This Health Systems Specialist position is in Quality Management Office service, located at the Bedford VA Healthcare Systems at the Bedford, Massachusetts location. This position is full-time at 40 hours per week.

Duties

This position provides internal consulting and training services for the VA Bedford improving operational, financial and clinical efficiencies. The duties of this position include but are not limited to: Lead and coordinate quality and Lean Six Sigma efforts throughout the VISN Medical Centers to align organizational strategy and operations at all levels of the organization. Effectively communicates both orally and in writing with professional, administrative, and technical personnel at all levels; making appropriate recommendations based on knowledge of system variations and different functions, motivations, and basic human/interpersonal characteristics of various employees and other groups. Conducts studies to address complex problems in healthcare quality, safety, effectiveness, and efficiency. The studies will use a wide range of advanced analytical techniques, statistical methods, and industrial and quality engineering tools to collect baseline information to identify limitations in current systems and to discover potential improvements. Leads complex and far-reaching system improvement initiatives using systems redesign and improvement principles. Utilizes a variety of types of office automation software e.g., word processing, spreadsheets, databases, calendar, electronic mail and statistical analyses software. Knowledge of the principles, procedures, and tools of data management, such as modeling techniques, data backup, data recovery, data dictionaries, data warehousing, data mining, data disposal, and data standardization processes. Displays skill in presentation and organization of collected data in a manner that assists senior leaders in the development of program and process decisions. This will include making oral presentations and producing written reports. Applies a wide range of quantitative and qualitative analytical and evaluative methods, techniques, and studies to assess program development, execution, and improvement. Works with work with teams to implement solutions and test effectiveness to validate their work. Manages large, complex initiatives where the activity and broad program mission generate numerous and complex challenges requiring the incumbent to have outstanding skills in planning, organizing, and managing projects. Conducts studies to address complex problems in healthcare quality, safety, effectiveness, and efficiency. Formulates effective strategies consistent with the business and competitive strategy of the organization in a global economy. Examines policy issues and strategic planning with a long-term perspective. Determines objectives and sets priorities; anticipates potential threats or opportunities. Work Schedule: Monday- Friday; 07:30 am- 04:00 pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Telework: ADHOC may be authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist/PD003570 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required This is NAGE Bargaining Unit position. May be required to attend conference at other facilities or other VA sites on occasion. The incumbent may be required to travel to other VA campuses and CBOC's. This position is in the Competitive Service.

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/07/2023. 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-09. 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 (VEOA) 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-09 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as progressively responsible analytical or administrative, or clinical management or supervisory experience in the health care field. This work may have been performed in an operating health care facility or a higher organizational echelon with advisory or directional authority over such facilities. Work must have involved a close working relationship with facility managers and analysis and/or coordination of administrative, clinical, or other service activities, and provided knowledge of the following: Missions, organizations, programs, and requirements of health care delivery systems; Regulations and standards of various regulatory and credentialing groups; and Government-wide, agency, and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, personnel, and procurement. 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 with a major study in hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. Education must have been obtained in an accredited college, or university. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond 2 years of graduate level education may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grades GS-11. The education and experience must be directly related to the work of the position to be filled. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:1. Creative Thinking Develops new insights into situations and applies innovative solutions to make organizational improvements; designs and implements new or cutting-edge programs/processes. Organizes, directs, controls and coordinates group activities in a timely and effective manner. Implements lean principles to create and maintain a management system which focuses on a culture of continuous improvement. 2. Data Management Knowledge of the principles, procedures, and tools of data management, such as modeling techniques, data backup, data recovery, data dictionaries, data mining, data disposal, and data standardization process. Ability to develop and use data visualization tools eg. PowerBI, and other relevant dashboards applications. 3. Oral Communication Expresses ideas and facts to individuals or groups effectively; makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others; facilitates an open exchange of ideas. Ability to listen, write with clarity, and speak effectively to small and large groups. The position requires building a professional rapport with clinical and administrative experts. Knowledge of and ability to employ various ways and means for communicating and/or transmitting key performance data to a range of staff for planning analysis and decision making. Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification from a VHA-accredited program (or similar curriculum/body of knowledge) is strongly preferred. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: The work is principally sedentary, however, walking, bending, standing and lifting are customary physical demands of the position. Travel may also be required to attend VISN level activities, meetings and conferences. The work may at times become highly stressful due to sensitivity of matters, complexity of tasks assigned, the number of programs and Analysts within the office requiring assistance and the volume of activities. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

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.

Contacts

• Address VA Bedford Healthcare System 200 Springs Road Bedford, MA 01730 US
• Name: Elizabeth Nowak
• Phone: 401-273-7100 X14335
• Email: [email protected]