Health System Specialist (C&P)

The Tennessee Valley Healthcare System is looking for an Health System Specialist and is assigned to the Medical Staff Office, which is under the Chief of Staff at a VA Medical Center (VAMC) and is responsible for conducting analytical reviews, managing and tracking data, and serving as an advisor to VAMC leadership on key processes related to the Credentialing and Privileging (C&P) program of the VAMC. This position is supervised by the C&P Manager.

The Health System Specialist -Credentialing and Privileging Specialist is assigned to the Medical Staff Office, which is under the Chief of Staff at a VA Medical Center (VAMC) and is responsible for providing administrative and technical direction and support to the credentialing and privileging (C&P) operations. The C&P Specialist is aligned to and supervised by the C&P Manager. The incumbent ensures compliance with VHA policies, directives, memos and notices of The Joint Commission (TJC) standards, recommendations by the Office of Inspector General (OIG) and Government Accountability Office (GAO) and other internal or external auditors and reviewers as appropriate. The incumbent is responsible for
collecting relevant data and making informed decisions to ensure qualified health care professionals are providing appropriate care in appropriate settings.

Major duties include, but are not limited to:

• Implementing, maintenance, and updating of Focused Professional Practice Evaluations (FPPE) and Ongoing Professional Practice Evaluations (OPPE) monitoring systems in support of all divisions of the VAMC.
• Working collaboratively with VAMC leadership, healthcare providers, the C&P administrative specialists, and other administrative teams in managing the FPPE and the OPPE for the C&P Program.
• Analyzing clinical evaluation plans to assure that they meet standards and are thorough and appropriate to measure and document the clinical competence of the Licensed Independent Practitioner (LIP).
• Gathering, analyzing, documenting and tracking program data from beginning to end ensuring program compliance.
• Lead consultant for the VAMC Report Card data related to the C&P Program.
• Identifying issues and recommends corrective actions to supervisor, VAMC leaders, or administrative support personnel as appropriate.
• Ensuring initiation, completion and compliance of FPPE and OPPE clinical evaluations to include providing guidance and assistance in accordance with all requirements and standards.
• Reviewing and completing quarterly reports required by VA Central Office.
• Managing special projects for new program initiatives and requirements and for process improvements and changes.
• Providing technical guidance and supports program leadership by conducting and analyzing healthcare provider industry studies.
• Performs other duties within the C&P program as assigned.

Work Schedule: 7:30am - 4:00pm, Monday - Friday
Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. AD-HOC
Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist (C&P)/PD99876A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.205) for this occupation.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 06/16/2026.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: This occupation also has Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR). An IOR is a basic requirement that must be met in order to qualify for entry into this job series, and it is something that can't be waived. The education must be accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. To qualify for this occupational series, applicants MUST have one of the following listed below.

Individual Occupational Requirements

Education

Undergraduate and Graduate Education: 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

Experience

Progressively responsible analytical or administrative, or clinical management or supervisory experience in the healthcare 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.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

To qualify for this position at the GS-9 level, you must meet one of the following:

Specialized Experience: You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience, equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-7) in Federal Service, that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of a Health System Specialist - Credentialing and Privileging, and includes performing duties associated with healthcare credentialing and privileging. 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: (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.

~OR~

Education: Successful completion of a master's or equivalent graduate degree, successfully completed two (2) full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, LL.B or J.D. if related. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position (i.e., hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration). NOTE: Copies of transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.

~OR~

Combination: Combinations of successfully completed graduate level education (beyond the first year) and specialized experience, as described above, to meet the total requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do to the work of this position (i.e. hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as course work in health care administration).

Preferred Experience: Two years' of experience in Credentialing

Physical Requirements and Work Environment: 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. The work is performed in an office setting which require normal safety precautions typical for offices and meeting rooms. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated.

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/.

A transcript must be submitted 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/.

• 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.
• 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. The work is performed in an office setting which require normal safety precautions typical for offices and meeting rooms. The work area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated.
• 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 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 period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.