The Patient Representative (advocacy) within VA exists to ensure patient concerns are heard and addressed to improve the overall experience and quality of care for the patient. Patient Advocacy utilizes Patient Advocates, as well as, staff members across diverse services/departments who are dedicated to specifically working with patients and their caregivers to resolve complaints that arise at the point of service.

Duties

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Duties may include: Patient Advocacy within VA exists to ensure patient concerns are heard and addressed to improve the overall experience and quality of care for patients. The incumbent also provides coverage for fellow Patient Advocates and may be called upon to serve as the Acting Patient Advocate Supervisor. Advocates manage the comprehensive Veteran Centered Complaint Resolution (VCCR) and service recovery process, including final resolutions, data capture, trend analysis of issues and complaints, and communication of trends to facility leadership to help drive system improvements. Patient Advocates assist SLA's and front-line staff in resolving issues that occur at the point of service, while also addressing more complex complaints that were not able to be resolved at the point of service. Proactively identifies existing or potential problem areas and suggests solutions or alternatives to existing procedures which contribute to these problems. The ability to comprehend and explain numerous government laws, directives, and policies is required to provide information to individuals representing various levels of educational and cultural backgrounds. Provides a channel through which patients can seek solutions to problems, concerns, and unmet needs, recognizing that complaints are a gap between service expectations and the actual experience of the patient. Ensures VHS Patient Advocacy goals, policy, and requirements are met by collecting, analyzing, and evaluating relevant, data, and preparing meaningful reports based on that data. The Patient Advocate works closely in identifying, training, and consulting with SLA's and front-line staff, in resolving issues on the first contact within their service area and use of PATS-R. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 08:00a - 4:30p 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#: Patient Representative/PD99864S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized 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, 10/20/2023. 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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: For a GS-09: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Safeguards privacy data/sensitive policy-making data against unauthorized disclosures. The Patient Advocate serves on committees whereby patient complaints are identified, resolved, classified, and the data is utilized to improve overall services to patients. Interprets the Facility's mission, policies, procedures, and available resources/services to the patient and presents the patient's concern, opinions, and needs to appropriate staff. Represents the patient's concern, opinions, and needs to appropriate management. Represents the Facility Director in safeguarding and ensuring ethical, statutory, and constitutional rights of patients are met. Serves as the liaison between the Facility, patients, staff, and the community, ensuring Patient Rights and Responsibilities, advocacy, and services are available. For a GS-11: 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. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Reviews appropriate documentation and records and discusses with personnel or witnesses regarding any practice that appears to violate the patients rights or which causes unnecessary discomfort or embarrassment to patients, their family, or the health care facility and reports such findings with recommendations for improvement to the Facility Director and/or the Facility Executive Leadership Team Member. When a complaint is identified, the incumbent explores all avenues , crossing all lines of authority and responsibility within the medical facility , in order to properly identify the nature and scope of the problem and to initiate appropriate action to expedite a resolution. An important part of Patient Advocacy is recognizing that everyone is responsible for serving patients and their families and understanding that Patient Advocacy is Everyone's Responsibility. Patient Advocates are primarily responsible for complaint resolution with service recovery, receiving compliments, working with Service Level Advocates (SLA's) to help resolve issues and concerns and communication with patients about their experiences of care. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have: For a GS-09: master's or equivalent graduate degree or two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related For a GS-11: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or three full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: AccountabilityCustomer Service (Clerical/Technical)Decision MakingExternal AwarenessListening 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 includes walking, standing, bending, carrying of light items, and occasionally assisting with a wheelchair. In some instances, relationships with patients and caregivers can become intense and the incumbent is constantly exposed to high levels of stress and anxiety. This position demands emotional stability, as the incumbent is deeply involved with many challenging, seriously ill, and/or dying patients and their caregivers. 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. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address VA Maryland Health Care System 10 North Greene Street Baltimore, MD 21201 US
• Name: Nikki Watson
• Phone: 410-605-7000
• Email: [email protected]