The incumbent works in the Palo Alto Health Care System, and is the program manager responsible for the operational activities of the Computerized Scheduling System (VistA) in this heavily, university-affiliated health care system with multiple sites. The position is organizationally aligned under the Health Administration Service.

Duties

The incumbent has substantive administrative and managerial authority for a patient scheduling call center. Duties require the ability to apply the specialized principles and practices of health care management and personnel management in directing and supporting the PAHCS. Key duties include: managing the programmatic responsibilities of a computerized scheduling system; analyzing and interpreting workload and other data used in resource planning; monitoring minimum standards for quality and productivity; evaluating and recommending modification to organizational structure and systems to achieve program goals; discussing, investigating, and responding to employee and patient grievances and dissatisfactions in order to resolve conflicts; and coordinating and preparing recurring monthly, quarterly, and annual reports, management briefings, summaries, and a wide variety of non-recurring reports. In addition to the key administrative and operational duties, the incumbent has full line authority for the administrative management and guidance of a patient call center. Hires, trains, and supervises competent, productive, motivated staff to provide high quality telephone service to veterans. Coordinates and directs daily shift operations. Ensures cost effective operations on a daily basis. Ensures calls are answered on a timely basis. Assists staff with resolving the more complex questions and /or calls. Trouble shoots minor systems and hardware problems. Major duties and responsibilities include, but not limited to: Responsibility for the overall scheduling functionality in a Level 1, tertiary care referral facility. Responsible for the management of the computerized scheduling system for VAPAHCS. Responsibility for the integrity and accuracy of the information entered into the computerized scheduling system. Incumbent is also responsible for a variety of reports, surveys, and special projects designed to apprise management of the call center's quality, production, timeliness, etc. Administers a complex, detailed bureaucratic system of rules, regulations and public laws, including those governing medical records management and information security. Supervises call center staff that handle a continuous inbound telephone volume for the purposes of appointment scheduling (confirms, cancels, schedules, and reschedules appointments). 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: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Program Specialist/PD02850O and PD6499-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: 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, 02/15/2024. 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-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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 and/or education as described below: GS-11 Qualifications: Specialized Experience: 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: utilizes administrative practices and procedures which may include data collection, organization utilizing various software programs; and inputting, uploading, retrieving, sorting and recording information from databases contained in internal and external computer program sources; Apply management tools and techniques (flow charts, cost/benefit analysis, graphs, spreadsheets, information systems and applications, time management) to conduct and compile analytical studies; Interpret various agency wide, VISN and local policies, procedures, guidelines and directives to fully accomplish major assignments successfully; and effectively communicate verbally and in writing with individuals of varying levels within various health care organizations concerning a wide variety of subjects. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. (NOTE: A transcript or course listing must be submitted if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Applications submitted without this information will not be considered.). 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 a master's degree. GS-12 Qualifications: 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: coordinates the efforts of subordinate staff, regarding workload, data capture, patient flow, eligibility, and the needs and request of clinical providers; engages in analytical, financial, statistical, and quantitative problem solving and analysis; completes financial analysis techniques, including budget projection and forecasting; performs staffing and manpower utilization, to the extent that useful reports and/or studies can be generated to support existing cost and financial data for senior level management; uses word processing, spreadsheet, and database packages, to include referral management software and other VA computer systems; communicates effectively on paper and by word of mouth.. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Administration and ManagementCustomer Service (Clerical/Technical)LeadershipOrganizational Stewardship 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 primarily sedentary, but does require some walking, bending, stooping, standing, stretching and carrying objects such as moderately heavy medical records. Work also requires spending significant amounts of time performing keyboard data entry and wearing headsets. Concentration and sustained performance under prolonged stress is required because of the demands placed on clinic/scheduling operations with the health care facility, patients and/or their representatives and the need to respond in a calm and efficient manner. There are some travel requirements to other sites as needed, and regular travel is required to the Palo Alto main site. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address Palo Alto VA Medical Center 3801 Miranda Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94304 US
• Name: Veronica Alvarado
• Phone: (415) 960-5758
• Email: [email protected]