This position is located at the Sioux Falls VA Health Care System (SFVAHCS) within the Quality and Patient Safety service line. This is not a remote or virtual position. This position is responsible for administering, analyzing, and performing work involved in establishing, disseminating, and managing SFVAHCS policy within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and sharing National and VISN level directives and policies with the station personnel.
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/21/2025. 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 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. Individual Occupational Requirement: 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 Government-wide, agency, and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, personnel, and procurement 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: interpreting laws and regulations governing healthcare industry standards; assessing and developing policies and procedures to be consistent with applicable guidelines, directives and laws; applying various techniques for collecting, analyzing, and/or interpreting data; and utilizing various software systems to create reports, graphs, and/or presentations. 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 graduation education leading to such a degree, or an LL.M., in a field related to the position to be filled (i.e., hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration). The education portion must include courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond a master's degree. OR, Inservice Placement: Applicants may have successfully completed an agency-sponsored on-the-job training program that included a formal individualized training plan. Such a training program must have been conducted 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. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to Detail Clerical Communication Writing 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: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. There are no unusual physical demands. Work Conditions: The work is performed in an office setting. Incumbent is required to perform policy walk- throughs and crosswalks throughout the facility, travel to surrounding Clinic Based Outpatient Clinics, and visit local Business Associates place of business. 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/.
Major duties include: Coordinates and assists with policy formulation, advises executive level leadership and local management on policy development to ensure compliance with Federal and State laws governing policies critical for healthcare administration Works directly with VISN and VHACO Policy Redesign Department to ensure the SFVAHCS is in compliance with directives and laws. Educates managers/supervisors and working with them to create strong policy documents, which may require research, analysis and interpretation of laws, accreditation manuals, and directives. Safeguards of Government information, such as archived documents, while supporting accountability and transparency. Implements procedures to manage VHA policies and external policies that impact the operation of SFVAHCS (which includes multiple community-based outpatient clinics or CBOCs and joint facilities). Assists in the development of policies, processes, instructions and procedures resulting in far reaching and precedent setting effective methods and initiatives to improve integration, more effective individual and collective performance and standardized procedures across Health Care System operations. Works with chiefs, managers, supervisors, and staff at all levels and with all service lines to educate and improve policies affecting patient care, performance outcomes, and effective clinical operations. Requires researching, analyzing, interpreting, and applying laws, regulations, policies, and evidence-based guidance to generate policies that protect Veteran information, and improve operations. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. (work hours may be further discussed during the interview) Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist/PD804220 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.