The Health System Specialist (HSS) is an administrative member of Patient Care Service executive team at the Boise VA Medical Center in Boise, Idaho and serves a technical advisor for all administrative aspects of the Service. The HSS reports directly to the Associate Director, Patient Care Service/Chief Nurse Executive (ADPCS). The HSS performs as ADPCS's Executive Officer in the management of all administrative aspects to all areas reporting to the ADPCS.
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet specialized experience and time-in-grade requirements within 30 days the closing date of this announcement, 03/25/2025. 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 within 30 days of 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. 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 specialized experience as described below: 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. Your experience must show 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. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but is not limited to: Reviewing and evaluating facility programs and in the development of facility policies and procedures. Identifying problems and recommending and solving practical problems of managements. Analyzing data and applying management principles and analytic technique. Assembling and organizing data that can be used as the basis for management decisions. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Administration and Management Database Management Systems Manages and Organizes Information Organizational Awareness Organizational Performance Analysis 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 with walking throughout the campus for meetings, etc. required. Slight physical effort may be necessary from time to time. 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/.
Duties and responsibilities include but not limited to: Incumbent is responsible for the management and allocation of funding and FTEE provided to services under the office of Patient Care Services which includes Nursing Service, Sterile Processing Service, Education Service, Chaplain Service, and Veterans and Employee Experience Office. Incumbent conducts surveys of existing/proposed utilization of contract nursing staff, finances, supplies, equipment, and personnel to identify any problems; analyzes data and makes recommendations to ADPCS based upon findings. Maintains cost effective measures to assure maximum use of any budgetary support given to the Service; coordinates equitable distribution and efficient use of funds with ADPCS. Recommends appropriate action in terms of objectives, budgetary, educational and administrative limitation, feasibility, etc. It is the responsibility of the HSS to relieve the ADPCS to the maximum extent possible of the administrative and management responsibilities that can be assumed by a non-nurse. Incumbent is responsible for development, maintenance, and overseeing the administrative functioning of the Office of the ADPCS and maintains a liaison with the Director, COS, and AD to sustain a balance between clinical and administrative services. The HSS will represent ADPCS in matters of a non-clinical nature to assure timely and orderly flow of nursing activities. Provides technical advice and information to ADPCS and other professional staff in both written and/or verbal presentations. Interprets directives and other administrative issues to assure compliance. Coordinates activities with various levels of key personnel in other services, assuring effective integration of Patient Care Service activities to meet the patient care mission. Coordinates the development and implementation of the budgetary, human resource, and equipment needs which have direct control in the Office of the ADPCS. The HSS has administrative responsibility for overseeing the tracking of nursing FTEE, licensure, competency folder status, mandatory training, and status in the VistA nursing package. The incumbent is responsible for evaluating databases and monitoring VA Directives and Handbooks for nursing implications. Incumbent serves as a liaison for management by serving on various committees whose investigations and findings directly impact Patient Care Services. Develops and composes local administrative procedures and directives, coordinating the procedures across service lines and assuring compliance with VA policy. Provides expert advice on external review activities, including the Joint Commission, Office of Inspector General, General Accounting Office, VISN site visits, Long Term Care Institute, etc. Makes recommendations to the ADPCS to help ensure accreditation and positive audit results. Provides day-to-day management as the Contracting Officers Representative (COR) for contracts that provides nursing services and dialysis services. Based upon VA policy/procedures, incumbent instructs supervisory nursing personnel in logistics of counseling, withholding within-grade increases, and disciplinary/adverse actions. Provides technical advice regarding personnel actions such as promotions, awards, disciplinary actions, and separation of employees based upon interpretation of VA guidelines. Incumbent uses MS Word or comparable word processing software to execute several office automation functions such as storing and retrieving electronic documents and files; activating printers; inserting and deleting text; formatting letters, reports and memoranda; and transmitting and receiving e-mail. Incumbent uses MS Excel or other comparable spreadsheet software to develop and change spreadsheets in order to graphically display data. The incumbent initiates, plans/directs, and accomplishes special projects which involves extensive research producing complex analyses and extracts. The incumbent, then, assembles information and develops reports or presentations depicting the information in a comprehensible manner. Incumbent monitors, completes, and/or assists with special and recurring administrative reports and correspondence according to VA requirements in a timely manner. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30 am -4:00 pm, MST Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist/PD608090 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized