Patient Advocacy within VA exists to ensure patient concerns are heard and addressed to improve the overall experience and quality of care for patients. Patient Advocacy utilizes Patient Advocates, as well as, staff members across diverse services/departments who are dedicated to specifically working with patients and their caregivers to resolve complaints that arise at the point of service.

Duties

Complaint Resolution The Patient Advocate is tasked with managing the facility VCCR process, including complaint resolution, data capture and analysis of issues/complaints to make system improvements. All inquiries (compliments or complaints) no matter how a facility receives them (e.g., in person, email, voicemail, congressional, mail, survey, MyHealtheVet, etc.) must be documented in the Patient Advocate Tracking System (PATS), routed to the point of service, resolved, coded and closed. Patient Advocates assist SLAs and front-line staff in resolving issues that occur at the point of service, while also addressing more complex complaints that were not able to be resolved at the point of service. When a complaint is identified, the incumbent explores all avenues, crossing all lines of authority and responsibility within the medical facility, in order to properly identify the nature and scope of the problem and to initiate appropriate action to expedite a resolution. Proactively identifies existing or potential problem areas and suggests solutions or alternatives to existing procedures which contribute to these problems. Due to circumstances or sensitivity, may be asked to independently resolve the most difficult and complex complaints, expedite services, and implement necessary corrective measures within established facility policies. Reviews appropriate documentation and records, and discusses with personnel or witnesses regarding any practice that appears to violate the patient's rights or which cause unnecessary discomfort or embarrassment to patients, their family, or the health care facility and reports such findings with recommendations for improvement to the Facility Director and/or the Facility Quad/Pentad. Patient Representation Serves as the liaison between the Facility, patients, staff, and the community, ensuring Patient Rights and Responsibilities, advocacy, and services are available. Assists patients in understanding their rights, in addition to, their responsibilities. Provides a channel through which patients can seek solutions to problems, concerns, and unmet needs, recognizing that complaints are a gap between service expectations and the actual experience of the patient. Patient Advocates work directly with health care teams, Service Chiefs, and management to facilitate resolution to problems beyond the capability of front-line staff and participate in resolution of system problems by presenting the patient's perspective of the problem and the desired resolution. Data Analysis/System Improvement Serves as a staff member directly supporting facility Executive Leadership responsible for planning, organization, development, direction and evaluation of VA Medical Facility administration. Ensures VHA Patient Advocacy goals, policy and requirements are met by collecting, analyzing, and evaluating relevant data, and preparing meaningful reports based on that data. The Patient Advocate works to identify the elements of clinical or administrative practices which contribute to or create an atmosphere for patient dissatisfaction and recommends appropriating official changes which will reduce or eliminate substantiated complaints. Relationship Management The Patient Advocate maintains a strong and consistent focus on Complaint Resolution which must always be accompanied by attempts at Service Recovery. Service Recovery focuses on extending efforts to make up for a situation or experience that did not meet the expectations of the patient. It is an expectation that rounds throughout the facility are conducted on a routine basis to solicit patient feedback and build strong relationships with SLAs and service leadership. Rounding also increases the visibility of the Patient Advocate role and promotes the availability of service which it can provide. 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 0730 - 1600 or 0800-1630 Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Patient Representative/PD99864S 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, 06/26/2024. 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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience GS-09: 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. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Knowledge of the Patient Advocate Tracking System (PATS), V-Signals, White House Hotline/V-Signal, Patient Experience/Customer experience initiatives other Veteran and Employee experience programs; Serves as the liaison between the facility, patients, staff, and the community to ensure Patient Rights and Responsibilities and advocacy services are available; Assists patients in understanding their rights, in addition to, their responsibilities. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related Note: Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond a bachelors degree. Note: Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grades GS-9. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. Specialized Experience GS-11: 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: Knowledge of the Patient Advocate Tracking System (PATS), V-Signals, White House Hotline/V-Signal, Patient Experience/Customer experience initiatives other Veteran and Employee experience programs; Serves as the liaison between the facility, patients, staff, and the community to ensure Patient Rights and Responsibilities and advocacy services are available; Assists patients in understanding their rights, in addition to, their responsibilities; Manages a patient centered complaint resolution process to include complaint resolution, data capture and analysis of issues/complaints to make system improvements. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 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 Note: Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond a master's degree. Note: Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grades GS-11. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Customer Service Manages and Organizes Information Communication Critical Thinking Conflict Management Analysis and Problem Solving 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. It occasionally requires carrying of light objects such as files, books and paper; some walking, standing and bending. No special physical qualifications are required. 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/.

Note: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

Contacts

• Address Dallas VA Medical Center 4500 South Lancaster Road Dallas, TX 75216 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]