Summary Patient Relations Assistant (PRA), serving to enhance the patient experience for the Orlando VA Healthcare System (OVAHCS). The PRA provides basic information to patients and visitors, leads facility tours, assists patients and family members to appointments, as well as engages with current patients through rounding. Inpatient rounding consists of visiting new patients admitted to acute care units to welcome and provide service recovery information Responsibilities This announcement will remain open until the closing date,08/13/2026,or when the applicant count is reached, whichever is earlier. The applicant count is the point at which the first 30 applications are received. All applications submitted that day up to 11:59 p.m. eastern standard time on the date the applicant count is reached will be accepted and considered. The Patient Relations Assistant (PRA) plays a key role in supporting the Veterans Experience Office. The Patient Relations Assistant will report to the Supervisory Patient Relations Assistant, Veterans Experience, with daily work assignments often coordinated by the Lead Patient Relations Assistant. The PRA provides basic information to patients and visitors, leads facility tours, assists patients and family members to appointments, as well as engages with current patients through rounding. PRA outpatient rounding consists of visiting waiting areas to engage with patients and identify any service recovery needs, liaise with appropriate services for resolution or escalate need if greater support is required. Duties consist of but are not limited to the following: Provide basic information to Veterans and visitors in person and via telephone. This includes directions, forms, and operating hours. Provide facility tours for key stakeholders. These tasks will involve frequent walking throughout the campus as well as pushing wheelchairs and assisting with other mobility equipment (walkers, etc.). Assess patient needs by rounding in waiting areas, hallways and community spaces and asking patients and visitors how things are going and what can be done to make their experience more positive. PRA will work in collaboration with Service Level Advocates in each area to resolve patient concerns quickly. Review daily inpatient census reports to identify newly admitted patients and meet with patients to provide a welcome to the Orlando VA Healthcare System, and an overview of services offered. Identify any concerns or gaps in care and notify the appropriate parties for immediate resolution. Provide telephone coverage in a back-up capacity in the Veteran Experience Office during staff absences. Serve as a key member of the Veteran Experience Office assisting with resources. Review comments from V-Signals surveys daily and ensure actionable items are directed to the appropriate service. PRA will participate in the identification and implementation of Veteran Experience improvement projects. Incumbent deals with patient complaints and grievances on a regular and recurring basis, the chosen course of action may require the use of many alternatives. The incumbent has personal contact with patients and visitors, staff, and stakeholders. These contacts and the preparation of responses written require a high level of oral and written communication skills. Functions as a liaison between patients and staff of the OVAHCS also providing Veterans, their family members, visitors, and caregivers with an experience that fulfills the mission of the organization. Will have frequent personal contact with patients, visitors, family members, contractors, stakeholders, volunteers, and VA facility staff. Provides the customer with consistent information according to established policies and procedures. Handles all pertinent information according to established policies and procedures. Handles conflict and problems in dealing with the customer constructively and appropriately. Work Schedule: Sunday - Saturday, 0730-4:30PM Locations: Orlando, Lake Baldwin, and Daytona Florida Telework: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Patient Relations Assistant/PD07508A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): 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. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. 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 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 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 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, 08/13/2026. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Patient Relations Assistant Grade GS-303-05: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-04 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: Specialized experience includes: experience where you were responsible for providing administrative support; collecting, compiling and tracking data and information; processing documents and reports; establishing, updating and maintaining office files and records; performing automation duties using such software applications such as word processing, spreadsheet, electronic mail, desktop publishing, calendar, database and/or graphics; answering telephones, referring visitors, and providing information. 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~ EDUCATION: Successfully completed four (4) years of education above the high school level in any field which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. Transcripts must be submitted at time of application. ~OR~ COMBINATION: Equivalent combination of successfully completed post-high school education (beyond the second year) and specialized experience as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. Transcripts must be submitted at time of application. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment. 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 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/.
