Health System Specialist

Duties Summary

The incumbent serves as the Process Improvement Coordinator (Health System Specialist) at the Fargo VA Medical Center. The Process Improvement Coordinator works directly under the supervision of the Quality, Safety and Value Service Director, and is responsible for assisting In the coordination, development, and Implementation of process Improvement activities related to program grants and Integration with VHA, VISN, and facility Quality Management and Strategic Goals.

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Responsibilities

Duties to include but not limited to:

• Monitors project controls to ensure recommendations and actions are completed.
• Provides technical expertise related to Process Improvement activities specifically in access, data mining, data analyzation and modeling and assists in developing and monitoring Process Improvement measures.
• Demonstrates the ability to design, implement and complete projects (budget projections, resource projections, expected impact/outcomes, Gantt chart) and identify measures of success.
• Co-leads and/or manages Process Improvement initiatives and projects.
• Assists in the development of Process Improvement Proposals/Charters requested.
• Serves as a liaison to facilitate communication with persons and/or groups outside and within the VISN, in relation to Process Improvement activities.
• Assists with the development of Process Improvement Projects, proposals and measures, and using statistical modeling assists in the development of long term process improvement goals.
• Possess an organizational view and understand the complexity of the system and inter-relationships.
• Serves on local, VISN, and National Boards and Committees and maintains communication with facility, VISN, and national Leaders.
• Applies LEAN tools and methodologies.

Work Schedule: 8:00 am - 4:30 pm, Monday - Friday
Telework: Not Available
Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist/PD40244-0
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status

No

Promotion Potential

11

Requirements Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• 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

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/11/2020.

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-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.

To qualify for this position, you must also meet the Individual Occupational Requirements for the Health System Administration Series, 0671: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.ORSpecialized 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.

Special Provision for Inservice 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

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

• 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: Managing projects or programs, Knowledge of principles and practices of budget administration, knowledge in resource management, determine objectives and sets priorities and delegates work, knowledge of pertinent laws, ability to communicate vision of the VHA, ability to plan, develop and organize, knowledge of change management and resolve conflicts. 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,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond undergraduate education.

Preferred Experience: Green Belt &/or Black Belt Certification. A minimum of 5 years of health care experience.
Coordinates Improvement Teams throughout the HCS, Utilizes LEAN methodology, Facilitates/Leads Teams from inception through completion, sustainment of project including measuring return on investment and conducts Lean YB Courses.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Administration and Management
• Communications
• Organizational Awareness
• Planning and Evaluating
• Process Control
• Project Management

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: Work is primarily sedentary, although slight physical effort me be required

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.