Summary VA Central Alabama Health Care System is recruiting for one (1) Program Support Assistant within Patient Care Services. This position works under the supervision of the respective Associate Chief Nurse. And performs administrative support duties with considerable latitude for the exercise of independent judgment. Responsibilities Incumbent will also serve as back-up coverage for clerical support as needed for Nursing, Patient Care Services, assisting with scheduling duties, phone management, calling patients when necessary, etc. Because of the increased awareness to customer service throughout the medical center and the increased number of patients seen, the incumbent will serve as a contact for patient satisfaction and service recovery for the Nursing, Patient Care Services, independently handling problems of a complex and sensitive nature or tactfully referring calls to other areas. The incumbent is expected to make every effort to resolve concerns without further referral Responsibility for administering the day to day activities of their assigned sections and all phases of the facility specialty program. Their assigned sections may include Nursing (Ambulatory Care; Acute Care and Specialties; Geriatrics Extended Care & Rehabilitation; Mental Health, Wellness Health and Outcomes (WHO) and Operations); Patient Advocates; Social Work; Sterile Processing and Veterans Engagement. Expertise in multiple systems including VISTA, CPRS, EPAS, and Electronic Equipment Request Portals is crucial. Independently performs annual equipment inventory requiring expert knowledge of inventory resolutions process, scanning system and technical terminology pertaining to diagnostic and treatment medical equipment and supplies. Keeps accurate and precise inventory records, agendas, staff/committee minutes and data for their assigned sections. Reconciles discrepancies for reporting to logistics and medical center administration. Acts as a support timekeeper for their assigned section(s) and other Nursing, Patient Care Services sections. Learns and proficiently utilizes ACUSTAF and VATAS for timekeeping/timecard purposes. Serves as a local expert on difficult and unusual timekeeping problems such as variable schedules. Assures accurate recording and maintenance of information concerning policies and regulations governing time and leave system. Works with payroll to correct any timekeeping issues. Independently researches, coordinates and composes replies to routine, non-clinical correspondence with no direction of supervisor. Responds to facility suspense action items, patient complaints/compliments, requests administrative reports or audits with limited oversight. Schedules meetings, conference calls, special orientations, presentations, program training, and equipment/supply delivery, installation and training. Prepares meeting minutes and has responsibility for following up on all action items to ensure completeness. Performs typing and office automation work at or above the established minimum proficiency level. A qualified typist is required. Composes and edits letters and reports, reviews correspondence for accuracy and completeness, prepares presentations outlines and develops standard or form letters and replies to inquiries. Serves as the Records Liaison for their assigned section(s). Requires completion of electronic coursework as well as classroom-based Records Liaison training. Ensures that each division employee remains compliant with VA privacy and information security directives and offers solutions to record keeping and compliance issues. Maintains clinic files in accordance with VA directives and policies. Performs additional duties as assigned to support the facility/agency Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm; work schedule subject to change based on agency needs. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Support Assistant/PD111070 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): 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 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. 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, 05/26/2026. 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-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6. 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. 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-6 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Primarily responsible for offering service specialized administrative assistance, supporting recruitment processes, managing reports and data such as performance measures, All Employee Survey (AES), clinic utilization data, missed opportunity and no-show data, workload information, open encounters and unsigned progress notes. Independently gathers quality reporting data through various programs and through coordination with the facility Group Practice Manager (GPM). Independently analyzes the acquired data and condenses it into a concise format for presentation to facility and VISN administration at a variety of committee meetings and for use with budgetary issues and planning. Quality improvement activities, service recovery, participation in and coordination of research projects, promoting education for patients and staff, patient care coordination, oversite of scheduling, referrals and consults within the facility and community care, and the overall collaboration of administrative oversight for operations and quality control within the program area to include coordination with multidisciplinary team members, as well as liaison with other services that support Patient Care Services such as Call Center, Pharmacy, Infection Control, Logistics, Engineering, Business Office, Human Resources, Administration, VISN, Contracting, Revenue, Education, and Care in the Community. 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. 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/.
