The Patient Advocacy Program includes the promotion of an inclusive care environment and a positive patient experience for Veterans and their family members in an inclusive environment. The incumbent is the primary National Patient Advocate responsible for coordinating, facilitating and administering Veteran-centered complaint resolution and management programs at the national level, supporting the delivery of benefits and services provided to Veterans, their dependents and beneficiaries

Duties

Facilitates and administers Veteran-centered complaint resolution and service recovery at the national level, supporting the delivery of benefits and services provided to Veterans, their dependents and beneficiaries. Coordinates responses with VA Medical Centers (VAMCs), Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs), OPA, VHA and VA. Timely complaint resolution, service recovery, employee engagement, and patient experience by coordinating, consulting, and collaborating with Veterans, providers, staff, caregivers, families and other employees. Documents client status, changes and monthly summaries pertaining to unresolved Veteran or family complaints captured in Patient Advocate Tracking System (PATS), Salesforce, Signals and other established operating systems and repositories. Triages high priority, high visibility and/or highly complex cases and works closely with OPA staff to perform in-depth analyses of complaint and compliment data, using primary and secondary information to provide feedback/guidance to the field that could affect the delivery of services and improves situation that could adversely affect service delivery. Utilizes a variety of software programs and communication tools to input, retrieve and analyze data as required. Serves on various projects and teams related to tracking, trending, and analyzing patient feedback, complaints, issues and concerns. Collaborates with other offices to ensure integration of patient advocacy data, identifies requirements and develops successful products that will support and advance patient advocacy at the local, VISN and national level, Work Schedule: M-F 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. Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist/PD03272A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: 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, 12/10/2024. 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-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. Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR): An IOR is a basic requirement that must be met in order to qualify for entry into this job series, and it is something that can't be waived. The education must be accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. To qualify for the GS 0671 occupational series, applicants MUST possess one of the following: Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study -- hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. OR Experience: Progressively responsible analytical or administrative, or clinical management or supervisory experience in the health care field. This work may have been performed in an operating health care facility or a higher organizational echelon with advisory or directional authority over such facilities. Work must have involved a close working relationship with facility managers and analysis and/or coordination of administrative, clinical, or other service activities, and provided knowledge of the following: Missions, organizations, programs, and requirements of health care delivery systems; Regulations and standards of various regulatory and credentialing groups; and Government-wide, agency, and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, personnel, and procurement. OR Special Provision for In-service Placement: Successful completion of an agency-sponsored on-the-job training program may be substituted for qualifying experience, provided it included a formal individualized training plan. Such a training program must have been conducted in an operating health care system and included: Assignments providing a knowledge of basic health system administration philosophies, practices, and procedures, and basic government administrative policies and requirements; Practical assignments providing an opportunity to apply health system administration skills and principles (as the individual progresses, work assignments must be characteristic of the grade level to which he or she is assigned); and Oversight by an experienced health system administrator with periodic evaluation of the individual's progress and appropriate adjustment of the training program. AND Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-11) in the Federal Service, that is directly related to the work of the position and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties as a Health System Specialist. Qualifying specialized experience is defined as: Organizing work, setting priorities, negotiating e with management to accept and implement recommendations where proposals involve agency resources or changes in established procedures; regulations and rules affecting the administration and delivery of care in VHA healthcare facilities; analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of Client Relations operations in meeting established goals and objectives; conducting studies, analyzing findings and making recommendations on findings impacting patient advocacy programs; communicate orally and in writing with key stakeholders (i.e. Veterans, VSOs and VHA Leadership) effectively; administrative and clinical services to aid the veteran population. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Customer Service: Works and communicates with clients and customers (e.g., any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit provides, including individuals who work in your agency or in other agencies or organizations outside the Government to satisfy their expectations. Committed to quality services. Communication: Effectively expresses information to multiple audiences through clear, convincing oral and written communications; demonstrates logical thinking when describing facts and concepts, and shapes communications to meet the needs of a specific audience; actively listens to others and demonstrates understanding of their comments and/or questions. Planning and Evaluation: Organizes work, sets priorities, and determines resource requirements; determines short- or long-term goals and strategies to achieve them; coordinates with other organizations or parts of the organization to accomplish goals; monitors progress and evaluates outcomes. Interpersonal Skills: Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; is sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences. Integrity/Honesty: Displays high standards of ethical conduct and understands the impact of violating these standards on an organization, self, and others; chooses an ethical course of action; is trustworthy. 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 requires some physical exertion, such as long periods of standing; walking over rough, uneven, or rocky surfaces; recurring bending, crouching, stooping, stretching, reaching, or similar activities; or recurring lifting of moderately heavy items. The work may require specific, but common, physical characteristics and abilities, such as above average agility and dexterity 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.

Contacts

• Address VHA Central Office - Chief of Staff Services 810 Vermont Avenue NW Washington, DC 20420 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]