A Prosthetic Representative completes a variety of prosthetic and sensory aids assignments, projects, activities independently to meet Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Services (PSAS) long-and-short term program goals. Performs technical, administrative, and analytical prosthetic related assignments for the PSAS.

Duties

Major Duties include, but are not limited to the following: Works directly with Veterans and clinical teams to assist with applications and answer questions related to benefit programs. Provide recommendations to treatment team regarding development of prescriptions and provide technical assistance/guidance on planning and coordination efforts, to address complex patient medical and rehabilitative needs for equipment, services, and benefits. Serves as a VHA and PSAS representative on local/national committees, workgroups, and teams to address variety of PSAS's issues, initiatives, and projects. Keeps senior staff aware of outcomes and recommendations to enhance program. Seeks best practices from other VHA facilities to enhance PSAS's program to meet veterans' needs. Conducts visits to VISNs and VHA locations to collect, review, and analyze best practice information and report findings to supervisor. Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively, orally and in writing. Drafts, develops, and implements new local organizational policies, directives and procedures consistent with national policies, procedures and programs. Provides documents to supervisor for final approval after submitting final, review, comments and recommendations. Maintains awareness of VA's, VHA's, and PSAS's requirements by governing bodies. Keeps abreast of current issues in health care industry and technological advancements and provides subject-matter expertise to VHA and PSAS's senior officials. Completes technical, programmatic, and administrative duties independently. Provides training, advice and guidance. Oversees the operation of the Prosthetic, Orthotic, optical laboratories, including restorations activities. Completes contracting and procurement assignments independently to prepare and authorize purchase orders for a wide variety of prosthetic and orthotic devices. Provides status reports regularly to the supervisor for accountability purposes. Monitors and ensures requests for items or services are completed and received under established timeframes; and confers with contractors, vendors, and other health care workers as. Provides oversight and management of contracts. Monitors contracts for compliance with the statement of work; and receives, analyzes and completes requests for prosthetic equipment and services. Keeps the supervisor well informed. Monitors and analyzes PSAS compliance reports, Delayed Order Report, aged credit card transactions, compliance metrics and scorecards. Develops tools that monitor VHA's quality assurance program. Works in collaboration with supervisor and senior staff to plan, develop, and prepare budget estimates; to develop cost-containment measures for prosthetic equipment and services; to authorize benefit payment and reimbursement. Procures materials, supplies and equipment; familiar with inventory stock and works collaboratively with Supply Chain to provide oversight of prosthetic service inventories; and refers veterans to proper clinical area for evaluation. Identifies and selects national CMS/ Health Care Procedural Coding System (HCPCS) codes are entered for every item purchased through and/or billed to ensure proper reporting. Conducts data analysis using the program's statistical data to prepare various VHA and PSAS reports regarding prosthetics and sensory aids. Ensures surgical implants are Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved/cleared; collaborates with Supply Chain Management to establish local procedures and to disposition implants appropriately. Collaborates with clinical staff when devices and equipment require repair or replacement and takes necessary actions to resolve issues. Uses effective analytical/communication skills and social awareness to identify, analyze and resolve routine prosthetic issues or problems to effectively complete assignments. Reviews, interprets and applies laws concerning benefits available to disabled patients. Maintains awareness regarding medical and psychological problems related to patients need to use prosthetic devices. Authorizes the purchase, fabrication, fitting or repair of prosthetic devices. Prepares minutes and/or correspondence to veterans, health care officials regarding prosthetics needs and requirements, and clinic decisions and recommendations. Responds to a variety of policy/correspondence inquires related to Veteran concerns, contractors, congressional inquiries, Home O2 program issues, new local and national guidelines implementation, and develops tools that allow monitoring of a quality assurance program, etc. Processes Veteran appeals and responses. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8am - 4:30pm Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Experience and Education: Individual must meet at least one of the requirements below. Experience: One year of creditable experience that demonstrates: Knowledge of basic anatomy and medical terminology; knowledge of accounting methods; ability to research, analyze, comprehend, and apply decisions; basic knowledge of inventory management procedures; ability to use computer software packages for word processing, spreadsheet development, and database management; and ability to work independently and as a member of a team -OR- Education: A bachelor's degree from an accredited educational institution AND at least 24 semester hours in course work related to health care, public administration, or business. The 24 semester hours could include but is not limited to any combination from the following fields: occupational therapy, physical therapy, kinesiotherapy, social work, psychology, prosthetics, orthotics, respiratory therapy, assistive technology, business law, leadership, healthcare, public administration, or business management. This course work may have been completed within the degree or in addition to the degree -OR- Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. English Language Proficiency: Candidates will not be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C. chapters 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who are not proficient in written and spoken English. See Chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. GS-5 Prosthetic Representative (Entry Level): Experience: None beyond the basic requirement. GS-7 Prosthetic Representative (Developmental Level): Experience: In addition to the basic requirements, one year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level, directly related to the position to be filled. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to understand and apply processes, procedures, regulations, and laws as it applies to purchasing and the provision of prosthetic items/services. Ability to coordinate multiple requests for durable medical equipment (DME), including repairs, services, and benefits. Ability to act as a liaison with and work effectively with health care providers, patients, caregivers and vendors to ensure that the most appropriate device and services are received timely. Ability to monitor contractors and vendors for compliance with contract requirements. GS-9 Prosthetic Representative (Developmental level): Experience: In addition to the basic requirements, one year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level, that is directly related to the position to be filled. -OR- Education: Education equivalent to two full years of progressively higher level graduate education or Master's or equivalent graduate degree from an accredited educational institution AND at least 24 semester hours in course work related to health care, public administration, or business. The 24 semester hours may include, but is not limited to, any combination from the following fields: occupational therapy, physical therapy, kinesiotherapy, social work, psychology, prosthetics, orthotics, respiratory therapy, assistive technology, business law, leadership, healthcare, public administration, or business management. This course work may have been completed within the degree or in addition to the degree. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of methods to identify trends and causation factors sufficient to analyze prepared data and gather information to inform and advise management. Ability to organize, prioritize, and monitor actions to ensure timeliness. Ability to understand and articulate the benefits program options available. This includes communicating with patients, caregivers, health care providers and vendors. Ability to apply and educate others about national, VISN, and facility directives, policies, procedures and regulations. Ability to work effectively with a clinical team and provide recommendations for prosthetic devices. GS-11 Prosthetic Representative (Full Performance Level): Experience: In addition to the basic requirements, one year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level, that is directly related to the position to be filled. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to work independently to set priorities; delegate tasks; meet multiple deadlines; analyze organizational problems; and develop and implement effective solutions to optimize quality, efficiency, performance, and productivity. Ability to work with a team, to provide technical guidance, plan, organize, and coordinate activities to effectively complete job duties of assignment, such as distributing workload; and monitoring the accuracy, status and progress of work. Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively, both orally and in writing, to meet program objectives. This may include preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various organizational levels. Ability to assist in staff development, outcome management, and strategic planning. Ability to act as liaison between staff to resolve informal employee complaints and concerns. Knowledge of rehabilitative treatment goals and strategies that are unique to patients in specialized programs and knowledge of those specific program requirements. Preferred Experience: Knowledge of PSAS policy and process, including knowledge of special programs like HISA, AAE, Clothing Allowance, Service Dog Insurance Program and PSAS purchasing experience. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G34 Prosthetic Representative Qualification Standard, GS-0672, Veterans Health Administration. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-5 to GS-11.

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 Minneapolis VA Medical Center One Veterans Drive Minneapolis, MN 55417 US
• Name: Kimberly Harvey
• Phone: 208-891-5798
• Email: [email protected]