Summary As the Lead Patient Relations Assistant, the incumbent will assign work to a team of Patient Relations Assistants and volunteers. The incumbent will construct plans and maintain compliance with assignment of various sectors to ensure coverage of the Health Care System's campuses. Incumbent will conduct daily meetings with Patient Relations Assistants to assign work as well as to communicate information provided from the Patient Experience Program Manager. Responsibilities Duties include: Conduct daily meetings with Patient Relations Assistants to assign work as well as to communicate information provided from the Patient Experience Program Manager. Maintain and issue an extensive inventory of radio 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. Recommends changes and improvements to the Patient Experience Program Manager. Incumbent serves as a committee member on the Experience Committee and conducts Patient Experience Ambassador, Greeter, and Tour Guide training. The incumbent will interpret the Health Care Center's mission, policies, procedures, and available services to Veterans and family members. Makes recommendations for changes and improvements to the Lead Patient Relations Assistant. Assists Veterans, family members, and Health Care System staff members in recognizing and removing obstacles to providing the optimal patient experience. Incumbent will serve as a liaison between the Veteran and Health Care System staff to provide maximal assistance to the Veteran and assist in resolving any conflicts or issues. The incumbent 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 Lead Patient Relations Assistant and will assist Lead Patient Relations Assistant in developing patient experience improvements. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, Daytime (start as early as 7 am and go as late as 5pm depending on location), based off the need for the Agency. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Lead Patient Relations Assistant/PD671-3885-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/30/2026. 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: 1) Extensive knowledge of Health Care System policies, procedures and regulations; 2) Translate medical center policies and procedures and regulations in a manner to help respond to patients' requests for assistance; 3) 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; 4) 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 (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED). 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. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:- Communications- Customer Service- Interpersonal Skills- Organizational Awareness 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Note: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application. Additional Information Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
