Patient Representative

About the role

This position is located at the St. Louis VA Medical Center serving as a Facility Patient Advocate responsible for coordinating complaint resolution by working with facility staff to help resolve issues and concerns and ensuring communication with patients about their experiences of care occurs.

Responsibilities

• Manages the facility Veteran Centered Complaint Resolution (VCCR) process - including complaint resolution, data capture and analysis of issues/complaints to make system improvements
• Aids Service-Level Advocates (SLAs) and front-line staff in resolving issues and addressing more complex complaints
• Explores all avenues to properly identify the nature and scope of the problem and to initiate appropriate action to expedite a resolution
• Proactively identifies existing or potential problem areas and suggests solutions or alternatives to existing procedures which contribute to these problems
• Serves as the liaison between the facility, patients, staff, and the community, ensuring patients understand their rights, in addition to, their responsibilities
• Works directly with health care teams, Service Chiefs, and management to facilitate resolution to problems beyond the capability of front-line staff and participates in resolution of system problems by presenting the patient's perspective of the problem and the desired resolution
• Maintains a strong relationship with Veterans Service Organizations and others whose interests are in helping and protecting Veterans, their families, and their representatives
• Serves as liaison with congressional offices, responding directly to their staff assistants on matters involving patient concerns or dissatisfaction
• Ensures VHA Patient Advocacy goals, policy, and requirements are met by collecting, analyzing, and evaluating relevant data, and preparing reports based on that data
• Presents patient issues and data at various facility meetings and committees
• Works closely with Facility Management to discuss trending concerns that may indicate the need for system improvements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement - 07/20/2026. 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 (VEVOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include - but are not limited to: Experience working as patient advocate or veterans representative; experience working with patients and family; experience handling matters such as making determinations that require more advanced knowledge and/making judgments to resolve problems; point of contact specialized in program questions - responding to inquires utilizing electronic and in person communication; experience applying various conflict resolution techniques. OR - Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a 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. *TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED* 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 the first 2 years of graduate education. *TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED*

Competencies

• Communications
• Computer Skills
• Customer Service
• Interpersonal Effectiveness
• Learning
• Medical Information
• Problem Solving
• Teamwork

Duties

Patient Advocacy within VA exists to ensure patient concerns are heard and addressed to improve the overall experience and quality of care for patients. Effective - high-functioning Patient Advocacy is integral to fulfilling the goal of providing Veterans with world-class health care. Major duties and responsibilities include:

• Complaint Resolution
• Manages the facility Veteran Centered Complaint Resolution (VCCR) process - including complaint resolution, data capture and analysis of issues/complaints to make system improvements
• Aids Service-Level Advocates (SLAs) and front-line staff in resolving issues and addressing more complex complaints
• Explores all avenues to properly identify the nature and scope of the problem and to initiate appropriate action to expedite a resolution
• Proactively identifies existing or potential problem areas and suggests solutions or alternatives to existing procedures which contribute to these problems
• Serves as the liaison between the facility, patients, staff, and the community, ensuring patients understand their rights, in addition to, their responsibilities
• Works directly with health care teams, Service Chiefs, and management to facilitate resolution to problems beyond the capability of front-line staff and participates in resolution of system problems by presenting the patient's perspective of the problem and the desired resolution
• Maintains a strong relationship with Veterans Service Organizations and others whose interests are in helping and protecting Veterans, their families, and their representatives
• Serves as liaison with congressional offices, responding directly to their staff assistants on matters involving patient concerns or dissatisfaction
• Ensures VHA Patient Advocacy goals, policy, and requirements are met by collecting, analyzing, and evaluating relevant data, and preparing reports based on that data
• Presents patient issues and data at various facility meetings and committees
• Works closely with Facility Management to discuss trending concerns that may indicate the need for system improvements

Physical Requirements

The work includes walking, standing, bending, carrying of light items, and occasionally assisting with a wheelchair. In some instances, relationships with patients and caregivers can become intense and the incumbent is constantly exposed to high levels of stress and anxiety. This position demands emotional stability, as the incumbent is deeply involved with many challenging, seriously ill, and/or dying patients and their caregivers.