This Program Specialist position is located within Patient Administration Service of the Edward Hines Jr VA Hospital system and will support deployment of the VA's Electronic Health Records Management (EHRM) System and is responsible for auditing and training activities.
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/24/2025. 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-9 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-7. 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. 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-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Applying analytical and evaluative techniques to identify and resolve issues or problems related to scheduling procedures and audits, workload, compliance with agency guidelines, and accurate data capture; performing systematic reviews of information and data, run specialized reports, ensure competency of scheduling processes, provide recommendations for performance improvement, and tailor training to specific needs; search, extract and organize data, produce reports, and prepare a variety of working documents such as spreadsheets, instructions, training guides, and other similar products; designing, developing, modifying and evaluating training presentations, plans, instructions, materials and aids; writing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs); developing and implementing quality and process improvement procedures. . 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 Master' s or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related that demonstrates 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 an combination of specialized experience and education beyond graduate level education (in excess of the first year or 18 semester hours) to meet total experience requirements. Preferred Experience: The highly qualified candidate will have knowledge and experience with VHA scheduling policy. 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/.
Coordination, Delivery and Evaluation of Scheduler Training Develop, modify and administer training programs for the scheduling staff and supervisors throughout the facility and tailors training for local needs and specific areas. Coordinate orientation activities and prepare material to educate new and experienced scheduling employees with the organization's mission, structure, history, objectives and policies of scheduling and high-level customer service. Perform analysis of audit findings related to access to care, scheduling, consult management, insurance capture, recall reminders, return to clinic orders, open encounters, and clinic profile management. Provide management with periodic reports on the status of the training and an analysis of the effectiveness and capacity of the training program in achieving agency objectives and policies. Provide consultation and assistance in implementation of performance improvement activities. Participate in all phases of training, developmental planning, implementation and evaluation and serve as the point of contact for routine development and one-on-one training matters. Incorporate training material and guidance prepared at the national level and develop and modify procedures, courses, training guides and plans, and seek alternative training sources for local needs. Prepare internal office instructions governing local training development programs and work with all facility staff to identify and develop continuing education programs for facility quality improvement. Conduct formal and informal in-service and continuing education programs based on identified needs and provide training to all staff with the ability to schedule, coordinate and utilize appropriate teaching aids. Review, analyze and evaluate. training courses and programs to assess their quality and effectiveness. Participate in facility, VISN and national committees along with the Patient Administration Service in representing the facility on topics such as, but not limited to, scheduling programs, access to care, consult management, clinic practice management, and data support. Assessment, Auditing, and Reporting of Scheduling Practices Provide assessments of scheduling processes through a standardized auditing mechanism. Conduct extensive reviews and analysis of data from diverse sources, assemble information, and develop reports or presentations. Manage, advise and/or perform internal audits of scheduling activities and issue reports of audit findings and recommended corrective actions. Perform reviews and audits, follow-up audits, and special audits generated by facility leadership, which are in accordance with VHA and generally accepted government auditing standards. Plan, prepare, and develop reviews and reporting procedures for all aspects of such review. Use skills, knowledge, and problem-solving techniques to define problems, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Manage the timely and accurate preparation of final audit reports which conform with report writing policies and standards; and establish audit priorities. Write reports that accurately depict entity's compliance with internal and external regulations and policies. Evaluate control systems, develop constructive recommendations for improvements and prepare audit reports. Ensure all required scheduling audits are completed by required deadlines, including appointment and telephone audits. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30am to 4:00pm. Telework: Not Suitable Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: EHRM Program Specialist/PD18218O Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized.