Summary

The Inpatient Section Chief serves as a supervisory position within the Business Office and reports directly to the Inpatient Deputy. The incumbent plans, directs, coordinates, and evaluates administrative operations that support inpatient healthcare services throughout the Washington DC VA Medical Center (DC VAMC), a Level 1A tertiary care healthcare system.

Duties

Major duties include, but are not limited to:

Supervisory and Program Management (35%)

• Exercises full first line supervisory responsibility over the following positions:
  
  • Supervisory Program Specialist, GS-0301-09
  • Supervisory MSA, GS-0679-08
  • Medical Administration Specialist, GS-0301-09

• Exercises second-line supervisory responsibility over the following positions:
  
  • Administrative Support Assistant, GS-0303-07
  • Lead MSA, GS-0679-07
  • Advanced MSAs, GS-0679-06
  • MSAs, GS-0679-05
  • Patient Services Assistant, GS-0303-07 (1) Program Support Clerk (OA), GS-0303-06
  • Lead Transportation Assistant, GS-2102-07
  • Transportation Assistant, GS-2102-06
• Develops and communicates performance standards, evaluates performance of subordinate supervisors and staff, and ensures accountability for patient access, workload management, customer service, and compliance requirements.
• Interviews and select candidates for vacancies in collaboration with Human Resources and leadership, and participates in promotion, reassignment, recognition, and other personnel actions.
• Addresses employee relations issues, conducts performance counseling, resolves workplace conflicts, and ensures compliance with labor management agreements and applicable regulations.
• Identifies employee development needs, supports training and mentoring activities, and promotes workforce engagement, succession planning, and leadership development within the inpatient administrative team.

Inpatient Operations Management (25%)

• Directs and coordinates administrative support operations that affect inpatient care delivery, including admissions, transfers, discharges, patient movement, eligibility, and transportation coordination across inpatient units.
• Collaborates with inpatient clinical leadership, nursing services, ward administrative staff, and Business Office programs to ensure effective patient flow, timely bed assignment, and resolution of administrative barriers impacting care delivery and throughput.
• Coordinates administrative activities impacting patient admissions, transfers, discharges, transportation services, and eligibility determinations to support safe and timely transitions of care.
• Coordinates complex transportation needs affecting inpatient operations, including wheelchair and stretcher arrangements, vendor coordination, service recovery, and barriers impacting safe and timely discharge and transfers.

Program Analysis and Performance Improvement (20%)

• Conducts analyses of operational performance, workload distribution, staff utilization, and service effectiveness across inpatient administrative support. eligibility and transportation programs.
• Monitors workload trends, staffing requirements, productivity measures, timeliness indicators, and customer service metrics, and uses this information to support operational decision making and recommendations to leadership.
• Develops and implements process improvements designed to improve efficiency, reduce delays, enhance productivity, strengthen compliance, and improve the patient and family experience.

Compliance, Policy, and Customer Service (10%)

• Interprets and applies VHA directives, handbooks, policies, regulations, Joint Commission standards, and local procedures related to inpatient administrative operations, eligibility, transportation, and patient access.
• Provides guidance to subordinate supervisors and staff regarding policy interpretation, operational requirements, and updates to regulatory or procedural guidance.
• Investigates and resolves customer complaints and operational concerns requiring management involvement, coordinating with clinical and administrative stakeholders as needed to reach resolution.

Reporting and Administrative Responsibilities (10%)

• Prepares reports, briefings, correspondence, and operational summaries for the Inpatient Deputy and other leaders on inpatient administrative support, eligibility, and transportation program performance.
• Coordinates administrative oversight of contracted services supporting inpatient transportation and related patient care operations, working with contracting officials, CORs, vendors, and service leadership to monitor service delivery, address deficiencies, and ensure continuity of care.
• May be designated as a Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) for transportation related contracts, if organizational needs warrant and training/appointment requirements are met.
• Performs other related duties as assigned that are consistent with the primary purpose of the position.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm; however, this may include some weekends and holidays.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Medical Administration Specialist/PD260415O

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized.

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

Requirements

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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). 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, 09/21/2026.

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-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. 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 described below:

• GS-12 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization, involving the management and oversight of medical administrative operations in a complex healthcare setting. Qualifying experience includes: oversight of inpatient/ward administrative operations and patient flow, along with experience in areas such as beneficiary travel/patient transportation, eligibility and enrollment, and patient scheduling. Experience must demonstrate progressively responsible leadership in supervising or directing administrative staff, managing competing operational priorities, monitoring workload and performance, resolving complex patient administrative issues, applying applicable policies and procedures, and collaborating with clinical and administrative leadership to support efficient healthcare operations and continuity of patient care.

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/.

Physical Requirements: The majority of work is performed in an office setting which adequate light, heat and ventilation. Work is mostly sedentary, but requires some bending, walking, standing, lifting and carrying of light items such as reports to various areas of the Medical Center. Working at the computer for long periods of time and accessing information from the various computer systems is necessary. Typical office setting is subject to noise caused by multiple visits by staff, equipment and telephone interruptions when performing various functions on a daily basis. The work requires no special physical demands.

Education

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

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. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

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

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 well-being. As a VA employee, you will practice Whole Health in an environment that supports personalized and proactive care.

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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 Un