Summary The San Diego VA Healthcare System is currently recruiting a Health System Specialist for the Office of the Associate Director of Patient Care Services . This position utilizes specialized knowledge of the fundamentals of healthcare management and serves as a management representative of the executive leadership team. Responsibilities Major duties include, but are not limited to: Develops a thorough, administrative and strategic operational initiatives of the organization that enables the specialist to identify problems, analyze data, and recommend resolutions based on specific knowledge of the organization's objectives and priorities, resources, and catchment area. Plans, organizes, trends and reviews requests for resources within their assigned executive's chain of command and makes recommendations, based upon the relative needs while considering their ability to utilize the resources requested. Assist in prioritizing resource allocations throughout the healthcare system in conjunction with other Director's Office Staff. Assist the Executive Leadership Team in assessing needs in a realistic fashion, documenting them effectively, and presenting them to a diverse audience of internal and external stakeholders. Point out (and correct as appropriate) errors, incomplete or inconsistent data, and illogical arguments or conclusions. Incumbent reviews resources requests for FTEE, Equipment, Overtime, and Space, and keeps abreast of the medical center budget and forecasts needs based on regional market trends. Reviews medical center budget initiatives, subsequent justifications and defends for the clinical or administrative service/program to the Medical Center Director as needed. Provides guidance and advice on program specific matters such as handling legislative issues, the development and implementation of policy or program initiatives, protocol issues, and other important correspondence or VISN/VACO related matters. Reviews audits and evaluations which are conducted at the facility. This includes reviews by the Joint Commission, Medical Inspector, and Inspector General, and program evaluations which requires monitoring progress. Incumbent deals with problems arising from quality of care issues and consumer complaints arising from individual patients, Veterans groups, Congressional offices, and other stakeholders. 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, 7:30am - 4:00pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist/PD13291A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/15/2024. 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-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. For a GS-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12. 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. INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT (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: undergraduate or graduate education in a major field of study hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields, such as business or public administration, with course work in health care administration. (A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing your qualifications on education). OR, SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: specialized experience that is progressively responsible for analytical or administrative, or clinical management, or supervisory experience in the health care field performed in an operating health care facility or a higher organizational echelon with advisory or directional authority over such facilities with close working relationships with facility managers and analysis/coordination of administrative, clinical, or other service activities which provided knowledge in the following areas: 1) Missions, organizations, programs, and requirements of health care delivery systems; 2) Regulations and standards of various regulatory and credentialing groups; and 3) Government-wide, agency, and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, personnel, and procurement. OR, SPECIAL PROVISION FOR INSERVICE PLACEMENT: Completion of an agency-sponsored on-the-job training program, which included a formal individualized training plan. The training program should have been performed in an operating health care system and included: 1) Assignments providing a knowledge of basic health system administration philosophies, practices, and procedures, and basic government administrative policies and requirements; 2) 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 3) Oversight by an experienced health system administrator with periodic evaluation of the individual's progress and appropriate adjustment of the training program. In addition to meeting the IOR and time in grade requirement, you may qualify based on your specialized experience as described below: GS-12 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: knowledge and ability to apply skills related to health care service administration; quality improvement; data analysis; planning, and other administrative support functions. There is no educational substitution for the GS-12 level. GS-13 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-12 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: extensive experience in health care service administration; continuous quality improvement; data analysis; planning, administration, and other key administrative support functions; analyzing and evaluating broad and complex problems, applying extensive qualitative and/or quantitative methods for program improvement and making recommendations for complicated solutions; and experience that gained expert knowledge of health care principles, theories and practices including budgeting, planning, administration, administrative laws, policies, regulations, precedents governing the facility's healthcare programs, and labor/union relationships. There is no educational substitution for the GS-13 level. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Decision Making Interpersonal Effectiveness Organizational Stewardship Problem Solving Teamwork 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 walking and standing in the course of a normal work day. Some lifting (up to 601bs), with bending, stooping and overhead reaching will be required (e.g. carrying/relocating such items as boxes of supplies and/or equipment). The incumbent uses a keyboard and monitor extensively in the course of their usual daily activities. Reasonable accommodations may be considered in determining the applicant's ability to perform the duties/functions of this position. 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. Additional Information The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.