This position is located at the Portland VA Medical Center, Inpatient & Emergency Services, Patient Transport (Escort) Unit. The incumbent provides guidance and information pertaining to patient whereabouts and accesses as needed to provide required care and services.
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement, 11/12/2025. 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-2 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-1. For a GS-3 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-1. For a GS-4 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-3. 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. Individual Occupational Requirements: Specialized Experience (for positions at GS-4 and above): Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to meet the requirements of this position. You may qualify based on your specialized experience and/or education as described below: For the GS-02: General Work Experience: Applicants must have at least 3 months of general work experience. Examples of general experience include, but not limited to: under direct supervision performing duties such as customer service, direct and indirect patient care in a clinical setting. OR Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully graduated high school or the equivalent. Must be indicated in resume. For the GS-03: General Work Experience: Applicants must have at least 6 months of general work experience equivalent to the GS-2 level. Examples of General Experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Under supervision performing duties such as customer service, direct and indirect patient care in a clinical setting. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, GS level (if a federal position), duties, month & year starting and ending dates AND hours worked per week. OR Education: Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-3 level. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed one (1) year above High School education with course(s) related to a study in medical, health, or related fields. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. (One year of full-time undergraduate study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business or technical school). Transcripts required. OR Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-3 level. You must have a combination of education above High School with course(s) related to a study in medical, health, or related fields, and General Experience to meet total experience requirements. NOTE: If using education combined with General Experience to qualify, a transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-3. For the GS-04: General and Specialized Experience: Applicants must have at least 1 year of work experience (can combine 6 months of general experience and 6 months of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-3 level). Examples of General Experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Independently performing duties such as customer service, direct and indirect patient care in a clinical setting. Examples of Specialized Experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Recognizes and reports significant changes in patients that are being transported. Prioritizing transportation based on patient care needs. Responding to patient emergencies. Clarifying discharge procedures, etc. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, GS level (if a federal position), duties, month & year starting and ending dates AND hours worked per week. OR Education:2 years of education above high school with course(s) related to the occupation. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. OR Combination of General/Specialized Experience and Education: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-04 level. You must have a combination of of college level education beyond one (1) year with course(s) related to a study in medical, health, or related fields, and General and/or Specialized Experience to meet total experience requirements. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-04. NOTE: If using education combined with General Experience to qualify, a transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. 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/.
Duties include but not limited to: Position requires strong interpersonal skills and customer service. Safely transports patients by stretcher, wheelchair, gurney and/or accompany the ambulatory patients who need assistance to areas within the Medical Center and OHSU. Recognizes and reports significant changes in patients that are being transported. Maintains communication with Patient Transport Courier and Patient Support Team Supervisor at each delivery point Dispatches trips to all using services via CPRS consult package and prioritizes workload for Patient Transport and Courier Service. These may include OHSU Radiation Therapy, Casey Eye Institute, OHSU Dental School, Surgery, Pathology, Radiology, Pharmacy, MRI and other areas as needed. VAMC dispatch is to all areas within the medical center. Is responsible for prioritizing various transports based on patient care needs and logistics. Including patient condition, treatment, modality, mode of transport and scheduling. Gives guidance to Patient Transport & Courier staff/volunteers to promote efficient and safe transport. Collects and delivers all specimens, labs, consults, x-rays, charts and all medical related materials and equipment throughout the Medical Center and OHSU. Responds and assists in all emergencies, including, but not limited to codes (cardiac arrest, behavioral emergency and fire alert), and internal/external disasters throughout the Medical Center and the VA Bridge. In a dignified manner, provides a full range of services to VA staff in caring for expired patients which includes preparing and transferring the body, as well as transporting to the morgue. Secures patient's confidence and cooperation through the discharge process. Explains procedures for transition through pharmacy and transportation. Varies procedure based on patient needs. Advocate for the discharging unit and respond to inquiries pertaining to the process. Provides general clerical/administrative support coordination work for the unit. Performs a variety of receptionist, record keeping, and miscellaneous duties. Receives visitors, answers the telephone, and refers calls to appropriate staff or records messages. Plans. organizes and coordinates activities of the unit. Communicates in a tactful and courteous manner with a wide variety of individuals with varying levels of understanding. Uses software to produce specific printouts. Uses word processing software to produce a variety of documents. Receives and directs patients, answers routine inquiries. Reports obvious changes in patient behavior to the professional staff. Performs other related duties as assigned. 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: Days vary with every other other weekends and holidays, 2pm - 10:30pm, PST Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Aid/ Health Technician/PD20270A, PD20271A, and PD20272A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized