Health Systems Specialist - Graduate Healthcare Administrative Training Program (GHATP)

This position serves as a GHATP Trainee functioning as a Health System Specialist in the Office of the Associate Director of the Medical Facility and is responsible for managing projects and assisting in the coordination of daily office activities. The position is responsible for all program matters under the direction of the Associate Director that are delegated to them.

Qualifications:

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by Closing of the Announcement.

Provide a Statement of Purpose: Explain how you believe the VHA Health Systems Management Trainee Program will assist you in further defining your primary personal and/or professional life goals. Why is now the best time for you to pursue this training? Your explanation should include, but not necessarily be limited to, a description of both your intermediate and longer-term career goals, as well as a current vision of your desired position upon program completion. Please limit your response to no more than 4000 characters (about one page).

~AND~

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees serving on a Career or Career Conditional Appointment and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. For this vacancy announcement, applicants must have completed at least 52 weeks at the (GS-7) grade level to be eligible for the (GS-9) grade level. Applicants must have completed at least 52 weeks at the (GS-9) grade level to be eligible for the (GS-11) grade level. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS FOR 0671 SERIES:
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.

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

Special Provision for Inservice 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.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

GS-09:
Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal service that includes performing the following duties: Qualifying 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: Missions, organizations, programs, and requirements of health care delivery systems; Regulations and standards of various regulatory and credentialing groups; and Government-wide, agency, and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, personnel, and procurement.

-OR-

Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration.

-OR-

Combination: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate-level education (beyond 18 semester hours) as described above.

GS-11:
Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the Federal service that includes performing the following duties: Qualifying 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: - Missions, organizations, programs, and requirements of health care delivery systems; - Regulations and standards of various regulatory and credentialing groups; and - Government-wide, agency, and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, personnel, and procurement.

-OR-

Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a degree in hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration).

-OR-

Combination: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate-level education (beyond 18 semester hours) as described above.

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

• Administration and Management
• Attention to Detail
• Communication
• Customer Service
• Database Management Systems
• Decision Making
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Reading Comprehension
• Reasoning
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork
• Technical Competence

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.

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/.

Responsibilities:

This position involves a multi-grade career ladder. The major duties listed below represent the full performance level of GS-11. At the GS-09 grade level, you will perform assignments of a more limited scope and with less independence. You will progressively acquire the background necessary to perform at the full performance level of GS-11. Promotion is at the discretion of the supervisor and is contingent upon satisfactory performance, availability of higher level work, and availability of funds.

The position serves as a Health System Specialist (GHATP Trainee) within a one year formalized national training program (June to June) -1 year. The GHATP training program is designed so that the position acquires the knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies necessary to assume progressively more complex responsibilities and assist the Office of the Medical Center Director in successfully meeting its mission and strategic goals. The position will develop an individual development plan (IDP) and receive recurring progress reviews by the supervisor. The position serves as a Health System Specialist (GHATP Trainee) within a one year formalized national training program (June to June). The GHATP training program is designed so that the position acquires the knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies necessary to assume progressively more complex responsibilities and assist the Office of the Medical Center Associate Director in successfully meeting its mission and strategic goals. The position will develop an individual development plan (IDP) and receive recurring progress reviews by the supervisor.

Duties to include, but are not limited to:

• Utilize data and reporting tools to develop health-planning strategies impacting the operations of medical centers, network offices, and/or VHACO program offices.
• Analyze data trends in budget and fiscal operations supporting the preparation and execution of budget and committee meetings.
• Research laws, regulations, and policies related to budget and fiscal management displaying knowledge of VA health care system operations.
• Participate on project teams in lead or support roles identifying and improving operational processes impacting services of the VA health care system.
• Display knowledge of VA priorities and mission statements to recommend improvements to policy and procedures related to budget and administrative operations.
• Observe, analyze, and report under professional service direction the areas of discipline, rewards and recognition, reassignment, staff adjustments and realignments, labor/management relationships, affirmative employment, and alternative dispute resolutions and grievances to understand processes for conducting projects and studies.
• Perform rotations and on-site visits to make recommendations to the issues and opportunities present at the Network and other VA/VHA facilities and program offices.
• Analyze org charts, policies, VERA and SAIL data to represent the facility/Network, and program office priorities during resource allocation committee meetings.
• Participate in disaster preparedness and emergency management planning meetings to evaluate efficiency and effectiveness of policies and procedures.
• Attend facility/Network/and VHACO program office strategic and succession planning meetings to observe techniques and methodologies in VHA personnel management.
• Gather organizational data from reports and TRIP packs in preparation for media and community events either separately or in conjunction with the Public Affairs Office.

Work Schedule: 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Friday
Telework: AD-HOC
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Health Systems Specialist - Graduate Healthcare Administrative Training Program (GHATP)/PDS0001A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Salary : $68,013