Clarification from the agency

Please be advised this vacancy is opened to Current and Permanent Lexington VA Healthcare System employees and CBOCs that are aligned with Station # 596. If you are unsure of if your current duty station falls under the correct Station # to be considered for this position, you can verify your Station # by referring to Box 40 on your most recent SF-50. The first 3 alphanumeric values should read 596 in order to be considered for this position.

The incumbent serves as program support within Surgery Service at Lexington VAMC. Surgery Service provides tertiary, subspecialty surgical care for the veterans in this Patient Service Area (PSA), as well as those from other areas, and in particular manages complex surgical patients from Huntington VAMC. The Surgery Service is composed of several areas of clinical activity at both the Cooper Drive and Leestown Divisions of Lexington VAMC, including Surgery Case Management. The Surgery Service is authorized to provide care to inpatients on medical/surgical wards, intensive care units, and holds primary responsibility for all surgical subspecialty outpatient clinics, pre-operative assessments clinics, and Ambulatory Surgery
Program. The service is responsible for the diagnosis, management, and perioperative treatments for patients with surgical diseases. Furthermore, in affiliation with the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, and the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center, the Surgery Service provides extensive support, education, and training of house staff (residents and interns) and medical students.

Major duties include, but not limited to:

• Creates/maintains clinic profiles to include cancellations and/or changes.
• Creates time agreement memorandums for part-time physicians and track until complete (MSLE).
• Initiates and facilitates initial and renewal paperwork for fee basis providers.
• Initiates and facilitates the credentialing process for new physicians FPPE / OPPE.
• Creates requests for clinic grid modifications.
• Creates travel & tuition requests for all assigned staff.
• Obtains and processes applications of computer access/verify codes.
• Processes PIV cards for all assigned staff.
• Creates and maintains PIV expiration tracker.
• Creates and maintains monthly house staff list.
• Creates and maintains the electronic "on call" (AMCOM) schedule for all surgery specialties.
• Troubleshoots software and hardware malfunctions.
• Monitors/tracks TMS training completion for all staff.
• Monitors/tracks unsigned/un-cosigned notes, undictated operation reports, until complete.
• Creates open encounter reports ensuring all are completed.
• Provides back-up support to the operating room desk.
• Assists the Chief of Surgery &Administrative officer as needed.
• Creates an atmosphere of cohesion & teamwork.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday; 7:30am-4:00pm
Telework: ADHOC.This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Position Description/PD#: Program Support Assistant- ADPAC/PD01117A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
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
• 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)

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 or trial 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, 03/16/2026.

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-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6.

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-6 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:
  • Possess knowledge of applicable laws, VA regulations, and local policies as they relate to Surgery Service
  • Possess knowledge of JCAHO guidelines and utilize it for resource purposes
  • Ability to use: VISTA, Computerized Patient Record System( CPRS), Surgery Package, Non-OR Package, Appoint Management, Window OS, Microsoft Office Suite, Dragon dictation software, and other software
  • Extensive knowledge of specialized principles and practices of health care administration
  • Apply improvement methodologies and techniques such as systems and procedures analysis
  • Work measurement, Planning, Control techniques, various types of qualitative analysis, flow diagrams and questionnaires
  • Analytical and evaluative techniques and statistical analysis
  • Manage and operate Surgery Service personal computers and network connections to University of Kentucky Department of Surgery.

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

• Administration and Management
• Customer Service (Clerical/Technical)
• Data Management
• Database Administration
• Quality Assurance
• Teamwork

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.

Permanent Employee Status: If you are unsure if you have permanent employee status to be considered for this position, you can verify your status by referring to Box 24 on your most recent SF-50. The box must have a 1 or 2 in order to be considered for this position.

Basis for Selection: Selections for positions will be based on the objective evaluation of the candidates' total qualifications for the position. "Qualifications" means the combination of experience, training, education, skills, knowledge, abilities, personal characteristics, and merit factors deemed to be pertinent to successful performance.

Physical Requirements: The work is primarily sedentary, but also requires some standing, walking, bending, lifting, and carrying of light items. The work will be performed in an office and/or clinic setting and will include a significant amount of computer work. The work may involve carrying of medical records and supplies, radiology film jackets, etc., but should not require any unusual physical demands to perform the job. There is a certain mobility factor associated with this position in physically visiting specialty areas at both divisions and may also include walking between the University of Kentucky Hospital and the VA. The incumbent must be able to deal with emergency situations and function calmly under stress in both public and private settings.

Work Environment:The work will require a combination of many activities in a clinical setting that involves movement throughout the hospital, including both divisions as well as the University of Kentucky Hospital. There will be frequent interactions with patients, families, and various levels of administrative and professional staff through the continuum of the health care team. Thus, a possible exposure to communicable disease, verbal or physical abuse may be experienced. The incumbent is subject to stress due to extended periods of intense mental


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.

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• Resume

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.

• Cover Letter
• Other (1)
• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Time in Grade and/or Eligibility):

• Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee
• An SF-50 showing 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
• Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
• Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:
  • Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
  • Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
  • SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

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