Program Support Assistant

Veterans Health Administration

Portland, OR

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JOB DETAILS

SKILLS

Administrative Skills, Autopsy, Cell Biology, Chain of Custody, Computer Systems, Cytopathology, Department of Veterans Affairs, Documentation, Establish Priorities, Federal Government, Government, Healthcare, Hospital Systems, Human Resources, Legal, Medical Terminology, Medicine, Onboarding, Operations Security (OPSEC), Organizational Skills, Pathology, Physical Demands, Plan Meetings, Printing, Problem Solving Skills, Quality Assurance, Regulatory Reports, Time Management, United States Citizen, Vaccination, Workflow Analysis

LOCATION

Portland, OR

POSTED

Today

Summary

Serves as program support assistant for Anatomic Pathology, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service (P&LMS), Veterans Affairs Portland Healthcare System. The incumbent will act as an administrative support coordinator for anatomic pathology. The anatomic pathology section isresponsible for providing all surgical pathology, cytopathology, and hematopathology reports at this medical center.

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Duties

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Major duties include, but are not limited to:

Establishes priorities for accomplishing the various responsibilities within a multidisciplinary department, while handling multiple, varied interruptions and unpredictable day-to-day work assignments.
Must be an authority on current VA regulations governing patient reports and intra- and inter-service written communications.
There must be thorough knowledge of medical terminology, including specialized terminology used in surgical pathology, cytology, bone marrow, autopsy reports, and Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine (SNOMED) codes.
Must be able to analyze the workflow of Anatomic Pathology and distribute the workload to complete necessary tasks in a timely manner, establishing priorities and making adjustments, such as using alternative procedures when the hospital computer system is down or the department is short-staffed.
Aids in the collection and interpretation of data for the anatomic pathology QA program.
Receives requests for statistical or informative material concerning the program, which can be assembled from the records; advises when the material can be furnished and prepares it personally or follows up to see that it is prepared by the staff within the specified time.
Much of the material processed is considered confidential and/or urgent, necessitating immediate attention without disrupting the regular work routine.
Assists with the administrative preparation of the surgical, cytology, and autopsy work areas and manuals for inspection by accrediting agencies and participates in the inspection process as required by the supervisor.
Performs tasks independently and must demonstrate good judgment in determining priority.
Must use initiative in carrying out assignments without specific instruction and refer deviations, problems, and unfamiliar situations to the supervisor.
The supervisor provides additional specific instructions for new or unusual procedures.
The work is reviewed by the supervisor for accuracy and timeliness through systematic quality assurance reviews.
The supervisor is available for assistance with unusually difficult problems.
Procedures for doing the work have been established, and several specific guidelines are available.
The number and similarity of guidelines and work situations require the employee to use judgment in locating and selecting the most appropriate guidelines, references, and procedures for application and in making minor deviations to adapt the guidelines in specific cases.
At this level, the employee may also determine which of several established alternatives to use.
Situations to which the existing guidelines cannot be applied, or for which significant proposed deviations from the guidelines are proposed, are referred to the supervisor.
The personal contacts are with pathologists, technologists, physicians, occasionally patients or patients' families, and personnel in other services or other agencies.
Contact is generally engage in different functions, missions, and types of work, e.g., representatives from various levels within the agency, such as headquarters, regional, district, or field offices, or other operating offices on the immediate installation.
The purpose is to obtain, clarify, or give facts or information regardless of the nature of those facts, i.e., the facts or information may range from easily understood too highly technical.
Such contacts might include solving problems, following up on commitments, or arranging meetings.

Work Schedule: Monday to Friday; 6:00 am - 2:30 pm or 7:00 am - 3:30 pm PST

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Program Support Assistant/PD21850A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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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.
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 ( 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 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 specialized experience requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/14/2026.

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-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Print, scan, and route pathology reports including reference lab results; assist with coding and review reports for coding accuracy; maintaining pending lists, printing/scanning reports, and accessioning; preparing samples for testing; coordinate release of information; coordinate send-out testing, package specimens, and tracks chain of custody; maintains electronic logs on tissue to released labs and transcribe results into report. Note: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month & year starting and year ending dates AND hours worked per week.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

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.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

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 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

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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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.

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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.

About the Company

Veterans Health Administration

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