The Pathways Internship Program allows students to join VA in career positions that emphasize long-term training and development. This is an entry level position located in the Director's Office at the Veterans Administration (VA) Medical Center, Kansas City, CO. The primary purpose of this position is for the incumbent to receive training that will build upon and develop skillsets to enter the Healthcare Management career field in the VHA Healthcare System or other opportunities.

Duties

This position is being filled under the Pathways Internship Program. The program is designed to provide students enrolled in a wide variety of educational institutions, from high school to graduate level, with paid work opportunities in agencies to explore Federal careers while still in school. The Internship provides managers a ready source of student employees and potential permanent employees upon completion of the program requirements. It also provides the student with work experience directly related to the curriculum studies or career goals while offering eligibility for non-competitive conversion to permanent employment upon completion. For more information on Internship opportunities within the Department of Veterans Affairs, please visit: https://www.va.gov/EMPLOYEE/pathways-internship-program/. Pathways Eligibility Requirements Participant must be a student that is accepted for enrollment or enrolled and seeking a degree diploma, certificate, etc. in a qualifying educational institution, on a full or half-time basis (as defined by the institution in which the student is enrolled), including awardees of the Harry S. Truman Foundation Scholarship Program under Public Law 93-842. Students must possess an acceptable average G.P.A. as defined by the educational institution to be eligible for appointment and to remain eligible for participation in the Program. As applicable, at the time of appointment and upon request, students must demonstrate an overall Grade-Point Average (G.P.A.) of 2.0 or above on a 4.0 scale as recorded on the official transcript. Duties include, but are not limited to the following: The incumbent will increase their knowledge and understanding of the mission, operations, management, and infrastructure of the VHA at all Levels (CO, VISN, KC VAMC) by undertaking the following activities: Studying and analyzing laws, regulations, policies, principals, practices, processes and procedures related to healthcare administration in the VHA/KC VAMC and acquiring the ability to apply this knowledge to solve unique problems arising in the VHA/KC VAMC health care delivery system. Becoming acquainted with Quality Assurance Programs, Credentialing, the Joint Commission Accreditation requirements, Current Procedural and Medical Terminology, International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9-CM), and internal review activities (E.g. surveys and audits). Accepting and completing developmental assignments and projects of varying complexity that are related to the professional and scientific investigation and surveillance of issues and problems associated with healthcare management and apply the knowledge gained in this position by obtaining and analyzing essential data to on-going projects and assisting management with the interpretation of data to enhance program quality and development. Using a broad range of information system capabilities to capture, organize, automate and develop data into information that is relevant, concise, and conducive to informed decision making. Becoming acquainted with and competent in the application of methodologies and procedures necessary for developing policy, program goals, and objectives to accomplish mission requirements and evaluating program effectiveness. Rotating through a variety of areas with varying functions throughout the KC VAMC, including: Director's Office Director's/Chief of Staff Office Associate/ Assistant Director's Office Business/ Accounting Logistics/Procurement EEO Health Administration Management and Revenue Service Medical/Surgical Wards Primary Care Attending budget review meetings and meetings of major KC VAMC committees and task groups. 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. Work Schedule: Multiple Schedules, TBD by management

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/07/2023. Internship Program: To be eligible, applicants must be accepted for enrollment or currently enrolled and seeking a degree (diploma, certificate, etc.) in a qualifying educational institution, on a full or half-time basis as defined by the institution in which you are enrolled. You may qualify based on education and/or experience as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-4 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: (1) Utilizing a variety of software programs to obtain, organize, file, and retrieve reports and data (2) Collecting and tracking information and data in support of an organization or program, (3) Communicating both verbally and in writing with a variety of audiences. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the experience required. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 4 full academic years of post-high school leading to a bachelor's degree or equivalent degree. OR Combination: A combination of education and experience may be used to qualify for this position as long as the computed percentage of the requirements is at least 100%. To compute the percentage of the requirements, divide your total months of experience by 36. Then divide your total number of completed undergraduate semester hours (or equivalent) by 120. Add the two percentages. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Oral CommunicationTechnology ApplicationWritten Communication 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. 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/. Physical Requirements: Work is mostly sedentary and requires prolonged use of keyboard to input data. Also, it may requires walking/traveling between internal/external clinics and ancillary/administrative services within the medical center and VISN 15 facilities or may require infrequent bending, lifting. and stooping. Vision should be sufficient to read for a computer screen for prolonged periods without excessive fatigue.

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 Kansas City VA Medical Center 4801 Linwood Boulevard Kansas City, MO 64128 US
• Name: Jenifer Williams
• Phone: 816-701-3241
• Email: [email protected]