New Employee Orientation - Iowa City VA Health Care System
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Iowa City VA Health Care System

 

New Employee Orientation

Iowa City VA Health Care System New Employees

Welcome to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs!

The Iowa City VA Health Care System (ICVAHCS) has been building a dynamic onboarding program designed to help new employees hit the ground running their very first week and continue to make great strides throughout their first year. This program has been designed especially for you, a new ICVAHCS employee, to help begin a long and fruitful career at the VA.

Preparing For Your First Day

It is important that you read and understand the information provided on this site prior to your first day of employment. There are two different tasks you will need to complete:

What to do before your first day

  1. You will need to have your fingerprints taken. The ICVAHCS SOI/SON numbers are VA84 and 1176. Please provide these when you report for fingerprinting You will also need to bring with you a valid state issued picture ID.
  2. You should have received instructions to complete your background investigation. Please contact your Human Resources Specialist if you have not received these instructions.

Please notify your ICVAHCS HR Specialist when you have completed your fingerprint process. Failure to complete the above tasks within the allotted timeframe may result in non-selection and withdrawal of this tentaive offer.

As a Federal employee, you may be able to enroll in health, dental, vision and life insurance, flexible spending accounts, and apply for long term care insurance. You can find information about each program by clicking here: Insurance Information.

Required forms to be completed

All new employees must be sure to complete the forms listed below and bring them with you to your scheduled meeting. You will also need two forms of identification from the list of acceptable documents attached to the I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification.

  • I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification * – The I-9 form is required to document verification of identity and employment authorization of each new employee.
  • W-4 Form * – Complete Form W-4 so that your employer can withhold the correct federal income tax withholdings from your salary payment.
  • State Tax Withholding Form — Please complete the appropriate form so that your employer can withhold the correct state income tax withholdings from your salary payment.
  • Direct Deposit Sign Up Form * – This form is used for processing Federal employee net salary, allotments, and other agency - approved payments associated with Federal employment (i.e. travel reimbursement, uniform allowance, etc).
  • SF813 * – (Only for persons who are retired from active duty military service) – Verification of a Military Retiree's Service In NonWartime Campaigns or Expeditions – This form is used to verify periods of creditable service in all campaigns and expeditions claimed.
  • VA4637 – (Only print, complete and return the first page) – The information furnished will be used to update your education level to reflect the highest level achieved. The information you furnish will be used for workforce analysis and planning.
  • SF256 Self Identification of Disability * – The information you provide will be used for statistical purposes only and will not affect you individually. Self-identification of disability is voluntary.
  • Ethnicity and Race Identification * – This information is used as necessary to plan for equal employment opportunity throughout the Federal government.
  • Unemployment Compensation for Federal Employees (UCFE) Program – This form informs you of you responsibilities related to the collection of Unemployment Insurance benefit payments.
  • SF144 - Prior Federal Service * – This form documents your prior federal service. You should complete this information to ensure HR requests your prior service records. If you are transferring to us from another agency, and if you have a TSP loan, please provide a copy of your Loan Agreement, a copy of the TSP notice confirming a reamortization of your loan, or even a copy of your leave and earnings statement, so that we will know what amount to deduct from your pay each pay period.

On Your First Day

The VA was established for one purpose:

To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan..."- by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. - Abraham Lincoln

For a detailed history of the VA and Veteran support, find it in our VA History section.

In 2009, President Obama appointed Secretary Eric K. Shinseki to lead a massive transformation of the VA into a high-performing 21st century organization that can better serve Veterans. Under the leadership of Secretary Shinseki, the VA has adopted three guiding principles to govern the changes underway, namely being people-centric, results-driven, and forward-looking. These principles are reflected in the 16 major initiatives that serve as a platform from which transformation is being executed.

The 16 major initiatives are:

  • Eliminating Veteran homelessness
  • Enabling 21st century benefits delivery and services
  • Automating GI Bill benefits
  • Creating Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record
  • Improving Veterans' mental health
  • Building Veterans Relationship Management capability to enable convenient, seamless interactions
  • Designing a Veteran-centric health care model to help Veterans navigate the health care delivery system and receive coordinated care
  • Enhancing the Veteran experience and access to health care
  • Ensuring preparedness to meet emergent national needs
  • Developing capabilities and enabling systems to drive performance and outcomes
  • Establishing strong VA management infrastructure and integrated operating model
  • Transforming human capital management
  • Performing research and development to enhance the long-term health and well-being of Veterans
  • Optimizing the utilization of VA's Capital portfolio by implementing and executing the Strategic Capital Investment Planning (SCIP) process
  • Improving the quality of health care while reducing cost
  • Transforming health care delivery through informatics

VA leadership, with input from across VA, developed a VA Values statement, we call I CARE.

  • Integrity - Act with high moral principle. Adhere to the highest professional standards. Maintain the trust and confidence of all with whom I engage.
  • Commitment - Work diligently to serve Veterans and other beneficiares. Be driven by an earnest belief in VA's mission. Fulfill my individual and organizational responsibilities.
  • Advocacy - Be truly Veteran-centric by identifying, fully considering, and appropriately advancing the interests of the Veterans and other beneficiaries.
  • Respect - Treat all those I serve and with whom I work with dignity and respect. Show respect to earn it.
  • Excellence - Strive for the highest quality and continuous improvement. Be thoughtful and decisive in leadership, accountable for my actions, willing to admit mistakes, and rigorous in correcting them.
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