The incumbent serves as a Prosthetic Representative (Supervisor), responsible for supervising the full range of all phases of prosthetic operations and Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service (PSAS) staff. The incumbent serves as an expert advisor administering, analyzing, evaluating, planning, developing, and work concerned with prosthetic and sensory aids services to disabled patients throughout the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).

Duties

Provides supervision, administrative management, and direction to assigned staff with delegated full administrative and professional responsibility for planning and directing the staff activities for the section or equivalent work unit. Assures compliance with accrediting agency and regulatory requirements. Drafts, develops, and implements new local organizational policies, directives, and procedures that are consistent with national policies, procedures, and programs. Manages document control and provides documents to the supervisor for final approval after the incumbent submits final, review, comments, and recommendations. Oversees the operation of the prosthetic, orthotic, optical laboratories, including restorations activities. Provides professional and administrative management of an assigned area to include budget execution. Supervises staff that serves as an advisor to clinicians regarding selection, prescription, and acquisition of prosthetic devices involving furnishing information on new developments in the field of prosthetics and sources of supply for such devices. Interprets prescriptions of clinicians to make certain that proper prosthetic devices are selected. Possesses program responsibility for contracting, procurement, clinical services, customer service and reception associated with medical, rehabilitative, and durable medical equipment devices and home durable medical equipment delivery and installation. Prepares and authorizes purchase orders for a wide variety of prosthetic and orthotic devices. Keeps the supervisor well informed of procurement or contract issues as they arise for accountability purposes. Serves as a contract officer representative for contracts and chair facility committees and administer benefit programs. Monitors contracts for compliance with the statement of work and receives, analyzes, and completes requests for prosthetic equipment and services. Procures, maintains, controls, and issues materials, supplies, and equipment for inventory. Refers veterans to proper clinical area for evaluation. Monitors and ensures requests for items or services are completed and received following established timeframes and confers with contractors, vendors, and other health care workers as needed regarding procurement status and other needs and concerns. Oversees contract programs, such as orthotics/prosthetics, home oxygen, durable medical equipment, eyeglasses, and benefit programs, such as home and structural alterations, automobile adaptive equipment, clothing allowance. Maintains continuous liaison with manufacturers and dealers of prosthetic supplies, inspecting their facilities and services and participants in the award of prosthetic appliance contracts. Oversees programmatic activities for visual or hearing devices, orthotics/prosthetics, assistive technology, and contract development. Works in collaboration with supervisor and senior staff to plan, develop, and prepare budget estimates. Develops cost-containment measures for prosthetic equipment and services and authorizes benefit payment and reimbursement. Identifies and selects national health care procedural codes to be entered for every item purchased through and/or billed to ensure proper reporting. Conducts data analysis using the program's statistical data to prepare various reports regarding prosthetics and sensory aids. Collaborates with clinical staff when devices and equipment require repair or replacement and takes necessary actions to resolve issues. Reviews, interprets, and applies laws concerning benefits available to disabled patients. Maintains awareness regarding medical and psychological problems related to patients need to use prosthetic devices. Authorizes the purchase, fabrication, fitting, or repair of prosthetic devices. Responds to a variety of policy and correspondence inquires related to contractors, congressional inquiries, veteran concerns, specialty benefits program issues, new local and national guidelines implementation, and develops tools that allow monitoring of a quality assurance program. Assures compliance with accrediting agency and regulatory requirements. Completes human resources assignments independently, including drafting and developing position descriptions, functional statements, performance standards, and competencies. Interviews and selects candidates, and recommends promotions, special advancements for performance and special advancements for achievement. Ensures that all requests for hiring, promotions, awards, and disciplinary actions are justified and carried out according to appropriate human resources policies and procedures. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. EST Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

