Clarification from the agency

This is an INTERNAL ANNOUNCEMENT and is limited to current permanent employees of the VA Nebraska-Western Iowa - Omaha Health Care System to include CBOC's and current permanent VA Nationwide employees. The public and employees of other Federal agencies should apply to announcement number CBSY-13016892-26-GPA.--NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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Serves as a Prosthetic Representative completing a variety of prosthetic and sensory aids assignments, projects, activities independently to meet PSASs long-and-short term program goals. Performs technical, administrative, and analytical prosthetic related assignments for the PSAS.

Works directly with Veterans and clinical teams to assist with applications and answer questions related to benefit programs that cannot be handled by lower level employees. They provide recommendations to the treatment team regarding the development of prescriptions and provide technical assistance and guidance on planning and coordination efforts, to address complex patient medical and rehabilitative needs for equipment, services, and benefits.

Seeks best practices from other VHA facilities to enhance PSAS's prosthetic and sensory aids program to meet veterans' needs. Conducts visits to VISNs and VHA locations to collect, review, and analyze their best practice information and report findings to the supervisor to consider.

Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively both orally and in writing.

Drafts, develops, and implements new local organizational policies, directives, and procedures that are consistent with national policies, procedures, and programs. Provides documents to the supervisor for final approval after the incumbent submits final, review, comments, and recommendations.

Completes Prosthetic Representative, technical, programmatic, and administrative duties independently.

Provides training, advice, and guidance related to administrative functions, including statistics, data analysis, budgeting, contracting, procurement, inventory management, human resources, logistics/space, equipment, and supplies. Oversees the operation of the Prosthetic, Orthotic, optical laboratories, including restorations activities.

Completes contracting and procurement assignments independently to prepare and authorize purchase orders for a wide variety of prosthetic and orthotic devices. Provides status reports regularly to the supervisor to keep the supervisor well informed for accountability purposes.

Monitors and ensures requests for items or services are completed and received under established timeframes; and confers with contractors, vendors, and other health care workers as needed regarding procurement status and other needs and concerns.

Monitors and analyzes PSAS compliance reports, Delayed Order Report, aged credit card transactions, compliance metrics and scorecards. Develops tools that monitor VHA's quality assurance program. Works in collaboration with supervisor and senior staff to plan, develop, and prepare budget estimates; to develop cost-containment measures for prosthetic equipment and services; to authorize benefit payment and reimbursement.

Reviews, interprets, and applies laws concerning benefits available to disabled patients. Maintains awareness regarding medical and psychological problems related to patients need to use prosthetic devices. Authorizes the purchase, fabrication, fitting, or repair of prosthetic devices.

Responds to a variety of policy and correspondence inquires related to Veteran concerns, contractors, congressional inquiries, Home 02 program issues, new local and national guidelines implementation, and develops tools that allow monitoring of a quality assurance program, etc. Processes Veteran appeals and responses.

Reviews medical and administrative files of veterans; interviews veterans to determine if eligibility requirements are met and inspecting prosthetic equipment /appliances; and schedules patients and provide the necessary documentation to obtain the device needed.

Interacts with Veterans, caregivers, and clinical staff by answering questions related to benefit programs, including questions about the provision of prosthetic items, home care equipment, benefits, or service issues, and discharge planning requirements.

Informs veterans and family on different appliances and services available. Coordinates specialty programs, which include clothing allowance, Home 02 program issues, Automobile Adaptive Equipment (AAE), Home Improvement & Structural Alterations (HISA), etc. Attends clinics, i.e. Major Medical, Wheelchair, Amputee, etc.

