Summary The Medical Administrative Specialist is a facility-wide position, located in the Office of the Chief, Health Administration Service (HAS), or Business Office (BO), or Medical Administration Service (MAS), or similarly named and organized service; with established guidelines, the position has both the authority and responsibility to represent both the Medical Center Director and the Chief, HAS on all administrative matters occurring when assigned to other than a normal tour of duty. Responsibilities DUTIES: Program Administration Management 75% Delegated full authority of the Chief, HAS for non-clinical administrative activities occurring during irregular tours. Interprets VA rules and regulations relating to determining legal entitlement to benefits relating to hospital admission; nursing home, dental, domiciliary, Community Care (outside VA), and outpatient care; dental treatment; prosthetic appliances; patient transfer; and beneficiary travel. Authorized as certifying officer for documents pertaining to the administration of laws concerning VA. Coordinates the resolution of medical legal problems concerning the medical center. Ensures that appropriate legal, regulatory, and policy requirements are met. Processes administrative issues surrounding beneficiary death, seriously ill cases, elopements, suicides, assaults, deaths on arrival (DOAs), homicides, code blue, cost recovery matters, and facility or community disasters, etc. Determines the appropriateness of notifying the medical examiner of unusual deaths. When unusual circumstances occur determines actions to cancel clinics and appointments. Seeks clinical input and initiates process to contact affected parties and reschedule where appropriate. Provides administrative authority, guidance, and decision making to Medical Officer of the Day (MOD), Nursing Officer of the Day (NOD), and other similarly named Nurse and Medical positions in charge after hours, and all other clinical staff concerning administrative matters necessary for operation of the medical center during other than normal tours. Provides orientation and situational technical advice to physicians regarding VA policies and procedures. Assists medical center staff with medically related problems, including involuntary commitments, orders of protective custody, and management of unruly or severely disturbed patients. Performs for administrative matters as the MOD does for clinical matters, working as a team to carry out top management responsibilities during other than regular working hours. Promotes harmonious working relationship among patients, public, and staff. Directly intervenes with problems regarding patient activity, directing and advising clinical staff of appropriate administrative action. Observes, evaluates, and coordinates administrative activities with IRMS, Engineering, Ol&T, Laboratory, Medicine, Radiology, Nursing, Hospice, and Environmental Management services and personnel among others. This includes administrative rounding to designated areas during second and third shift. With established guidelines, have the delegated authority to act on behalf of the Director to initiate any needed immediate administrative action; this includes actions dealing with any disaster situation, in accordance with the medical center-wide disaster plan. May assumes role of Incident Commander at time of incident and implements the facility plan until the designated personnel arrives. Initiate call back roster, deployment of resources etc., until closure of the incident or a designated Executive report to the facility for duty. May assumes control of communications and notifications in event of local and civil disasters, in accordance with local facility disaster plan. HOD representative participates in Health Care System (HCS) incident command planning committees and emergency management training drills. Assists in responding to emergencies, determines priorities and nature of action to be taken; authorizes services, supplies, and personnel; notifies authorities as situation dictates. Implements search plan for missing patients; informs next-of-kin of search status, as appropriate. Observes for safety, potential problems, and takes corrective action. Assists with computer issues during non-business hours. Coordinates non-routine contacts received at the medical center after regular operating hours. Receives and responds to non-routine patient condition inquiries and other administrative inquiries from concerned veterans, families, visitors, law enforcement officials, representatives from private hospitals, veterans service organization representatives, VA Central Office, Congressional offices, military personnel, private physicians, media, and the general public. Oversees determination of applicants' eligibility; obtaining income and insurance information for appropriate nonservice-connected applicants; counseling nonservice-connected veterans to determine ability to defray costs of medical care elsewhere. Determines extent of release of medical or social data from patients' records. Safeguards and ensures rights of patient. Ma functions as Patient Representative during tour of duty. May collect belongings, funds, or other personal effects of patients for safekeeping in accordance with facility procedure. Requirements Conditions of Employment Maintains good public and media relations as instructed and trained by the Public Affairs Officer until the designated employee arrives. Establishes and maintains liaison with Public Affairs Officer, whenever applicable. May release appropriate information to news media and public as approved by the Public Affairs Officer in accordance with VA regulations, VA medical center policy, and Privacy Act and Freedom of Information Act requirements. Monitors official VA HCS social