Clarification from the agency

Open to current and permanent employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

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The Health System Specialist (Associate Group Practice Manager) is responsible for Primary Care, Mental Health, Surgery, Medicine or Ancillary ambulatory clinics oversight and integration into an efficient Clinic Practice Management (CPM) model. The incumbent provides data, reports and assistance to the ACOD/GPM in their work in development of strategic plans for the facility as it relates to access to care. The duties of the position include, but may not be limited to the following:

• Provides access related consultative services, working in collaboration with facility Service Lines, to review and develop guidance and policies that will facilitate standardized processes within the facility and applicable CBOCs.
• Reviews and provides input on regulations and policies for local interpretation, utilizing local group practice management and communication strategies.
• Reports to supervisor and access leadership in the facility, as assigned. Incorporates best practices to help improve patient access to care and that standards are met within assigned services.
• Evaluates and recommends changes for continuous process improvement by collaborating with the Veterans Experience, clinic management, scheduling, and analytic groups.
• Monitors existing or emerging workflow issues; monitors consult management issues and provide guidance to Clinic Leads (CLs) and Administrative Leads (ALs) when required. Monitors Information Technology (IT) usage and issues and provide information or assistance to CLs as needed.
• Collects and analyzes/reports trended data sets; makes recommendations to assist in the allocation of resources.
• Assists clinic managers in identifying causal interrelationships between the various aspects of ambulatory care and its impact on clinical operations to achieve and sustain quality, safe, efficient, and effective ambulatory care.
• Performs data analyses of performance related to existing internal and/or external requirements and applies administrative policies and established process improvement strategies.
• Performs cost analysis and cost effectiveness studies to determine make/buy decisions to address gaps.
• Evaluates and monitors administrative activities and make substantive recommendations for program improvements.
• Acts as a liaison or point person for communications with persons and/or groups internal or external to the facility, representing Group Practice Management on clinical access issues.
• Establishes and maintain good relations with various groups and organizations, including other medical centers, medical societies, medical schools, colleges and universities, accrediting agencies, public health officials and organizations, volunteer work groups, and
  the community at large.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm
Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist/PDS0021S
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Subject to background/security investigation
• 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 dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial 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.

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

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/26/2026.

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-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 experience and/or education as described below:

Individual Occupational Requirements: All positions in this occupational series have an occupational requirement in addition to the standard of meeting Time in Grade and qualifying by specialized experience and/or education. Candidates must meet the following Individual Occupational Requirements.

• Education: Posses undergraduate and graduate 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. OR,
• Specialized 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.
• Special Provision for In-service Placement: Successful completion of an agency-sponsored on-the-job training program may be substituted for qualifying experience, provided it 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.

NOTE: CANDIDATES USING EDUCATION TO MEET THE INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT MUST SUBMIT AN UNOFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT OF CONFERRED DEGREE BY THE ANNOUNCEMENT CLOSING DATE. LATE SUBMISSIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

In addition to the above Individual Occupational Requirements candidates must also meet the following specialized experience:

• 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:
  • Comprehensive knowledge of a wide range of qualitative/quantitative as well as analytical/evaluative methods for development and management of a major administrative program for the assessment and improvement of program effectiveness or the improvement of complex management processes and systems in the areas of Clinic Cancellation and No Show, Veteran's Choice Process, Auditing, Consult Management, Telephone Call Center Processes, Contingency Planning, Elevation Planning, Communications Planning, Change Management, Virtual Care Technologies, IT, Equipment and Staffing Acquisitions, Logistics Management, Space Utilization, Strategic Planning, Business Planning, Process Improvement, Veterans Experience, Service Bookability, etc.
  • Inclusive knowledge of the range of national administrative laws, policies, regulations, and precedents applicable to the administration of one or more important public programs including those such as advanced principles and strategies for access improvement, Joint Commission, VACAA Laws 203 and 303, Clinical Management Directive, Scheduling Directive, Consult and Telephone Access to Care Guidance, MISSION Act.
  • Expertise in a wide variety of computer and data management packages and VA databases including those such as Clinic Practice Management Dashboard, VISTA, CPRS, Clinic Access Index, Access Glide Path, SAIL, SPARQ, SHEP, Pyramid, etc. Knowledge of agency program goals and objectives, the sequence and timing of key program events and milestones, and methods of evaluating program events, milestones, and accomplishments.
  • Skill sufficient to plan, organize, and lead teams to accept and implement recommendations where conflicting goals may exist.
  • Broad knowledge of Federal government policies, regulations, and trends in the areas of management systems, as well as an understanding of the public and private sector trends in health care.
  • Ability to apply the above knowledge and understanding of goals and requirements for delivery of effective, high quality ambulatory care services that meet or exceed all applicable requirements and standards in order to respond appropriately when serving on committees and as a liaison to a variety of services.

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: Performance of the incumbent's duties may require extensive walking per day to meet with the facility managers and other clinic personnel. Trips to satellite outpatient clinics are sometimes necessary and will involve transportation via automotive vehicle. The work performed is of a precise nature requiring long periods of concentration that is often interrupted. Incumbent is often faced with changing priorities and with meeting deadlines.

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.

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.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.