Conducts home and vendor visits, with a supervisor and/or senior Prosthetic Representative, to authorize benefit payments, reimbursement and contract compliance. Processes and authorizes service and payment of monthly Home 02 program under the guidance of PSAS's senior staff or supervisor. Reviews, monitors, analyzes, and evaluates the results of various databases' prosthetics data referring to staff for guidance.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8am-4:30pm
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): 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.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• 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 identification 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).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 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 trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• Experience and Education. Individual must meet at least one of the requirements below.
  • Experience. One year of creditable experience that demonstrates: Knowledge of basic anatomy and medical terminology; knowledge of accounting methods; ability to research, analyze, comprehend, and apply decisions; basic knowledge of inventory management procedures; ability to use computer software packages for word processing, spreadsheet development, and database management; and ability to work independently and as a member of a team; OR
  • Education. A bachelor's degree from an accredited educational institution AND at least 24 semester hours in course work related to health care, public administration, or business. The 24 semester hours could include but is not limited to any combination from the following fields: occupational therapy, physical therapy, kinesiotherapy, social work, psychology, prosthetics, orthotics, respiratory therapy, assistive technology, business law, leadership, healthcare, public administration, or business management. This course work may have been completed within the degree or in addition to the degree; OR
  • Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying.
• Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the United States must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials, and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to experience gained in conventional United States programs.
• English Language Proficiency. Candidates will not be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C. chapters 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who are not proficient in written and spoken English.

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Grade Determinations:

GS-5 Prosthetic Representative (Entry Level)

• Experience. None beyond the basic requirement.

GS-7 Prosthetic Representative (Developmental Level)

• Experience. In addition to the basic requirements, one year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level, directly related to the position to be filled.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
  1. Ability to understand and apply processes, procedures, regulations, and laws as it applies to purchasing and the provision of prosthetic items/services.
  2. Ability to coordinate multiple requests for durable medical equipment (DME), including repairs, services, and benefits.
  3. Ability to act as a liaison with and work effectively with health care providers, patients, caregivers and vendors to ensure that the most appropriate device and services are received timely.
  4. Ability to monitor contractors and vendors for compliance with contract requirements.

GS-9 Prosthetic Representative (Developmental level)

• Experience. In addition to the basic requirements, one year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level, that is directly related to the position to be filled. OR,
• Education. Education equivalent to two full years of progressively higher level graduate education or Master's or equivalent graduate degree from an accredited educational institution AND at least 24 semester hours in course work related to health care, public administration, or business. The 24 semester hours may include, but is not limited to, any combination from the following fields: occupational therapy, physical therapy, kinesiotherapy, social work, psychology, prosthetics, orthotics, respiratory therapy, assistive technology, business law, leadership, healthcare, public administration, or business management. This course work may have been completed within the degree or in addition to the degree.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
  1. Knowledge of methods to identify trends and causation factors sufficient to analyze prepared data and gather information to inform and advise management.
  2. Ability to organize, prioritize, and monitor actions to ensure timeliness.
  3. Ability to understand and articulate the benefits program options available. This includes communicating with patients, caregivers, health care providers and vendors.
  4. Ability to apply and educate others about national, VISN, and facility directives, policies, procedures and regulations.
  5. Ability to work effectively with a clinical team and provide recommendations for prosthetic devices.

GS-11 Prosthetic Representative (Full Performance Level)

• Experience. In addition to the basic requirements, one year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level, that is directly related to the position to be filled.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
  1. Ability to work independently to set priorities; delegate tasks; meet multiple deadlines; analyze organizational problems; and develop and implement effective solutions to optimize quality, efficiency, performance, and productivity.
  2. Ability to work with a team, to provide technical guidance, plan, organize, and coordinate activities to effectively complete job duties of assignment, such as distributing workload; and monitoring the accuracy, status and progress of work.
  3. Ability to communicate tactfully and effectively, both orally and in writing, to meet program objectives. This may include preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various organizational levels.
  4. Ability to assist in staff development, outcome management, and strategic planning.
  5. Ability to act as liaison between staff to resolve informal employee complaints and concerns.
  6. Knowledge of rehabilitative treatment goals and strategies that are unique to patients in specialized programs and knowledge of those specific program requirements.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.Prosthetic Representative Qualification Standard

Preferred Experience: Purchasing and Contracting experience

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-5 to GS-11.

Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of the evaluation or examination.

How you will be evaluated

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

Area of Consideration - Eligible applications will be reviewed and referred in the following order:
1. Current permanent VA employees of the facility.
2. All other VA employees.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

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.

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.

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.