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 Supervisory Health System Specialist oversees all functions related to healthcare providers' professional credentials supporting all divisions of the VAMC (i.e. full time, part time, temporary, intermittent, contract, without compensation (WOC) and fee basis) in accordance with VHA Credentialing and Privileging (C&P), Directives, VA Handbooks, Policies, Memos, and Notices; The Joint Commission (TJC) Standards and State and Federal Regulations. As the VAMC's C&P Program subject matter expert (SME), the incumbent provides direct technical and administrative supervision to employees in the VAMC's C&P Office. The incumbent is responsible for ensuring that employees are efficiently and effectively accomplishing quality work that is compliant with regulatory requirements and procedures, TJC standards, laws, and VHA C&P policies and requirements, as well as assuring implementation and accomplishment of the goals and objectives of the C&P Program. As the supervisor, the incumbent:

• Identifies and presents to leadership the resources necessary for accomplishing the mission and function of the facility's C&P program
• Manages the C&P staff; sets and adjusts short and long-term priorities, assesses staffing needs, plans work to be accomplished; and ensures positions are appropriately manned to cover all program functions
• Develops, modifies, and/or interprets performance standards; outlines and explains performance expectations to staff; assigns and reviews work performed by subordinates based on priorities, consideration of complexity and requirements of assignments and employee skill level; evaluates work performance mid-year and annually, and provides regular feedback on employees' strengths and weaknesses
• Provides advice, counsel, and instruction to employees on work and administrative matters; serves as approving official for leave requests and approving official for credit card purchases and reconciliations; conducts staff meetings and composes minutes.
• Identifies developmental and training needs of employees; provides or arranges for needed development and training; advocates to leadership and/or program officials for training resources
• Senior Program Advisor - provides consulting and guidance to local leadership and C&P employees on all matters pertaining to the facility's C&P program including Healthcare Professionals C&P, National and VISN Memorandums of understanding; VA Memos; VHA requirements; Handbooks, Directives and Policies
• Primary consultant for the facility's C&P program; analyzes program audit results; interprets facility quarterly report card data; identifies potential privileging issues; drafts facility medical staff bylaws updates and revisions.
• Coordinates with service chiefs and service level administrative teams for annual committee(s) review of clinical privileges and scope of practice forms; reviews clinical privileges and scope of practice for accuracy, setting specific indicator and signature appropriations as required for VAMC compliance with Joint Commission Standards

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30am - 4:00pm
Position Description Title/PD#: Health System Specialist (Credentialing & Privileging)/PD99874A
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 by the closing date of this announcement.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS: You must have one of the following:
EDUCATION: Undergraduate or Graduate Education 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.

OR,

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
• Government-wide, agency, and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, personnel, and procurement

IN ADDITION TO MEETING THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS LISTED ABOVE, YOU MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING GRADE REQUIREMENTS TO QUALIFY FOR THIS POSITION.

GS-12 Grade Requirements:
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. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

• Extensive knowledge of medical specialties, medical terminology and design of implementation of best practices for criteria based privileging systems for granting of clinical privileges and/or reduction and/or revocation of clinical privileges
• Expert knowledge of the healthcare industry and/or experience with Medicare and third-party payer coding and billing practices.
• Extensive knowledge and skill in interpreting C&P as well as staffing regulations/requirements for healthcare practitioners in compliance with a broad range of National and Local handbooks, directives, MOUs, policies, bylaws and a variety of auditing and accrediting agencies
• Ability to conduct meetings with various services both clinical and administrative on a regular basis to ensure they are knowledgeable about identified VHA performance measures and monitors that fall under their scope and are aware of their impact on accreditation and the medical centers performance

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.

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/.

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.