Clarification from the agency

This position is open to current, permanent VA Medical Center employees at Beckley, West Virginia only.

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Beckley VA Medical Center is a Joint Commission accredited, complexity level II facility serving Veterans in 11 counties in southern West Virginia. The medical center opened its doors to Veterans on March 1, 1951, and today is a 13-bed general medical/surgical and 5-bed intensive care facility with a 30-bed community living center.

Major Duties:

• Provides access related consultative services to the Beckley VAMC, VISN and National leadership.
• Work with the National Program Office, in collaboration with Beckley VAMC Service Lines, to review and develop national guidance and policies that will facilitate standardized processes.
• Review and provide input on nationally issued regulations and policies for VA-wide implementation, utilizing local ACOD-GPMs and communication strategies.
• Works as part of a national group of ACOD- GPMs to ensure a wide range of local factors are considered in the development of national policies and procedures.
• Will be called upon weekly to collaborate with staff from other facilities and to work on national project groups to review and develop national and VISN level policies, procedures, systems, requirements documents, and business or access analysis initiatives.
• Coordinates and aligns system performance measures and goals with system needs and specific requirements of national or VISN cooperative efforts.
• Review and evaluate local processes and procedures to determine areas of effectiveness, efficiency, and improvement for proposal through GPM Community of Practice and the national Steering Committee at the national level.
• Report to access leadership in the Office of Clinical Operations (10NC). Interface with the national access leadership to evaluate and incorporate best practices to improve patient access to care and ensure that standards set are met locally.
• GPMs will provide input to national VHA policies.
• As appropriate, mentoring and training other ACOD- GPMs may be required across VHA.
• Review and evaluate system-wide training plans to optimize local use.
• Implement a local clinic management system based on national requirements.
• Propose improvements in national training curriculum for onboarding and sustainment activities.
• Work with subordinate supervisors, associate ACOD-GPMs, and clinic practice management team when applicable to consistently evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of the local staff, provide feedback, and determine what national training initiatives are needed locally to have the largest impact.
• Maintain knowledge of clinic practice management training materials and oversee development of action plans to fulfill CPM training requirements.
• Work with Veteran Experience Advocates at the Beckley VAMC to evaluate patient and family concerns regarding the access to services needed.
• Coordinate efforts with national requirements, including the MyVA alignment.
• Coordinate efforts to ensure patient concerns are received, evaluated, and addressed in a timely and effective manner by the appropriate subject matter experts.
• Lead program planning and execution for VHA-approved program of clinic practice management at the Beckley VAMC level. Build local program to implement all national guidance. Oversee execution as primary agent for Beckley VAMC leadership.
• Use Advanced Principles and Strategies for Access Improvement to review and provide guidance to Clinical Leads (CLs). Review and provide guidance to identify strategies to reduce backlog. Oversee and monitor existing or emerging workflow issues.
• Develop both long- and short-term policies and plans for the Beckley VAMC.
• Coordinate ambulatory care medical administration needs of the Beckley VAMC for incorporation into annual budget and operating plans.
• Improve care delivery by identifying and anticipating needs, potential issues, and concerns.
• Lead ambulatory care managerial planning. Serve on Beckley VAMC strategic planning committee.
• Develop and maintain annual budget plan and staffing plans for outpatient care.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist/PD200020
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
• 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, 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, 04/10/2026.

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

Undergraduate and Graduate Education: Major study- hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. OR

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.

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.

In addition to meeting the Individual Occupational Requirement, you must also meet the Minimum Qualification Requirement below.GS-12 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Specialized Experience: Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Mastery 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. 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. Comprehensive knowledge of the range of national administrative laws, policies, regulations, and precedents applicable to the administration of one or more important public programs including Advanced Principles and Strategies for Access improvement, JCAH, VACAA Laws 203 and 303, Clinical Management Directive, Scheduling Directive, Consult and Telephone Access to Care Guidance, etc. Ability to effectively supervise others by setting priorities, assigning work, evaluating work of subordinates and developing subordinates for increased responsibility and succession planning. Broad knowledge of Federal government policies, regulations, and trends in the areas of personnel, budgeting and management systems, as well as an understanding of the public and private sector trends in health care.

NOTE: Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

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

• Administration and Management
• Decision Making
• Operations Support
• Compliance
• Organizational Awareness
• Problem Solving

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/.

Work Environment: Work is typically performed in an adequately lighted and climate-controlled office. The employee may require occasional travel.

How you will be evaluated

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

"This announcement uses Cut score method under 5 CFR § 332.402. If set number/percentage: All applicants tied at the cut line will be referred.

We will provide the selecting official a sufficient number of names, when available, to consider at least three candidates per vacancy. If fewer than three eligible and available candidates per vacancy result, we will expand the group in accordance with our pre-announced supplement strategy and OPM policy.

"Simultaneous Listing: "Candidates may be referred simultaneously on multiple certificates for which they are interested, eligible, and within reach."

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position:

• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Decision Making
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Reasoning
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

Your experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. 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.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

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.

During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator.