Patient Relations Assistant (Ambassador) Job in San Antonio, TX

Vacancy No. CAZM-12594282-25-RBW Department Veterans Health Administration
Salary $36,209.00 to $46,639.00 Grade 4 to 4
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 10/29/2024 Close Date 11/4/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
San Antonio, TX


Summary

The Patient Relations Assistant (Ambassador) serves as the liaison between patients and staff of the Health Care System as a Greeter and Tour Guide for Concierge Services. Incumbent provides a channel through which patients can seek assistance to meet unresolved needs and works with healthcare providers and administrative support staff to optimize the comprehensive experience of Veterans and family members.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

ALL US CITIZENS DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation.

Duties

The following are duties but not limited to:

  • Interprets the Health Care Center's mission, policies, procedures, and available services to Veterans and family members.
  • Provide a personal and positive first impression; standardizes the experience of assistance with navigation and information for Veterans and their family members; fosters a general culture of care; and personally, assists customers throughout the Health Care System.
  • Assists Veterans, family members, and Health Care System staff members in recognizing and removing obstacles to providing the optimal patient experience.
  • Assist patients arriving at the Health Care System by reducing their anxiety related to hospital navigation or other confusion, leading to improved clinical outcomes.
  • Assist patients in getting into and out of their vehicles, loading and unloading patient wheelchairs as necessary.
  • Greet patients in the parking lot and orientates them on the availability of the parking lot shuttle cart to the lobby area and assists patients onto or off the shuttle cart.
  • Serve as a liaison between the Veteran and Health Care System staff to provide maximal assistance to the Veteran and assist in resolving any conflicts or issues.
  • Will safeguard and ensure statutory and constitutional rights of patients, protecting patients from abuses that tend to depersonalize and rob them of their dignity, self-respect, or esteem.
  • Through daily activities working with patients and family members, incumbent will identify existing or potential problems and barriers to care and recommend solutions or alternatives to existing procedures that contribute to those problems or barriers.
  • Will receive and listen to complaints from patients or family members during the course of their duties.
  • Will proactively and routinely visit clinical waiting areas and seek to problem-solve potential or existing barriers to care or patient dissatisfiers.
  • Track and trend requests for information, concerns, and suggestions presented to the incumbent by patients
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday between 7:00am to 5:00pm; working hours will be based off need for the Agency.
Position Description Title/PD#: Patient Relations Assistant (Ambassador)/PD671-3884-A
Physical Requirements: Moderate lifting, 15-44 pounds; Moderate carrying, 15-44 pounds; Pushing (8 hours); Walking (8 hours); Standing (8 hours); Hearing (aid may be permitted). The regular and recurring work of the position involves extensive walking, standing and bending, and carrying of items such as walkers, books, papers, and donations to the Health Care System. The position requires regular pushing of patient and visitor wheelchairs and stretchers.. Occasional use of automobile and public conveyances may be required.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
  • Subject to a background/suitability investigation
  • May serve a probationary period
  • Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
  • A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc.
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

Qualifications

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

GS-4 grade level:
  • General Experience: You must have one year of general experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-03 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. General experience includes: progressively responsible clerical, office, or other work that indicates ability to acquire the particular knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties of the position to be filled.
  • OR Education: Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-4 level. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 2 years of education above high school. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED)
  • OR Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-4 level. To calculate, the total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-4.
You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:-
  • Customer Service
  • Communications
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Organizational Awareness
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.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

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.

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.

A 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.

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 well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/.

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.

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.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

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. Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.

Required Documents

Documents Accepted:

  • Cover Letter
  • DD-214/ Statement of Service
  • Disability Letter (Schedule A)
  • Disability Letter (VA)
  • License
  • Other (1)
  • PCS Orders
  • Performance Appraisal
  • Professional Certification
  • Resume
  • Separation Notice (RIF)
  • SF-15
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
  • Transcript

Documents Required:
  • Resume

Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application.Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees).You will not be contacted for additional information. Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted.

Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position.

Applications are accepted online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application.

How to Apply

All applicants are encouraged to apply online.

To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/04/2024 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12594282.

1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.

2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.

NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

Agency contact information

VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
Address
Audie L Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital
7400 Merton Minter Boulevard
San Antonio, TX 78229
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

After the vacancy announcement closes, applicants are evaluated to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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