The Government Information Specialist position provides administrative staff support functions of the Privacy and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) program operations. The facility Privacy/FOIA program has oversight for the data governance program and initiatives in the MEDVAMC and its supporting catchment area.

Duties

Major Duties: Conducts Facility Site Assessment (FSA) - quarterly reports (consolidating Privacy, Records Management, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Facility Complexity, and Privacy Research) Establishes and implements reporting processes for the appropriate accounting of all disclosures of privacy protected information made by the facility. Ensure the appropriate utilization of the Release of Information (ROI) Records Management software by the facility ROI Department and other areas making disclosures of patient health information. Provides support to the facility's Privacy/FOIA Officer (Govt. Information Specialist) by assisting in the assessment, development, implementation, coordination and evaluation of the facility's Privacy training presentations and tracking; privacy violations report in PSETS; and FOIA and ROI correspondence. Assist with compiling, organizing, and creating the reports which are designed to monitor and document compliance with external audits, reviews, and consultative visits by JC, FSA, PSA, Veterans Integrated Support Network (VISN), Veterans Administration Central Office (VACO) and other federal government regulations. Ensures successful implementation and sustainment of JC standards according to policy guidance. Identifies problems that do not comply with the standards and recommends alternatives for improvement. Interprets Joint Commission standards for the hospital and assists with the development of policies and procedures to meet those standards. Develops and implements tools that measure the hospital's compliance to the privacy incidents/complaints and HIPAA standards; review of checklist in the initiation phase of acquisitions; response to inquiries from Office of Civil Rights, Office of General Counsel, and Congressional offices; medical records amendment requests; FOIA Requests; and resolves noncompliance issues. Demonstrates expert oral and written communication skills and the ability to teach and communicate concepts, ideas, and information to a variety of audiences to include patients, families, and staff members. Directs the collection, organization, and analysis of data from all levels in the organization which are identified as actual or potential risk in order to verify the existence of a problem and determine the extent and probable causes so that appropriate action may be planned. Participates in root cause analysis of sentinel events, as appropriate. 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 8:00am - 4:30pm (subject to change based on agency needs) 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#: Government Information Specialist/PD041160 and PD041170 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/24/2024. 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. 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: To qualify for this position at the GS-09 level, you must meet one of the following: Specialized Experience: 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: Experience using research protocols and procedures, regulations, court decisions, and Federal and agency policies. Develops policies and procedures, as needed, to supplement policies and procedures. Investigate data breaches and recommends appropriate remediation. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successful completion of a master's or equivalent graduate degree, successfully completed two (2) full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, LL.B or J.D. if related. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this. NOTE: Copies of transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. 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 graduate level education (beyond the first year) and specialized experience, as described above, to meet the total requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do to the work of this position. NOTE: Copies of transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.. To qualify for this position at the GS-11 level, you must meet one of the following: 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: Experience using research protocols and procedures, regulations, court decisions, and Federal and agency policies. Develops policies and procedures, as needed, to supplement policies and procedures. Investigate data breaches and recommends appropriate remediation. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or an LL.M. if related that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with application. Education cannot be credited without documentation. 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 or equivalent graduate education may be used to qualify applicants for the GS-11 level. NOTE: If using education combined with specialized experience to qualify, a copy of your transcript is required. . You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: ComplianceCustomer Service (Clerical/Technical)Education and TrainingSecurity 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 mostly sedentary requiring some walking, bending, and carrying of light items. 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 Michael E DeBakey VA Medical Center 2002 Holcombe Boulevard Houston, TX 77030 US
• Name: Jere Parks
• Phone: 478-484-5185
• Email: [email protected]