The Health System Specialist (HSS) is located in the Office of the Medical Care Line Executive at the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center. The HSS serves the Medical Care Line (MCL) as the coordinator, advisor, analyst, and planner for the delivery of the health care services within the MCL.

Duties

Analyze problems that are unique to the VA System with its broad program missions, complex administrative management problems, rapid fluctuation in various program priorities and requirements. Maintain and improve systems of delivering health care by developing better programs and policies, improving utilization of resources, designing and overseeing needed changes. Translate policies, theories, and strategies into action within the complex interrelationships that exist related to MCL operations. Develop and implement both long and short-range policies and plans for the MCL Develop goals and objectives for the MCL and translates these into specific actions and policies. Responsible on a day-to-day basis for coordinating and facilitating the function of all services, clinical and administrative. Responsible for efficient utilization of consultant visits and the scheduling of their activities. Responsible for transmitting general goals and objectives of inpatient and outpatient care programs into specific policies and procedure for implementation. Plan and coordinate changes in workload to meet deadlines and maintain a smooth workflow. Set and adjust short-term priorities. Assign, direct and review work of subordinate staff and assure work is complete and accurate. Evaluate work performance and develops performance standards. Approve leave. Advise staff on all matters pertinent to the section. Assure recruitment and retention are maintained within approved ceilings. Responsible for personnel administration including knowledge of personnel operations including position classification, physician recruitment and credentialing and privileging files, grievance procedures, performance standards, and disciplinary actions. Conduct investigations and carries out counseling, discipline, and administrative action. Assist in the planning, conducting, and scheduling of in-service training classes, on the job training, orientation, and facility-wide/nationally-mandated training Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, subject to change based on the needs of the Agency. Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Supv Health System Specialist/PD03623A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/10/2023. 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-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. 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. Individual Occupational Requirements: a. Undergraduate or graduate education in hospital administration, public administration, or related field such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR b. Specialized experience which includes 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. Note: This experience must experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, beginning and ending date (month/year) of employment AND hours worked per week. OR c. Special Provision for Inservice Placement: Successful completion of an agency-sponsored on-the-job training program may be substituted for qualifying experience, provided it included a formal individualized training plan. Such a training program must have been conducted in an operating health care system and included: - Assignments providing a knowledge of basic health system administration philosophies, practices, and procedures, and basic government administrative policies and requirements; - Practical assignments providing an opportunity to apply health system administration skills and principles (as the individual progresses, work assignments must be characteristic of the grade level to which he or she is assigned); and - Oversight by an experienced health system administrator with periodic evaluation of the individual's progress and appropriate adjustment of the training program. In addition to the Individual Occupational Requirement, You must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to: knowledge of the missions, organizations, programs, and requirements of health care delivery systems and to apply this knowledge to solve problems arising, some of which are unique to the VA system; experience with credentialing and regulatory groups (e.g., Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Health Care Organizations, Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, etc.); ability to present controversial and critical observations and findings as the Medical Center adapts to changing emphasis. Note: This experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, beginning and ending date (month/year) of employment AND hours worked per week. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Education and TrainingHealth InformaticsPlanning and EvaluatingProject Management 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 primarily sedentary, although some slight physical effort may be required. May require occasional travel. Work is typically performed in an adequately lighted and climate-controlled office. The incumbent will be working primarily in administrative and clinical office settings. The work involves the everyday risks and discomforts typical of offices and meeting rooms. The work is performed primarily in an office environment involving normal risks or discomforts requiring normal safety precautions typical for the setting. Occasionally, the incumbent may be exposed to outdoor weather conditions or exposure to patients in clinical areas. 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

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

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 Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center 2002 Holcombe Boulevard Houston, TX 77030 US
• Name: Susan Reynon
• Phone: (808) 726-0496
• Email: [email protected]