The Veteran Experience Officer serves as the Lead Patient Advocate for the VA ACC and the Chief of the Office of Experience. This section includes the Veteran Experience Specialists, Veteran Experience Representatives (Patient Advocates), Employee Engagement Coordinator, Community Engagement Coordinator, and Program Support Specialist.

Duties

Typical work assignments include, but are not limited to: Veteran Experience Officer The incumbent serves as the liaison between the VA ACC, Veterans, staff, and the community regarding the patient experience, patient rights and advocacy. The incumbent serves as the Veteran Experience Officer (VEO) with primary purpose of this role to enhance the Veteran's experience. Through effective supervision and management of the Office of Experience, the VEO will assure the full implementation and management of the proactive Veteran Experience program, timely resolution of patient and family complaints, identify and participate in the identification and collection of system issues, educate staff regarding patient centered strategies and analyze data, identifying trends and patterns that create difficulty for patients or families. Effectively manages and utilizes the Patient Advocate Tracking System (PATS) to document all patient and family issues, to identify trends in patient and family satisfaction and to measure how well the facility is meeting the expectations of Veterans, significant others, and stakeholders. The incumbent will maintain a clear communication between the Veteran population, staff and facility leadership. The incumbent will be responsible for supporting the proactive training initiatives including Patient Centered Care Training, New Employee Orientation on this topic, and New Veteran Orientation. Reports and Communication Incumbent reports and documents patient status, changes, and monthly summaries or quarterly summaries pertaining to both resolved and unresolved Veteran and/or family concerns. Communicate pertinent information to appropriate parties concisely, accurately, and timely. Reports significant and relevant information and issues to leadership. Reviews comprehensive analysis and recommends remedial actions, administers established follow-up procedures for insuring that remedial actions are implemented in a timely manner, independently taking appropriate action necessary to implement programs or activities and correct problems. The incumbent works closely with each professional service by reviewing, analyzing, and making recommendations on proposed departmental policy and procedure changes, organizational changes, etc. Participates in leadership meetings with top management to include Joint Commission, SOARS, audits, etc. Prepares or supervises the preparation of all Veteran Experience reports for VISN 10 and VA Headquarters. Makes regular visits with the local CBOCs and community partners to maintain good working relationships. Uses a variety of information tools and sources, including historical documents. Veteran/employee feedback, and research to provide the Facility Director verbal updates, written communications, briefing materials, and other documents to inform leadership about veteran, employee, and community program outcomes. Responsible for content of Columbus VA Veteran Experience intranet site. Ensures it is ADA and 508 compliant and communicates effectively with varied audiences. Develops methods, assessments, and plans for increasing facility identity and determines the impact of proposed policies and plans. Supervisory Duties: Supervises a staff of employees to accomplish the work of the organizational unit. Exercises supervisory authorities and responsibilities involving work assignment and review, as well as the administrative and personnel management functions relative to the staff supervised. Establishes guidelines and performance expectations for staff, which are clearly communicated through the formal employee performance management system. Observes workers' performance; demonstrates and conducts work performance critiques. Provides informal feedback and periodically evaluates employee performance. Resolves informal complaints and grievances. Develops work improvement plans, recommending personnel actions as necessary. Provides advice and counsel to workers related to work and administrative matters. Effects disciplinary measures as appropriate to the authority delegated in this area. Reviews and approves or disapproves leave requests. Assures that subordinates are trained and fully comply with the provisions of the safety regulations. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 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#: Supervisory Patient Representative (Veteran Experience Officer)/PD003823 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, 12/10/2023. 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. You may qualify based on your experience as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one 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: planning, developing and evaluating the Patient Advocate Program, reviews patient advocates work, responds to patient complaints, communicates through phone calls, emails, and walk-in visits, enters data into the Patient Advocate Tracking System (PATS), collects aggregates, analyzes trends, and reports program data, directs work of staff, sets and adjust short and long term priorities, perform difficult and complex advisory, assistance, and coordination functions. 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 sedentary in part involving writing at a desk, working at a computer terminal, conferring with others, and attending conferences, and meetings. Considerable standing and walking throughout the VACOHCS and the grounds of each CBOC is required. Driving or riding in a vehicle is also required on a routine basis to attend outside meetings, interviews, and special events. The incumbent must attend lengthy meetings, both during and after regular scheduled work hours. This involves a great deal of walking throughout the facility. In addition, the incumbent travels to events promote the Veteran Experience program. This involves carrying, lifting, and using display panels. Travel to other VA facilities could be required for meetings and education. 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 Chalmers P Wylie Veterans Outpatient Clinic 420 North James Road Columbus, OH 43219 US
• Name: Marc Nicholas
• Email: [email protected]