Clarification from the agency

ALL US CITIZENS DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation.

The Incumbent is responsible for working collaboratively with local and VISN leadership to identify and/or implement best practices and advising VAMC leadership of all program requirements pertaining to the Credentialing and Privileging (C&P) program. They ensure quality assurance and provide oversight for the VAMC C&P program and ensures that the Medical Staff Bylaws/Rules and Regulations are reviewed and updated annually (or as needed) to reflect regulations or accreditation standards. Duties include, but may not be limited to the following:

• Providing consulting and guidance to local leadership and C&P employees on all matters pertaining to the facility's C&P program
• Attending committee meetings and presents providers' credentials, clinical practice histories and red flags
• Applying organizational and system-wide strategies for continuous quality improvement as they relate to C&P processes and procedures.
• Providing guidance to VAMC leadership related to credentialing, privileging, adverse privileging actions, National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) reporting, and State Licensing Boards (SLB) reporting.
• Implementing mechanisms to monitor and evaluate completed tasks for their compliance with established policies and procedures as well as quality of customer service.
• Participating in policy and decision-making initiatives at the VAMC, and continuously develops a greater understanding of regulatory and policy requirements, quality assurance methodologies as well as best practices.
• Utilizing evaluation results to make suggestions and improve organization/program performance.
• Developing data gathering strategies and work with other services and work teams to obtain the necessary process information.
• Conducting and overseeing internal controls and audits.
• Coordinates with Service Chiefs, VISN Chief Medical Officer, and Committee for Reviews and Recommendations when query results require action.
• Serving as an administrator for the Federation of Medical Boards, NPDB, and the Our Providers Database.
• Providing direct technical and administrative supervision to employees.
• Ensuring that employee(s) are efficiently and effectively accomplishing quality work that is compliant with regulatory requirements and procedures.
• Setting and adjusting short and long-term priorities.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:30pm.
Position Description Title/PD#: Health System Specialist (C&P)/PD99875S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized.
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized.
Physical Requirements: The work is mostly sedentary. Occasionally, light physical effort may be required, such as that involved with walking, stair climbing, and carrying of light office items.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job
• Subject to a background/suitability investigation
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• A complete application package; Resume, Transcripts, etc. is required
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents).
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR): An IOR is a basic requirement that must be met in order to qualify for the 0671 occupational series. All applicants, regardless of grade level must meet minimum education requirements or specialized experience. For this occupation, 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 this occupational series, applicants MUST have one of the following listed below:

• Possess a bachelors or graduate/higher level degree with a major study in hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. (Transcripts Required)
• 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.
• Successfully completed an agency-sponsored on-the-job training program which 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.

In addition to the IOR, you must qualify based on your experience and /or education as described below:

GS-11 Minimum Qualifications
Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-9) in the Federal Service, that is directly related to the work of the position and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties as a Health System Specialist. Qualifying specialized experience is defined as 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: (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. At this level, applicants would have obtained this experience working within a health care setting, working directly with clinicians and other administrators to solve problems in support of the delivery of patient care; and experience running an administrative component of a health care credentialing and privileging program. OR

Education: Successfully completed a Ph.D., equivalent doctoral degree, three (3) full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, Or LL.M in the related field of 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. Education must have been obtained in an accredited college, or university. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. OR

Combination: Combinations of successfully completed graduate level education (beyond a master's degree) and specialized experience as described above to meet total experience requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do to the work of this position (i.e., hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration). NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Experience must be clearly indicated in your resume.

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

• Administration and Management
• Interpersonal Skills
• Leadership
• Quality Assurance
• Technical Competence

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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Applicants will be referred in the order in which they were received.

Resume Reminder- Your resume must include the following information for each job listed:

• Job title;
• Duties (be as detailed as possible)
• Month & year start/end dates (e.g. June 2007 to April 2008)
• Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
• Series and Grade, if applicable, for all Federal positions you have held

DO NOT include the following types of information in your resume:

• Classified or Government Sensitive Information
• Social Security Number (SSN)
• Photos of yourself
• Personal Information such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.