media profiles during other than normal business hours and alerts appropriate Medical Center personnel to any findings that may appear suspicious or needs further attention. Acts as an advisory resource to all personnel assigned to other than normal tours of duty, such as medical clerks, telephone operators, file room personnel, admitting and clinic clerks and Contact Representatives. During off tour hours has the authority to administratively approve and coordinate tests and procedures which cannot be done at the VA medical center. Can locate available resources and authorize VA payment of services at community hospitals or resolves in accordance with established sharing arrangements. Has the authority to coordinate patient referrals and transfers to and from the medical center from VA and non-VA medical facilities, including the necessary transportation arrangements. Prepares daily Gains and Losses Sheet and other related statistical reports. Incumbent has access to VistA and is aware of the confidential nature of the information contained therein. Incumbent is aware of his/her responsibility to maintain and safeguard against the unauthorized release of this confidential information. Maintains current bed inventory utilizing BMS (Bed Management System) software and ensures the accuracy of the program for national reporting purposes; obtains bed availability for treatment needs. Provides daily report/log of all activities occurring during tour of duty. Briefs on-coming shift of pending events or the current status of any administrative issues. Ensures that check-in processes are properly recorded in the EDIS Software for the Emergency Department, and that dispositions occur timely. Qualifications Conditions of Employment: You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 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. 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 identification 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) 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: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 3pm-12am and Saturday to Sunday 8:00am-8:00pm Compressed/Flexible: Available Position Description/PD#: Medical Admin Specialist/PD99385S 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. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 06/22/2026. 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-5 and for a GS-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. 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: GS-301-7 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 at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-5) in the Federal Service, that is directly related to the work of the position and is equipped with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties as a Medical Administrative Specialist - HOD. Qualifying specialized experience includes Basic knowledge of medical center organization, functions, specialties, and programs, i.e., Social Work, Nursing, Laboratory, Radiology, etc.; experience locating and interpreting regulations from a wide range of sources; reviewing data and information for trends, problem areas, and makes recommendations to management to resolve issues; ability to cope with wide variety of problems and to resolve them quickly and decisively; and explain and organize complex issues in writing. GS-301-9 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-7) in the Federal Service, that is directly related to the work of the position and has equipped me with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties as a Medical Administrative Specialist - HOD. Qualifying specialized experience includes experienced using a wide range of medical center administrative concepts, principles, and practices; provides technical guidance necessary to meet procedural, legal, and administrative requirements relating to the care and treatment of patients; reviewing data and information for trends, problem areas, and makes recommendations to management to resolve issues; interpreting rules, regulations, policies, and procedures to make sound decisions; and identify and analyze complex problems or situations with a range of variables. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. OR, GS-0301-7 Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 1 full year of graduate level education or superior academic achievement. Superior Academic Achievement (SAA): I meet the qualification requirements for this position using SAA. I have completed all the requirements for a bachelor's degree in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled and I meet one of the following: Rank in the upper one-third of your class in the college, university or major subdivision; A grade-point average of "B" (a GPA of 2.95 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all completed undergraduate courses, or those completed in the last two years of undergraduate study; A grade point average of "B+" (a GPA of 3.45 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all courses in your major field of study, or those courses in your major completed in the last two years of undergraduate study; Membership in a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies. NOTE: Copies of transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Education 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. 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: The work requires much walking through the medical center with occasionally the requirement to lift objects such as suitcases, clothing, or medical charts. 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/. There is no educational substitution at this grade level. 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/. 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/.
