safety of Veterans in a cost-effective approach. In accordance with established beneficiary travel policy, per physician documentation and according to traveler's medical condition, decides either common carrier or special mode transportation. Accepts inbound Beneficiary Travel calls from Veterans and staff concerning transportation arrangements and responds to questions or problems related to reimbursement benefits. Independently manages the Medical Center's Beneficiary Travel program using eligibility criteria and regulatory authorities to appropriately administer program benefits to eligible Veterans and caretakers. Determines eligibility for government-sponsored travel using applicable federal regulations and policies for program benefits. Responsible for fund control point management for mileage reimbursements Perform other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am-4:30pm. Telework: Yes-Reg Telework 3+ Days Per Work Week Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Transportation Assistant/PD99780S

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• Participation in the seasonal influenza and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccination programs are requirements for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/17/2023. 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-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. For a GS-05 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-04. 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. 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: GS- 05: You may qualify based on your experience and/or 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: Preforms knowledge of patient/customer database, used to track eligibility, enrollment status, demographic information (address, phone, emergency contact information); prepares written documents such as correspondence, memoranda, reports, pamphlets and etcetera of a routine nature; verifies eligibility/entitlement for transportation benefits for all applicants using various methods; understands medical terminology and communicates with patients that are presenting for admissions, applies policies, laws, and regulations to daily. Administer and maintain patient funds, as well as, monitor multiple fund control points as they apply to paying transportation invoices. This position also requires strong computer skills and the ability to use many complex electronic databases for claim processing and auditing procedures. Individual must be experienced in using computer systems and Microsoft office products such as word, excel, PDF, ETC.. This experience must be supported by your resume to be creditable. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 4 years of education above high school in any field for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. (Transcripts required). OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and 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 and specialized experience to meet total qualification requirements at the GS-5 level. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED). GS- 06: You may qualify based on your experience as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Preforms knowledge of patient/customer database, used to track eligibility, enrollment status, demographic information (address, phone, emergency contact information); prepares written documents such as correspondence, memoranda, reports, pamphlets and etcetera of a routine nature; verifies eligibility/entitlement for transportation benefits for all applicants using various methods; understands medical terminology and communicates with patients that are presenting for admissions, applies policies, laws, and regulations to daily. Administer and maintain patient funds, as well as, monitor multiple fund control points as they apply to paying transportation invoices. This position also requires strong computer skills and the ability to use many complex electronic databases for claim processing and auditing procedures. Individual must be experienced in using computer systems and Microsoft office products such as word, excel, PDF, ETC.. This experience must be supported by your resume to be creditable. Education There is no educational substitution at this grade level. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Computer SkillsControl of FundsCustomer Service (Clerical/Technical)Medical 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: Work involves various physical demands requiring the employee to be versatile in the many functions performed. These include sedentary work performed at a desk with intermittent standing, walking, bending, and lifting of lightweight records or supplies. Work is performed in an office setting. Work is performed within view and hearing of patients and the general public. The Transportation Assistant has direct contact with patients and possible exposure to contagious diseases. Immediate attention is required for travel and patient funds activities, while lodging arrangements must be completed timely. Meeting these obligations may present varied demands on the Transportation Assistant. Patients may present skeptical, agitated, uncooperative, and some may become hostile or dangerous. The work environment is multifaceted, complex, and demanding 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 the GS-6 grade level.

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 John J Pershing VA Medical Center 1500 North Westwood Boulevard Poplar Bluff, MO 63901 US
• Name: Tiffany Coats
• Phone: 615-873-8622
• Email: [email protected]