Summary The Transportation Assistant is the primary contact to Veterans for transportation needs, reporting to the Mobility Manager. The Transportation Assistant collaborates with the Veteran Transportation Service (VTS) Mobility Manager for transportation workload forecasting, scheduling design, procedure development, and quality improvement implementation, modification of processes, evaluation and ongoing operational flow of the VTS program. Responsibilities This job opportunity announcement (JOA) will be used to fill one (1) full-time and permanent Transportation Assistant, GS-2102-06, vacancy with Business Office Service at the Louisville, KY VA Medical Center. Major duties include but are not limited to: Makes independent decisions that incorporate a full knowledge of regulations and procedures. Schedules and coordinates VTS pick ups and delivery of patients. Interacts with transportation services such as Emergency Medical Service (EMS), Volunteer Transportation Network (VTN) and other transportation providers. Processes claims for veteran reimbursement of travel expenses in Beneficiary Travel Self Service System. Collates data from various sources. Enters information into and maintain an automated tracking system. Interacts with a variety of services such as Mental Health, Social Work and Emergency department. Collaborates with VTS Manager for transportation procedure development and quality improvement implementation. Interacts with Fiscal Service to manage in-patient funds and budget needs. Deals effectively with a wide variety of staff from many educational and skill levels, for the purpose of communicating clear instructions and interpretations. Handles conflict and problems in dealing with the customer constructively and appropriately. Interacts with Veterans and their families and other transportation providers to resolve transportation problems. Utilizes the Veterans Health Information System & Technological Architecture (VISTA), Computerized Patient Record Systems (CPRS) and/or Share Point Consult/Request Tracking System in processing internal consultations. Possesses thorough knowledge to make sound and logical decisions, identifying and utilizing all appropriate available resources. Plans and provides support services in the following types of program areas: electronic records management; driver scheduling setup and management, and space utilization services. Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Transportation Assistant/PD40128A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Requirements 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 period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/02/2024. 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. You may qualify based on your experience 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: Ability to meet and deal effectively with a wide variety of staff from many educational and skill levels, for the purpose of communicating clear instructions and interpretations. Ability to prepare and produce written instructions, and a variety or correspondence. Proficient in using Microsoft software and other hospital computer applications/programs; Scheduling Package; Patient Care Encounters; and Consult Management Process. Knowledge to deal effectively with problems, issues, and situations which occur in the daily activities of the unit and during emergency situations to establish and maintain effective working relationships which contribute to the attainment of the organizational and service goals. Knowledgeable in regard to consult management, scheduling, admissions, discharge, transfer, and administration with patient processing including diagnostic tests and studies within the Medical Center. Knowledge of the Structure of electronic medical records. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Computer Skills Customer Service Decision Making Planning and Evaluating Technical Competence 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: Will be exposed to demanding working situations that will require a mature attitude and collective reasoning to overcome. The incumbent can be expected to observe high volume of work, a constant need for accuracy, frequent of interruptions and evolving demands due to program changes. 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. 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 This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. 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 (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more information.