This position is for the Director of Clinical Information Systems for the NY/NJ (VISN 2) VA Healthcare System Network office, who will serve as the VISN 2 lead for the numerous Clinical Information Systems actively deployed across our network. They will report to the VISN 2 Chief Health Informatics Officer (CHIO), and will be an integral member of a small but expanding VISN 2 Health Informatics Service.

Duties

Program Management The incumbent is responsible for management, assessment, design, integration, modification, maintenance, and analysis of programs and processes related to the field of clinical informatics including administrative and clinical data and data management services or systems, and the electronic health record and related systems, with the goal of improving patient care, population health, reducing costs and waste, and improving the staff experience across VA. Will primarily serve to manage both legacy systems and future EHR modernization efforts, across the network's facility-level clinical informatics program and will coordinate with and provide cross-coverage for other informatics programs and their managers when needed. Develops and implement policies, procedures, and organizational tools to ensure program success. Partnership Management Cultivates and maintains effective relationships with key partners and stakeholders that impact informatics from the central office level, through the facility level. Cultivates a healthy working relationship between OIT and Health Informatics, allowing for routine dialog to enable the sustainment and optimization of our health IT solutions and workflows. Cultivates a healthy collaboration between enterprise and VISN level clinical/ biomedical engineering staff and health informatics, ensuring that patient care technology is effectively and efficiently integrated into the clinical process. Technical and Data Management Evaluates content quality and assure access to knowledge resources, eliminating redundancy in duplicate data sources, and improving information interoperability across the organization. Applies statistical, machine learning, visualization, inferencing and other techniques to enable decision support ranging from the point of care to enterprise-wide population management with the goal of transforming practices and improving system health. Application Support Facilitates a VHA infrastructure meant to support the Enterprise and end user throughout EHR modernization Identifies and documents end-user requirements and budget for clinical software solutions; conducts market research and evaluates candidate products; develops and executes implementation plan, and evaluates implementation results. Business Architecture Management Ensure clinical input in the development and management of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) business architecture, which structures and communicates the VHA healthcare business, and includes descriptions of business behaviors, functionality, processes, and the flow of information that is required to achieve VHA's mission. Supports the thorough analysis of a workflow (at a level more granular than E2E business process activities) to consider opportunities for the potential improvement or optimization of the behavior of people, systems, information, and tools. HIT System Optimization Applies a true end-to-end process to evaluate workflows, identify issues, develop solutions based on best practice guidelines, and resolves and communicates changes to maintain and optimize processes that deliver Health IT solutions. Curates the electronic health record to suit the needs of clinicians in support of standardized and evidence-based care to the patient community. Studies how people interact with devices, products, and systems. Requirements Management Supports the initial phase of requirements analysis where information is gathered on what an IT system needs to perform by engaging with Business Owners, Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), and/or field representatives. Oversees the management, planning, scheduling, and controlling of a software build through different stages and environments, including testing for efficiencies, and approval of software releases. Education and Change Management Uses communication, education, and leadership to support comprehension of and adaptation to organizational updates; leveraging project management principles and environmental assessment to drive adoption of change. Utilizes innovative practice patterns and specializations to continuously develop the informatics role and. associated competencies, aligning it with the strategic needs of the organization (CM-Informatics Role Growth). Work Schedule: 8AM-4:30PM, M-F Telework: This not virtual position. The incumbent will report to the either the VISN office in Tarrytown or Albany for a minimum of 3 days per week or 6 days per pay period. Telework is an option to be discussed with the candidate for the remaining 2 days per week or 4 days per pay period.

Requirements

Qualifications

United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f). Education and/or Experience Combination: (1) A bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university in medical laboratory science, medical technology, clinical laboratory science or in a related science (e.g., laboratory sciences such as chemistry, biochemistry, biology, microbiology, immunology, etc.). AND completion of a medical technology clinical practice program. Clinical practice programs completed after 1974 must have been accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP, formerly CAHEA), or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). The professional curriculum may have consisted of a post-baccalaureate certificate program or be integrated into a four-year program of study that culminated in a baccalaureate degree. OR (2) A bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university, including 16 semester hours of biological science (with one course in microbiology), 16 semester hours of chemistry (with one course in organic or biochemistry) and one course in mathematics, AND two years of post-certification clinical laboratory experience (e.g., blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology, immunology, clinical microscopy, etc.) within the last ten years as a certified Medical Laboratory Technician by the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification (ASCP-BOC), American Society of Clinical Pathology Board of Registry (ASCP-BOR) or American Medical Technologists (AMT). OR (3) A bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university, including 16 semester hours of biological science (with one course in microbiology), 16 semester hours of chemistry (with one course in organic or biochemistry) and one course in mathematics, AND five years of clinical laboratory experience within the last ten years performing moderate and/or high complexity testing in blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology, immunology and clinical microscopy (or categorical experience which matches categorical certification) in a clinical laboratory. Certification: Candidates must currently possess the appropriate certification as a MT, MLS, or CLS given by the ASCP-BOC, ASCP-BOR, or AMT. Grandfathering Provision: May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Foreign Graduates: Graduates of foreign baccalaureate degree programs meet the educational and/or experience requirements if the degree is found to be equivalent to degree programs recognized by the NAACLS or clinical laboratory experience as described in paragraph 2b (2) or (3) above. This finding may be based on either of the following: (1) A letter from a college or university with a baccalaureate program recognized by the NAACLS stating that the individual's foreign degree has been evaluated and been found to be equivalent to its Bachelor of Medical Technology degree. (2) A letter from ASCP-BOC or AMT stating that the individual is eligible for the certification examination. Grade Determinations: Medical Technologist (Regional Manager) GS-13 Experience. Must have 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, which is directly related to the position to be filled. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Advanced knowledge of concepts, principles and methodologies of a major clinical laboratory program and operations in order to assess program effectiveness and provide authoritative guidance for operations, personnel, and management. Knowledge of accrediting and regulatory agency requirements regarding consolidated oversight of clinical laboratories, and ability to delineate and interpret accreditation standards Knowledge of laboratory operations and relationships to the organization. Ability to work collaboratively with other disciplines, upper management, VISN level staff and/or VHA Central Office Ability to plan and execute short and long range programs. Skill in administrative management (e.g., budgeting, contracting, procurement, and property management) Ability to provide advisory, planning, and surveillance services to clinicians, laboratory directors and supervisors on specific functions, programs or problems that are particularly difficult, widespread or persistent. Ability to solve complex problems involving unique or controversial aspects of medical technology or laboratory management, new or unconventional methods, program changes, or conflicts between scientific/technological requirements, regulatory or program requirements (e.g., cost effectiveness). Preferred Experience: A minimum of two years of work experience in a health informatics/healthcare IT role is preferred. Prior experience working with healthcare related Commercial Off The Shelf Products (COTS) and Electronic Health Records is desired. Work experience and/or certification in Project Management, Change Management, and System Redesign is preferred in an ideal candidate. References: VA Handbook 5005/72, Part II Appendix G24, Medical Technologist Qualification Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address
• Name: Girolamo Tavolante
• Phone: (315) 863-2853
• Email: [email protected]