The primary purpose of the position is to provide a high level of administrative and data support to the Health Administration Service (HAS) in the capacity of Program Assistant (Health Benefits Assistant). The incumbent assists with a wide variety of administrative and clerical tasks essential to make eligibility determinations for VA healthcare which requires an extensive knowledge of VA laws, directives, policies, and procedures.

Duties

GS-06 This position will essentially perform the same duties as stated in the full performance level position description. The difference will be noted in the factor levels below: The incumbent will be assigned work and/or receive training to acquire the qualifications needed to successfully perform the duties and responsibilities of the attached target-level position description. The Incumbent will receive more specific supervisory direction than the target level regarding work methods, procedures, objectives, and priorities. The incumbent's work will be subject to more frequent and closer review than at the target level. Delegated authorities and responsibilities may be less than at the target level. As the incumbent demonstrates competence in the performance of assigned work, the degree of supervision will be progressively reduced. Additional guidance/review will be provided for the more complex assignments. Upon meeting all regulatory requirements for promotion, demonstration of fully acceptable performance, and satisfactory completion of any applicable training plans, the incumbent may be non-competitively promoted to the next higher-grade level in the position ladder until the target position is reached. GS-07 The incumbent will be responsible for ensuring accurate, timely, and consistent information is entered into the appropriate database. Also, the incumbent(s) will provide the vision for the development of monitors to measure all data input. The duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to the following: Program Assistant Duties 60% Provides support for a wide variety of administrative tasks within the service such as validating, assisting, advising, and consulting with administrative services on such matters as personnel, equipment, administration, maintenance, disaster preparedness, safety programs, and workload reports for the CBOC. This includes not only entering data and information, when necessary but also reviewing reports, records, and statistical computations for accuracy and propriety. The incumbent(s) must review the Incomplete Encounter Management Module (IEMM) report to clean up any discrepancies in administrative data that would prevent the transmission of encounters. Responsibilities of the incumbent(s) include management analysis, training, and organizational development. Incumbent(s) will be involved in an extremely complex blend of computing technology, medical information, communication skills, and leadership qualities in a rapidly changing environment. The Veterans Health Information & Technology Architecture (VistA) is one of the largest of its kind and breaks many barriers in the areas of public domain software, language standardization, and decentralization of ADP within the VA. He/she must possess vast computer knowledge in creating and capturing data. Determination of Eligibility Status Duties 20% The incumbent must enter all information into the database for determination of the eligibility status for healthcare. Incumbent will also ensure that all new Veterans to the system are registered within 7 days of receipt of their application. The incumbent is expected to provide exceptional customer service by exceeding the customer's expectations. The incumbent will actively listen to customers with respect and concern; will pay attention to the details of the customer's needs and help the customer arrive at a satisfactory solution to the problem. Accurately generates patient data cards for Veterans applying for care using the Veterans Health Identification Card (VHIC) system. Beneficiary Travel Duties 20% The Beneficiary Travel program provides transportation at Government expense to beneficiaries and their attendants traveling to and from VA facilities and other places for examination, treatment, or care. Contacts approving officials to authorize obligations and requests for additions, deductions, and/or movement of funds. Arranges all modes of transportation via air ambulance, commercial air, taxi, ambulance, bus, and/or independent transports. Reviews requests for reimbursement of travel costs to assure compliance with regulations and procedures, completeness, accuracy, internal consistency, and agreement with basic authorizations. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Work Schedule: M-F 8:00 - 16:30 Telework: This position may be authorized for ad-hoc telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Assistant/640-03028-A/640-03029-A Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/31/2024. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade at 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-07 position, you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06. 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 of 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 will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: ClericalCustomer Service (Clerical/Technical)Organizational AwarenessStandards 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; religious; 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: This is primarily a sedentary position, but the work requires some walking, bending, stooping, and carrying of light objects such as manuals, documents, etc. Concentration and sustained performance under prolonged stress are required because of the time factors involved in the completion of work assignments with deadlines. 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 Palo Alto VA Medical Center 3801 Miranda Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94304 US
• Name: Eugene Jacobs
• Email: [email protected]