Requirements

Qualifications

1. COVERAGE. This standard applies to all Prosthetic Representative positions in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Prosthetic Representatives perform the work of rendering prosthetic and sensory aids services to disabled patients. The work may include planning, developing, and directing a prosthetic and sensory aids program. The Prosthetic Representative works with Veterans, caregivers, vendors, and the clinical team to ensure the right devices, equipment, services, and benefits are matched with patient rehabilitative and medical needs. 2. BASIC REQUIREMENTS a. Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. b. Experience and Education. Individual must meet at least one of the requirements below. (1) Experience. One year of creditable experience that demonstrates: Knowledge of basic anatomy and medical terminology; knowledge of accounting methods; ability to research, analyze, comprehend, and apply decisions; basic knowledge of inventory management procedures; ability to use computer software packages for word processing, spreadsheet development, and database management; and ability to work independently and as a member of a team; or (2) Education. A bachelor's degree from an accredited educational institution AND at least 24 semester hours in course work related to health care, public administration, or business. The 24 semester hours could include but is not limited to any combination from the following fields: occupational therapy, physical therapy, kinesiotherapy, social work, psychology, prosthetics, orthotics, respiratory therapy, assistive technology, business law, leadership, healthcare, public administration, or business management. This course work may have been completed within the degree or in addition to the degree; or (3) Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. c. English Language Proficiency. Candidates will not be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C. chapters 73 or 74 to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who are not proficient in written and spoken English. d. Physical Requirements. Pre-placement and periodic physical examinations are required for hybrid occupations to ensure workers are placed in positions where they can perform the essential functions of their job including their physical, mental and emotional capacities, without endangering their health or the health of their co-workers. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. Grade Determinations. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: GS-12 Prosthetic Representative (Supervisor) (a) Experience. At least one year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. (b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 1. Leadership and managerial skills, including skill in interpersonal relations and conflict resolution to deal with employees, team leaders, and managers. 2. Ability to perform the full range of supervisory duties, including responsibility for assignment of work to be performed; evaluation of performance; selection of staff; and recommendation of awards, advancements, and disciplinary actions. 3. Ability to manage a health care program that provides home medical equipment, rehabilitation services, home oxygen, visual or hearing impairment devices, assistive technology, orthotics, or prosthetics. 4. Skill in coordinating work flow and work assignments. 5. Ability to counsel patients and work effectively with a clinical team to resolve conflict. (c) Assignments. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and range of variety, and must be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. The supervisor is responsible for the supervision, administrative management, and direction of assigned PSAS staff. The supervisor is delegated full administrative and professional responsibility for planning and directing the staff activities for the section or equivalent work unit. Program areas of responsibility include, but are not limited to, procurement; PSAS clinical services, customer service/reception, inventory management associated with medical, rehabilitative, and durable medical equipment devices, home durable medical equipment deliver/set-up/installation. visual or hearing devices, assistive technology, orthotics/prosthetics, PSAS contract development, management and oversight of contract programs, such as home oxygen, durable medical equipment, orthotics/prosthetics, and eyeglasses, and benefit programs, such as home and structural alterations, automobile adaptive equipment, clothing allowance. They serve as contract officer representative for PSAS contracts and chair facility committees and administer benefit programs. The Supervisor provides education and training to Veterans, caregivers, VA clinical teams and PSAS staff. The Supervisor assures compliance with accrediting agency and regulatory requirements; establishes and monitors performance and quality metrics; reviews and modifies work processes to achieve optimal efficiency and effectiveness; ensures customer satisfaction; and takes corrective actions as needed. He/She develops policies and procedures; manages document control; develops performance standards, position descriptions and functional statements; and is responsible for professional and administrative management of an assigned area to include budget execution. Approves and disapproves employee leave requests; monitors time and attendance; and ensures that all requests for hiring, promotions, awards and disciplinary actions are justified and carried out according to appropriate VA Human Resources policies and procedures. The supervisor maintains interdepartmental relations with other services to accomplish medical center goals. References: VA Handbook 5005/94, Part II, Appendix G34, dated January 18, 2018 Physical Requirements: Work is sedentary but also demands standing, walking, bending, twisting, and carrying light items. This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires potentially long periods of continued sitting, with intermittent bending, pulling, and pushing. Movement between work areas within the health care system is expected. Lifting and carrying of objects up to 25 pounds may be required. Preferred Experience: Supervisory experience. Experience with Clothing Allowance, Auto Adaptive Equipment, Home Improvement & Structural Alterations benefits. Experience with fund control points and budget. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Education

IMPORTANT: 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/.

Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the United States must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials, and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to experience gained in conventional United States programs.

Contacts

• Address VA Boston Healthcare System 940 Belmont Street Brockton, MA 02301 US
• Name: Jonathan Montgomery
• Phone: 734-905-2529
• Email: [email protected]