The Program Specialist is located in the Community Care department, within the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. The Program Specialist will act as program manager for the Community Care department, collaborating with vendors and Third Party Administrator (TPA) to facilitate the return of over 300,000 community health care records throughout Minnesota and Western Wisconsin.

Duties

Major duties include, but are not limited to: Serves as program manager for the Community Care department, including issues related to supporting internal (VA) and external (Non-VA) stakeholders, regulatory and policy development, management and oversight of eligibility program, admissions processes, authorizations, and the provision of support and training materials for VA and Non-VA stakeholders. Develops education and training materials for: direction for medical benefits; eligibility of applicants; claims processing and payment; and analyzes policy and regulation relating to Community Care. Participates in the development of new policy and regulation associated with Community Care automation applications and program policies and principles to those present in other government care programs and develops/initiates recommendation appropriate to Community Care. Provides advice and analysis on all aspects of Community Care for the health care system, relating to policies on eligibility, admission processes, and authorizations programs to the health care system executive staff and community vendors. Develops and manages a question and answer database that tracks response rates and trend inquiries. Provides recommendations to management on a quarterly basis. Develops, organizes, and analyzes considerable data, facts, and legal materials with minimal guidance as the main point of contact for the program and provides management with any recommendation changes. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm 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 Ad Hoc telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Remote: This position may be authorized for remote work after 90 days or more of working in person. Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/PD608100 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/27/2023. 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. 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: 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. Specialized experience includes: Researching and applying VA statutes, regulations, and administrative guidelines governing healthcare operations; Identifying and analyzing information within a healthcare setting for the purpose of recommending solutions; Using VA software, such as SQL, VBMS, CPRS, VistA, Sharepoint, Microsoft, etc.; Communicating verbally and in writing to obtain information; Composing accurate and complete memoranda, technical reports, policies, and regulations. NOTE: 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. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed a master's or equivalent graduate degree, or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or an LL.B. or J.D. in a related field that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. 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 successfully completed graduate level education (in excess of the first year or 18 semester hours) and specialized experience to meet total experience requirements. NOTE: If using education combined with specialized experience to qualify, a copy of your transcript is required.. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Follow DirectionsPlan and organize workWork as Member of Team 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: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. 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 Minneapolis VA Medical Center One Veterans Drive Minneapolis, MN 55417 US
• Name: Amanda Martin
• Phone: 313-576-3024
• Email: [email protected]