Summary The Health Administrative Specialist on Duty (HOD) is a facility-wide position located in Health Administration Service (HAS). 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 include, but are not limited to: 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. 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. Assists in responding to emergencies, determines priorities and nature of action to be taken; authorizes services, supplies, and personnel; notifies authorities as situation dictates. 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. Coordinates with VA Crisis Line and VISN or regional Nurse Advice Line in assisting Veterans in emergent or crises situations. Coordinates with VA Police, Compliance, Service Chief and/or Medical Center Director to investigate unusual incidents involving welfare checks, injury, abuse of patients, loss of personal property or other areas as deemed appropriate. Conducts analytical studies on operational processes, issue topics, or related special projects as assigned. HODs at the full performance level will be responsible for training new HODs at the developmental level. Work Schedule: Rotating 12-hour shifts: 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM or 8:00 PM to 8:00 AM. Covering Weekends, Days. Evenings, Nights, and Holidays (Subject to change based on the needs of the Agency) Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Medical Administration Specialist/PD99385S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved 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 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. 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 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) 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, 08/03/2026. 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-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: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-7 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Understand the structure of a medical center, including its key departments, roles, areas of specialization, and service programs Utilize expertise to locate and understand regulations from a wide range of sources. Review data and information for trends, problem areas, and making recommendations to management to resolve issues. Research, organize, and document a wide variety of problems that need to be resolved quickly and decisively Recognize the value of collected data and apply methods to efficiently share it within the organization OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed a Master's or equivalent, or 2 years of progressively higher level education leading to such a degree, or an LL.B or J.D.in a field related to this position that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. (Examples of related fields include, but are not limited to Business Administration, Health Administration, or Public Administration.) Note: Transcripts are required. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience (beyond the first graduate year or 18 semester hours) and specialized experience to meet the total experience requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. (Examples of related fields include, but are not limited to Business Administration, Health Administration, or Public Administration.) Note: Transcripts are required. 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/. 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/.
