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Program Specialist

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
Amarillo VA Health Care System

Summary

The primary purpose of this position is to serve as an integral link between the local Office of Community Care and our network Community Providers. The work requires the position to gather and analyze data; conduct face to face, telephonic and electronic communications; collaborations and training to ensure the operating program meets the intent and initiatives of the Care in the Community (CITC) program(s).

Overview

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Accepting applications
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
No
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$61,722 - $80,243 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9
Promotion potential
None
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
50% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Permanent
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
Yes
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Other
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
CAZM-13040827-26-AM
Control number
881014700

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This announcement is opened to current, permanent employees of the Amarillo VA Health Care System and those that are CTAP eligible.

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Duties

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Program Administration

Analyzes and evaluates using both qualitative and quantitative principles working in collaboration with both regional and other medical center community provider specialists to improve the experience of Community Providers associated in providing services to Veterans and support to local VAMC veterans' health care delivery experience. Supports operations in meeting established goals, metrics and objectives. Using regional office guidelines and policy, implements and modifies program policies, regulations, goals, or objectives. Identifies data required for use in the management and direction of programs. Develops program evaluation plans, procedures, and methodology. Works with Office of Community Care (OCC) Regional Program Office to evaluate programs against short and long-range objectives.

Develops and maintains positive relationships with local medical center Community Providers and stakeholders, such as hospital associations and affiliates. Provides ongoing education, partners with the OCC and Community Care Network (CCN) Regional staff and serves as a customer service point of contact for problem resolution regarding claims, provider network adequacy, access to care issues, standards of quality health care delivery, and contract relationships. This position works positively and collaboratively with the OCC Provider Relations Office, VISN and VACO representatives to resolve and escalate concerns stemming from community and VA providers. This position will establish regular points of contacts with community hospitals, community specialty and primary care practices and performs regular and reoccurring visits on a scheduled basis to provide education and address concerns. At least 50 percent of the time will be spent traveling and meeting with community provider stakeholders.

Investigates and resolves problems and special cases brought to the attention of top management including those from the agency's executive management staff. Gathers facts and resolves conflicts of information or interpretation and develops cases in accordance with applicable policies, procedural manuals, and other guidelines, and coordinates resolution development appropriate operating offices. Monitors trends in provider issues and reports to the Service Chief. Monitors appeals for providers within the assigned region. Communicates quality issues to providers and Quality, Safety, Value (QSV) staff through the chief of Community Care position and helps create action plans to improve quality metrics; remains in contact with provider throughout process.

Direction/Long-Range Planning

Supports the development of a program for the continued growth in use of data analytics and decision support based on these analytics including: identification of resources available for analysis, identification of gaps in services, identification of data quality, and issues that impact management ability to make informed decisions based on key data metrics associated with these data sets.

Provides and assists with establishing and participating in monitoring tools and performance metrics to evaluate Network Capacity (access), community referral processes, provider relationships, and other performance and compliance factors.

Analyzes trends for a range of initiatives (e.g: network adequacy, provider complaints, credentialing compliance, referral processing) compared on a National level, identifying markets, where deficiencies or irregularities are identified which may need further investigation to determine anomalies between sites.

Recommends corrective action for optimal efficiency within the department and interrelated programs. Makes formal and informal presentations outlining the history, status, and objectives of all functional responsibilities.

Quality/Productivity

In collaboration with VISN leadership and VACO Regional Community Provider Specialist (CCN) works collaboratively to implement future CCN priorities/programs and help to develop and promote network adequacy in support of local medical center. Develops, maintains, and executes tasks related to project management necessary for the assessment and analysis of projects.

Develops complex business strategies that include current Community programs, associated systems and future initiatives. Responsible for managing and integrating the work of assigned teams from different organizations for successful execution of all projects. Ensures that the skills, tools, and people are in place to meet the customer needs for the projects to be executed.




Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 7am-330pm; 730am-4pm; or 8am-430pm
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/PD013530
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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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 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)
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, 08/26/2026.

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-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07. 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:

  • Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: knowledge of a wide range of qualitative and/or quantitative methods for the assessment and improvement of program effectiveness, contract document review, and analysis of billing and claims processing methodologies in a healthcare or managed care environment, knowledge of agency program goals and objectives including the sequence of timing of key program events and milestones and methods of evaluating the work of program accomplishments, knowledge of the range of terminology, special and general reimbursement methodologies used in managed care contracting, knowledge of agency program goals and objectives including the sequence of timing of key program events and milestones and methods of evaluating the work of program accomplishments, knowledge of, and skill in applying, a wide range of methods used to gather, analyze, and evaluate information concerning management processes, drawing conclusions, and recommending appropriate actions, knowledge of relational databases and related software necessary to independently produce reports and documents for management information in a timely and accurate fashion. Ability to correlate and analyze copious amounts of narrative and statistical material to address appropriate actions concerning policies, changes of program direction, and manpower and resource utilization. OR,
  • Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a master's or equivalent graduate degree or two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related. OR,
  • Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education as described above.

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/.

Education

A transcript will be accepted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

NOTE: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.


Additional information

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

How you will be evaluated

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

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
  • Reading Comprehension
  • 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.

Veterans Health Administration

OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans?

Amarillo has something for everyone; arts and culture, family fun, heritage/history, and outdoor adventures. Amarillo is centrally located from skiing the New Mexico and Colorado Mountains, as well as being centrally located to Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, Albuquerque New Mexico, Denver, Colorado and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Amarillo residents enjoy big city life with small town atmosphere with a low cost of living and no state income tax.

DISCOVER AMARILLO at: http://www.amarillo-chamber.orghttp://www.visitamarillotx.com/index.cfm.

Agency contact information

Adriann Montelongo
Email
adriann.montelongo@va.gov
Address
Thomas E Creek VA Medical Center
6010 Amarillo Boulevard, West
Amarillo, TX 79106
US

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https://vacareers.va.gov/

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