Medical Administration Specialist

The Health Administrative Specialist on Duty (HOD) is a facility-wide position, located in the Office of the Chief, Health Administration Service (HAS) located at the Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial VA Medical Center in Walla Walla, WA. The position has both the authority and responsibility to represent both the Medical Center Director and the Chief, HAS on all administrative matters occurring when assigned to other than a normal tour of duty.

Qualifications:

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement, 08/13/2026.

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 within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. 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. Ex: WGI, Promo, Excepted Appt etc) 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.

To qualify for this position at the GS-07 level, you must possess the following:

• Specialized Experience (GS-07): You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 to qualify for the GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:
  • Understanding of medical center organization, functions, specialties, and programs, i.e., Social Work, Nursing, Laboratory, Radiology, etc.
  • Completing assigned projects, studies, narrative and statistical reports, reviews in a thorough, accurate, and timely manner.
  • Understanding the Veterans Integrated Health System Architecture, and the various other computer programs that interface with it (BMS, EDIS, etc).
  • Performing computer menus relating to processing data for admission and determining legal entitlement of veterans to benefits and to menu for outpatient scheduling.
  • Interpreting rules, regulations, policies, and procedures to make sound decisions, using good judgment.
  • Understanding of VSSC and the various data sources to be able to extract information and create statistical reports.
  • Triaging situations effectively to determine next actions in coordination with NOD, MOD and VA police.
  • Applying rules, regulations, policies, and procedures to make sound decisions, using good judgment. OR
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level GS-07 you must have successfully completed one full year of graduate level education or superior academic achievement. OR
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond.

To qualify for this position at the GS-09 level, you must possess the following:

• Specialized Experience (GS-09): You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 to qualify for the GS-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:
  • Understanding of VA regulations, laws, policies, and procedures which relate to administrative hospital duties;
  • Coordinating multiple administrative tasks and independently prioritizing work assignments;
  • Preparing daily and monthly reports for leadership;
  • Serve as main point of contact for all Engineering service related issued,
  • Serve as a subject matter expert for all patient movements; applying eligibility and entitlement to benefits for Veterans; identifying and analyzing complex problems;
  • Using analytical tools and methods to interpret information and make recommendations;
  • Adhering to medical center organization, functions, specialties and program policies; implementing safety and emergency plans and procedures throughout the medical center.
  • Understanding of VA regulations, laws, policies, and procedures which relate to administrative hospital duties; coordinating multiple administrative tasks and independently prioritizing work assignments;
  • Preparing daily and monthly reports for leadership;
  • Serve as main point of contact for all Engineering service related issued,
  • Serve as a subject matter expert for all patient movements; applying eligibility and entitlement to benefits for Veterans; identifying and analyzing complex problems; u
  • Using analytical tools and methods to interpret information and make recommendations; adhering to medical center organization, functions, specialties and program policies;
  • Implementing safety and emergency plans and procedures throughout the medical center. OR
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level successfully completed a master's or equivalent graduate degree or two (2) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. of J.D., if related that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must possess equivalent combination of successfully completed education and specialized experience directly related to the work of the position as outlined above that meets the requirements of the position. Only education in excess of the first year (18 semester hours) may be used to qualify applicants for the GS-09 level. NOTE: If using education combined with specialized experience to qualify, a copy of your transcript is required.

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: The work requires much walking through the medical center with occasionally the requirement to lift objects such as suitcases, clothing, or medical charts. Work is accomplished in a busy, generally congested office area. The incumbent routinely goes to most sections and buildings, including offices, clinics, wards, laboratories and the morgue.

Responsibilities:

Major duties of this position include, but are not limited to:

• Functions as the administrative person on duty, acting on behalf of the Director during other than normal duty hours.
• Serves as the administrative authority during other than normal duty hours on all issues involving the enrollment and eligibility determination process.
• Ensures that appropriate legal, regulatory, and policy requirements are met.
• Processes administrative issues surrounding beneficiary death, seriously ill cases, elopements, suicides, assaults, deaths on arrival (DOA's), homicides, code blue, cost recovery matters, and facility or community disasters, etc.
• Assists medical center staff with medically related problems, including involuntary commitments, orders of protective custody, and management of unruly or severely disturbed patients.
• Promotes harmonious working relationship among patients, public, and staff. Directly intervenes when problem regarding patient activity occurs, advising clinical staff of appropriate administrative action.
• Provides administrative guidance and advice to the Medical Officer of the Day (MOD) and other clinical staff concerning administrative matters necessary for the operation of the VA medical facility during other than normal duty hours
• Facilitates transfers to and from VA and non-VA medical facilities.
• Prepares daily Gains and Losses Sheet and other related statistical reports. Incumbent has access to VistA and is aware of the confidential nature of the information contained therein.
• Processes administrative issues surrounding beneficiary death, seriously ill cases, elopements, suicides, assaults, deaths on arrival (DOA's), homicides, code blue, cost recovery matters, and facility or community disasters, etc.
• Maintains current bed inventory utilizing BMS software and ensures the accuracy of the program for national reporting purposes; obtains bed availability for treatment needs.
• Determines extent of release of medical or social data from patients' records. Safeguards and ensures rights of patient.
• Assumes role of Incident Commander at time of incident and implements the facility plan, call back roster, deployment of resources etc., until closure of the incident or a designated Executive reports to the facility for duty.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Work Schedule: Rotating various shifts includes evenings and weekends
Telework: 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#: Medical Administration Specialist/PD99368S and PD99385S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Salary : $50,460