The Prosthetic Representative position is located at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, Tampa, FL. The primary purpose of this Prosthetic Representative is to serve as the subject matter expert and liaison between the VA healthcare provider/customer, eligible Veterans, and the acquisition procurement team responsible for macro-purchases of Veteran-specific Prosthetic goods and services.

Duties

Major Duties: Serving as an advisor to clinicians with regard to selection, prescription, and acquisition of prosthetic devices involving furnishing information concerning such matters as new developments in the field of prosthetics, documentation of clinical justification to support procurement, and sources of supply for such devices. Assist in developing local PSAS policies and procedures consistent with national and local policies and procedures. Prepare acquisition requirement packages Authorize purchase orders as an alternate Approving Official Receive, analyze and process requests for prosthetic equipment and services. Identify and select national CMS/Health Care Procedural Coding System (HCPCS) codes are entered for every item purchased through and/or billed to ensure proper reporting. Assist in establishing short term Macro-Purchasing Prosthetics program goals. Participate in PSAS workgroups and or teams. Assess and provide technical guidance concerning equipment and benefits to beneficiaries and other health care workers. Participate in self-governance activities related to request for input on workload adjustments to meet mission and developing performance measures for staff. Implement new and changing local and national guidelines. Analyze, review, and evaluate the results of various monitors and databases. Confer with Acquisition team supervisor, procurement team members, contractors and other health care workers. Contribute to budget estimate planning associated with specialty equipment and macro-purchases. Utilize acquisition tools and knowledge to develop and implement cost containment measures. Determine eligibility of Veterans for items and services. Review medical and administrative files of veterans. Gather data and facts tot support Supervisor's response to a variety of correspondence i.e. contractors, Home Oxygen (O2) program issues. Assist contracting team, as a liaison between the vendor and contracting officer, to follow-up on open transactions. Serve as a technical and subject matter expert on Macro-purchases for Prosthetics Program. Facilitate procurement of materials, supplies and equipment for inventory. Responsible for effective utilization of all resources. Support the execution and control measures of established spending plans. Ensure adherence to guidelines and procedures to assure safe work environment and use of safety equipment. Assist in the development of work flow diagrams and documents to communicate processes. Assist in the implementation of new directives, standards operating procedures, and policies. Provide local VA Prosthetics and Sensory Aids Service with assistance where needed to include but no limited to: compliance monitoring, vendor cleansing, Alternate Approving Official role, and other duties as assigned by the supervisor. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am to 4:00pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: None

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: Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. After a determination is made that it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens, necessary personnel may be appointed on a temporary basis under authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 without regard to the citizenship requirements of 38 U.S.C. 7402 or any other law prohibiting the employment of or payment of compensation to a person who is not a citizen of the United States. Candidates must meet all other requirements for the grade level and position concerned. 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. Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the United States must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials, and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to experience gained in conventional United States programs. 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). Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA as a Prosthetic Representative on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: (1) Employees grandfathered into the GS-0672 occupational series as prosthetic representatives may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journeyman) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. (2) Prosthetic Representatives who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. (3) Employees who are retained as a Prosthetic Representative under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry as a prosthetic representative. GS-9 Prosthetic Representative (Developmental level) Grade Determinations: 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. Assignment. The Prosthetic Representative works directly with Veterans and clinical teams to assist with applications for benefits related to benefit programs such as automobile adaptive equipment, home improvement and structural alterations, and clothing allowance programs. The employee ensures devices, equipment, and services, are based on the patient's rehabilitative and medical needs. They work closely with the treatment team in development of prescriptions and provide technical assistance and guidance to assist in planning and coordination to obtain equipment, services, and benefits. The Prosthetic Representative conducts home visits, in collaboration with other healthcare providers to determine if requested equipment is appropriate or can be installed in the home. They are familiar with national, VISN, and facility contracts that apply to Prosthetics and Sensory Aids Service (PSAS), and responsible for providing management with documentation pertaining to contract compliance issues or concerns. This includes working with clinical staff to create quality improvement reports. They work closely with the clinical teams to assist in identifying products available on contract that meet the medical needs of patients. Duties are typically performed independently with minimal supervision. Prosthetics representatives have knowledge and the ability to apply and educate others about national, VISN, and facility directives, policies, procedures and regulations. They analyze and interpret data for trends and provide guidance to improve quality assurance, policies, and procedures. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/94 PART II APPENDIX G34 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS09. 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 James A Haley Veterans Hospital 13000 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard Tampa, FL 33612 US
• Name: Paula Velez
• Phone: 708-953-6248
• Email: [email protected]