Program Support Assistant

Full Job Description

The Program Support Assistant (PSA) is assigned to the Credentialing and Privileging Office, which is under the Chief of Staff at a VA Medical Center (VAMC) and is responsible for providing administrative and technical direction and support to the credentialing operations.

The PSA is responsible for the audit of all required credentials for authenticity and veracity in accordance with VHA policies and procedures.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/26/2026.

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-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. For a GS-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06.

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: For GS-6 Specialized Experience: One (1) full year of specialized experience that equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties the Program Support Assistant at the full performance level (GS-6), and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled.

To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-5) in the Federal service.

Specialized experience includes: collecting relevant data for decision-making, audits all required credentials, internal monitoring for compliance and timely update of expiration of time limited credentials, receives correspondence and communications, receives and reviews VetPro reports, ensures primary source verification, contacts providers to obtain missing information, initiates electronic requests and bank checks for payment of fees in accordance with SOPs.

NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week.

For GS-7 Specialized Experience: One (1) full year of specialized experience that equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties the Program Support Assistant at the full performance level (GS-7), and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled.

To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-6) in the Federal service.

Specialized experience includes: Uses significant judgement to inform leadership and appropriate administrative staff of program changes, new regulatory requirements, policies and procedures or issues and concerns pertaining to the credentialing program.

Receives and reviews correspondence and communications for the credentials function and determines which items require immediate attention and which are confidential in nature.

Receives and reviews VetPro reports detecting problem areas requiring further investigation.

And responsible for compliance with all purchase card requirements including reconciling transactions and resolving discrepancies with Fiscal Service.

NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end 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 https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Major Duties:

Duties include but not limited to: Collecting relevant data for the decision-making process to ensure that qualified health care professionals are providing appropriate care in appropriate settings.

Audits all required credentials for authenticity and veracity in accordance with TJC standards and VHA policies and procedures.

Analysis and documentation of responses, identification of variances, and the resolution of discrepancies and problems within the scope of his/her responsibility.

Internal monitoring for compliance and timely update of expiration of time-limited credentials including, but not limited to, monitoring of licensure, registration, or certification expirations and continuous enrollment in the NPDB continuous query program for licensed providers.

Reviews correspondence and communications for the credentials function and determines which items require immediate attention and which are confidential in nature.

Reviews VetPro reports detecting problem areas requiring further investigation.

Upon identification of a problem, researches reference materials, regulations, and standards to identify appropriate action necessary to correct the problem.

Issues of a serious nature are elevated to C&P Manager/Analyst for guidance. Manages provider applications (initial) for Non-LIPs credentialing within the VAMC.

Credentialing Specialist must have knowledge of medical specialties.

Upon receipt of individual credentials' files for review, Ensures primary source verification to to include, but not limited to, state licenses, certifications, and required certifications.

Communicates with Non-LIPs to assure timely completion of applications and VetPro requirements.

Contacts provider for omissions and/or inconsistencies in information; initiates primary source verification of credentials.

Treats internal and external customers in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner.

Holds the credit card and is responsible for maintaining records, reconciling monthly charge statements and verifying legitimacy of requests for NPDB Single and CQ enrollments/ renewals, licensure verification (if applicable), National Student Clearing House, Work Number and certifications (if applicable).

Initiates electronic requests and bank checks for payment of fees according to standard operating procedures as needed.

Conducts final appointment into the VetPro database, after thoroughly researching, analyzing and validating all data, information, documents and signature authorities.

Provides oversight to application process; analyzes exceptions and deviations in expected application process; determines course of action and makes recommendations.

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: Monday - Friday 0800-1630 Telework: not available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Program Support Assistant/PD671-3954-A and PD671-99868-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized