Staff Assistant

Veterans Health Administration

Washington, DC

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JOB DETAILS

SKILLS

Administrative Management, Administrative Skills, Analysis Skills, Calendar Management, Card Processing, Cardiology, Clinical Support, Clinical Training, Conferences, Consulting, Customer Support/Service, Department of Veterans Affairs, Documentation, Federal Government, Federal Laws and Regulations, Government, HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), Healthcare, Human Resources, Human Resources Processes, Information/Data Security (InfoSec), Inventory Management, Laboratory, Leadership, Legal, Mail Processing, Microsoft Product Family, Nursing, Office Equipment, Onboarding, Operational Support, Operations Management, Operations Security (OPSEC), Order Supplies, Outpatient Care, Patient Care, People Management, Performance Reviews, Physical Demands, Physician Assistant, Policy Implementation, Prepare Correspondence, Presentation/Verbal Skills, Procedure Development, Process Improvement, Provider Credentialing, Publications, Reconciliation, Record Keeping, Records Management, Regulations, Request for Information (RFI), Service Delivery, Support Documentation, Team Player, Time Management, United States Citizen, Vaccination, Veterans Integrated System Network (VISN), Writing Skills

LOCATION

Washington, DC

POSTED

2 days ago

Summary

The Staff Assistant for the DC VAMC Heart Center Team, supported by the Cardiology Section within Specialty Care Service at DC VAMC, serves as the principal administrative support position for the Cardiology Section. They provide comprehensive administrative, clerical, and management services essential to the effectiveness of patient care, clinical operations, education, and research activities, while upholding the VA core values of integrity, commitment, advocacy, respect, and excellence.

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Duties

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Duties include but are not limited to:

Manages and coordinates the day-to-day administrative operations of the Cardiology Section.
Analyzes existing methods and procedures and makes recommendations to improve workflow, efficiency, and service delivery.
Servesas an action officer and primary liaison between the Cardiology Section and internal services including Human Resources, Specialty Care Service, Credentialing, Business Office, Nursing Service, OIT, Facilities, and VISN offices.
Independently plans, schedules, and coordinates administrativeactivities to support outpatient clinics, inpatient consult services, laboratories, education programs, and special initiatives.
Acts as the point of contact for all administrative issues in Cardiology Section. He/she assists them on how to deal with the many requests for information from within the health care system, patients and patient families, other medical centers, universities, professional organizations and other individuals and organizations. When patients or their families call, the incumbent evaluates the requests and the urgency of the call and transfers them to the nurse, physician, fellow, resident, or another department as appropriate.
Provides oversite of the staff for activities in all areas of Cardiology Section.
Reviews incoming correspondence, publications, and directives, determines those that can be acted upon personally and takes appropriate action, referring other matters to the appropriate Leadership noting those matters which require immediate action.
Prepares appropriate responses including letters and memos for the signature of the Chief on routine non-technical matters. Letters and/or memos are frequently confidential, and follow-up is done to ensure necessary actions are completed.
Composes and prepares correspondence, memoranda, reports, and briefing materials for issuance under their own signature or that of section leadership.
Maintains section calendars, including provider and fellow schedules, on-call coverage for nights, weekends, and holidays, conference room scheduling, and staff leave tracking.
Coordinates meetings and conferences, prepares agendas and minutes, tracks action items, and ensures timely follow-up.
Maintains accurate electronic and paper filing systems in accordance with VA records management requirements, Privacy Act, and HIPAA regulations, ensuring the security of sensitive information.
Supports timekeeping and administrative tracking for the Section, ensuring accurate leave, reconciliations, and overtime in accordance with VA policy which requires coordination as there may not be face-to-face contact with all employees within the service daily. They maintain adequate office supplies and equipment to support routine operations and submits OIT and Facilities work orders for computers, phones, and space-related needs.
Provides comprehensive administrative support for personnel, credentialing, and provider performance processes within the Cardiology Section. They serve as the primary point of contact with Human Resources for hiring, onboarding, security processing, PIV card requests and renewals, system access, and off boarding of VA employees, non-VA contractors, volunteers
(WOC), fellows, and trainees.
Prepares and tracks personnel actions and documentation and provides guidance with section leadership on HR-related processes and requirements.
Coordinates credentialing and privileging activities for physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and other independent providers, ensuring timely completion and submission of required documentation.
Manages OPPE and FPPE processes, including assigning reviewers, tracking completion, preparing documents for signature, and uploading finalized evaluations into appropriate systems and files.
Prepares Performance Pay (P4P) documentation and supports annual and semi-annual performance appraisal processes, ensuring deadlines are met and records are maintained accurately and confidentially.
Ensures that competency assessments, proficiency, and mandatory training requirements are completed in a timely manner. The incumbent maintains strict confidentiality of personnel, credentialing, and peer review records in compliance with VA policy and federal regulations.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm EST

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

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 identification 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, 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, 07/06/2026.

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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9. 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 and/or education as described below:

Specialized Experience: At least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-9) in the Federal Service that has given me the particular knowledge, skills and abilities required to successfully perform the duties of this position. Specialized experience includes: Manages and coordinates day-to-day administrative operations of the Cardiology Section: Administrative work in one or more of the following areas: clinical profiles, personnel management and administration management as required or other assigned duties, manages general office operations for the Cardiology Section, including ordering and tracking office supplies, maintaining inventories, and overseeing organization, of office spaces, Reviews incoming correspondence, publications, and directives, determines those that can be acted upon or referred to the appropriate Leadership for immediate action, provides comprehensive administrative support for hiring, onboarding, security processing, and off-boarding needs for various types of employees, Ability to collaborate on activities and serve as the principal advisor on administrative management matters associated with programs and operations and actively participates in developing and implementing administrative management policies, procedures, and process improvements.

OR,

Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level, you must have:
- Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or
- 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, or
- LL.M., if related

Best Qualified Criteria: Best qualified applicants will meet the following criteria in addition to the minimum qualifications for this position:

Experience equivalent to lower grade GS-9 support assistant in the health care environment, with CPRS/VISTA/Excel experience is preferred. Also customer service experience is required, minimum of 3 years. basic knowledge of Microsoft Suites, familiarity with HR and Staffing and credentialing methodology; Patient facing administrative experience is strongly preferred.

Physical Requirements: The work is mostly sedentary, although there will be some walking (between different offices, buildings within DC VAMC Campus, and to/from different areas of the section), standing, bending, carrying of light items such as books, files, papers, and other work items.

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

Education

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

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: 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:

Additional information

Whole Health is an approach to health care that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their life to the fullest. The VA is committed to Whole Health and values Veteran and Employee health and wellbeing. As a VA employee, you will practice Whole Health in an environment that supports personalized and proactive care.

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans?

The VA has adopted Core Values and Characteristics that apply universally across the Department. The five Core Values define "who we are," our culture, and how we care for Veterans, their families, and other beneficiaries. The Values are Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, and Excellence ("I CARE").

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.

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.

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.

About the Company

Veterans Health Administration

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