Clarification from the agency

This announcement is open to Current, Permanent Employees of Veterans Health Administration, Other Federal Employees, Veterans and Special Hiring Authorities. First area of consideration will be current, permanent employees of the John D. Dingell VA Medical Center.

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Works with the VTS Supervisory Mobility Manager for transportation workload forecasting, scheduling design, procedure development, and quality improvement implementation, modification of processes, evaluation and ongoing operational flow of the Veteran Transportation Services program. The coordination of transportation function is multi-faceted and diverse. The three major areas of responsibility are: (1) Scheduling, Data Collection, & Tracking Support; (2) Consult Management responsibilities; (3) Program Support responsibilities. Must have knowledge of clinical services, related software and programs as they relate to clinical computing and office automation.

Scheduling, Data Collection & Tracking Support

• Performs work involving consult management, appointment scheduling and admissions scheduling.
• Collecting, compiling, and tracking data and statistical information in support of Veteran Transportation Service (VTS).
• Performs a basic analysis of the data and generates a variety of reports.
• Evaluate documents, e.g., sampling plans, permit applications and other data collection forms.
• Aggregates in-coming data from a variety of sources.
• Reviews documents, reports and/or applications for omissions and inconsistencies and ensures data entry is complete and accurate.
• Enters pertinent information into an automated tracking system.
• Receives DSS extracts to verify that the workload being captured in DSS is correct.
• Maintains automated system of program-specific data to track items such as service project milestones, progress reports, program trends, performance measures, compliance strategies, etc.
• Interacts with various other transportation services such as Emergency Medical Service (EMS), Volunteer Transportation Network (VTN), Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) etc., and other transportation providers.

Performance Measures Support

• Coordinates service practices that decrease waits and delays for patients in all specialty areas.
• Plans consult processing flow to ensure veterans receive consultation services in a timely manner.
• Utilizes the Veterans Health Information System & Technological Architecture (VISTA), Computerized Patient Record Systems (CPRS) or SharePoint Consult/Request Tracking System in processing internal consultations.
• Administers quality monitors to be utilized in the internal consultation process to measure the success of efforts to provide seamless care and to support the education of staff in the proper use of the electronic record, to include internal consultation processes.

Coordination, Program Planning and Advisory Services

• Plans for, organizes, administers, and directs how the work will be accomplished for the VTS program.
• Plans and directs programs that provide support services functions and require the application of specialized knowledge and skills.
• Planning responsibilities require consideration of support services e.g., systems management, operations, workload forecasting, review, and reporting of data/statistical results of program/project studies, vehicle maintenance and repair, etc.
• Review workload types in Veteran Transportation Service e.g. outpatient clinic visits, surgical admissions.
• On a daily basis validate program workload and ensure reporting is accurate.
• Responds to "action required" notifications, insuring the primary providers are correct.
• Coordinates the day-to-day operation of VTS program flow, processes and functions.
• Provides technical and management guidance necessary to achieve the optimum use of service resources.
• Plans and provides support services in the following types of program areas: electronic records management; driver scheduling setup & management; space utilization services.
• Provides advisory services to the Supervisor regarding the requirements and implications of the office services provided.
• Provides advice to operating managers and supervisors on how provided services assist in accomplishing their missions and programs.

Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm. Schedule may be subject to change based on the needs of the Agency.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Transportation Assistant/PD91363A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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
• You may be required to serve a probationary/trial period
• 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)

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/14/2025.

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-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. 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.

Preferred Experience: Customer Service, Dispatching, and Transportation Consults

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-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: .

• scheduling patient appointments (pick up and drop off times);
• entering travel authorizations;
• completing patient consults;
• entering data into computer;
• determining enrollment and eligibility;
• operating standard office equipment (for example, telephone, typewriter, fax, photocopier, calculator);
• determining appropriate services for clients or customers;
• making or receiving telephone calls; processing incoming forms, records, or other documents;
• recommending solutions to complex problems

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Computer Skills
• Control of Funds
• Customer Service (Clerical/Technical)
• Medical Information

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: Work involves various physical demands requiring the employee to be versatile in the many functions performed. These include sedentary work performed at a desk with intermittent standing, walking, bending, and lifting of lightweight records or supplies. Work is performed in an office setting. Work is performed within view and hearing of patients and the general public. The Transportation Assistant has direct contact with patients and possible exposure to contagious diseases. Immediate attention is required for travel and patient funds activities, while lodging arrangements must be completed timely. Meeting these obligations may present varied demands on the Transportation Assistant. Patients may present skeptical, agitated, uncooperative, and some may become hostile or dangerous. The work environment is multifaceted, complex, and demanding. The duties and responsibilities of the position require some mobility between various clinic areas in separate building location sites, but generally the job is sedentary with some standing, stooping, reaching and lifting up to 20 pounds. The employee is required to work with computer equipment at least 75% of the time which impacts on hand and wrist motions.

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/.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.