This will serve as a Patient Representative, also known as a Transition Patient Advocate (TPA). The incumbent is directly supervised by the facility level Transition and Care Management (TCM) Program Manager. This position will act as a communicator, facilitator, and problem solver for patients entering or receiving care within the VA HCS.

Duties

Duties include, but are not limited to: Assist patients, their families and representatives, and facility staff members in recognizing and removing institutional barriers to the provision of optimum health care to Veterans Identifies existing and potential problem areas, suggests solutions or alternatives to existing procedures which contribute to these problems. Participate and assist in planning and executing outreach events as assigned by the TCM Program Manager. Acts as an advocate for patients, using seasoned judgment to resolve problems. The incumbent will collaborate with the TCM Program Manager and may cross systems as appropriate in resolution of problems in matters concerning patient care. Participation in related community activities. Serves as an advocate to assist transitioning post 9/11 SM/Vs and their families. Travel to Department of Defense (DOD) medical treatment facilities. Provides coordination of care, advisory and technical assistance to post 9/11 SM/Vs seeking medical care. The incumbent will provide recommendations to reduce or eliminate justified complaints to the TCM Program Manager. The incumbent of this position may assist the TCM Program Manager in responding to congressional inquiries involving patient dissatisfaction as assigned by the TCM Program Manager. Responsible for organizational analysis and will evaluate, process, or makes recommendations for effective organizational changes. Acts as a quality assurance specialist, helping ensure accuracy of patient care data. Analyzes data, identifies discrepancies, makes corrections, and recommends a course of action to assure accuracy and timeliness of future data input. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm (subject to change based on agency needs) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Patient Representative/PD02195-0 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• 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

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 06/12/2024. 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-09. 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: Title 38 and Hybrid Title 38 employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs presently appointed under an Excepted Appointment (appointed without time limit and have at least one (1) year of continuous service) may apply for this vacancy in accordance with the VA and OPM Interchange Agreement, reference VA Handbook 5005, Part III, Appendix C. 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-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: applying knowledge of Federal Laws, VA regulations and directives governing Veteran's medical benefits, facility policies/procedures and organizational structure; working with combat Veterans and seriously injured/ill Veterans who have special needs; high degree of skill in oral and written communication as well as interpersonal relations; interviewing, inquiring, knowledge of counseling principles, and record keeping techniques; applying knowledge of medical terminology to review and interpret medical and administrative record information; and preferred VBA knowledge OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree orLL.M., if related. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond a master's or equivalent graduate degree. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Analytical ThinkingCritical ThinkingCustomer ServiceManages and Organizes InformationPlanning and EvaluatingProblem Solving 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. Work is typically performed in an adequately lighted and climate-controlled office. May require occasional travel twenty-five percent of the time for training or other job-related instances. For instance, a portion of the services provided will be conducted away from the office, in the office of other agencies, in non-traditional settings, and in military, Reserve and National Guard facilities. 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 Columbia VA Health Care System 6439 Garners Ferry Road Columbia, SC 29209 US
• Name: Juan Cruz
• Phone: (860) 938-7296
• Email: [email protected]