The Health System Specialist will serve as the Strategic Planner for the Medical Center. This position is primarily responsible for, but not limited to, performance of analytical, evaluative, planning, and advisory functions relative to both current and future operations of the Medical Center. The position is organizationally located in the Office of the Medical Center Director and functions under the direct supervision of the Medical Center Director.

Duties

The Health System Specialist operates in a senior staff capacity as a top management resource to all Medical Center Services in the planning, coordination, implementation, and evaluation of Medical Center administrative and clinical programs, goals, and objectives. Within these responsibilities, the incumbent acts as a full liaison for the Office of the Medical Center Director between all clinical and administrative services, Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 5, Veterans Administration Central Office (VACO) offices, and outside organizations and institutions. Major duties and responsibilities include: Maintaining a familiarity with current clinical and administrative programs; the existence of sharing and contractual arrangements, grants, and memorandums of understanding for providing and obtaining services; and the relationship of activities to university affiliations, research and educational activities. Evaluating current programs and activities to assure they are coordinated with one another and that the impact of future changes is accurately identified. Analyzing proposals to expand or relocate programs in terms of their physical and functional proximity to related supporting activities and recommendations are made to assure maximum efficiency. Developing historical and projected workload and cost factors from various data sources. Collaborating with others to ensure completion of the facility Strategic Capital Investment Plan and the VA Health Systems Planning Application. Conducting analyses and presenting recommendations on whether activities and initiatives should be implemented in-house or contracted with outside resources. Takes an active role in the budgeting process to evaluate and determine the impact of establishing new sharing agreements and programs to meet existing and future program goals and objectives. Provides key input in discussions involving the short and long range impacts to the facility. Responsible for maintaining effective lines of communication with administrative and clinical staff for all approved actions/projects. Makes administrative and judgmental decisions independently and keeps top management informed on all aspects of progress. Evaluates workload and demographic data to identify the future healthcare needs of the patient population. Coordinates the development of proposals for future program changes, including identification of necessary space, equipment, staffing and operating fund needs. Assures that proposals are integrated with existing patient care programs and that they are phased to meet future needs. Provides analyses of changes in clinical programs in conjunction with the Fiscal Office, Performance Improvement staff, and other staff assistants to ensure all actions are within Joint Commission requirements and that demographic workload levels and resources identified are supportable. Conducts periodic management studies and special program reviews. Evaluates the effectiveness of line program operations in meeting established program goals and objectives. Advise Medical Center program officials on appropriate work distribution, staffing levels, and the necessary skills mix to effectively accomplish service or program missions. Determines program compliance with agency regulations, procedures, appropriate management practices and effective staff utilization. Serves on the following committees as a full support member or as an indirect resource person: Governing Board, Resources Council, and Space Committee. Serves as the Chair for the Strategic Planning Committee and represents the facility on the VISN/Network Strategic Planning Board. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Full-Time; Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Telework: This position is eligible for telework. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist/PD18026-O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): May be authorized for highly qualified applicants. 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, 11/15/2023. 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 grade level. 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. GS-12 Minimum Qualifications: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-11) in the Federal Service that is directly related to the work of the position and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties as a Health System Specialist? Qualifying 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: (1) Missions, organizations, programs, and requirements of health care delivery systems; (2) Regulations and standards of various regulatory and credentialing groups; and (3) Government-wide, agency, and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, personnel, and procurement. At this level, applicants would have obtained this experience working within a health care setting, working directly with leadership in the planning, coordination, implementation, and evaluation of current/future operations and administrative and clinical programs, goals, and objectives. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Planning and EvaluatingProject ManagementStrategic ThinkingTechnical Competence 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, onsite observation of construction operations may require walking, standing, bending, climbing, etc. on an active construction site. Work Environment: Work setting involves normal risks or discomforts requiring safety precautions typical in an office setting. Occasionally, incumbent may be exposed to outdoor weather conditions, patient areas, or active construction sites. 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.

Contacts

• Address Washington VA Medical Center 50 Irving Street, Northwest Washington, DC 20422 US
• Name: Steven Ton
• Phone: 909-683-4072
• Email: [email protected]