Health System Specialist (Associate Group Practice Manager )

This position reports to the Ambulatory Care Operations Director (ACOD) / Group Practice Manager (GPM). The primary purpose of the position is to provide assistance and support to the ACOD/GPM and to all ambulatory care services in the facility and related Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) as it relates to access to care as applicable.

Duties included but not limited to:

Provides access related consultative services, working in collaboration with facility Service Lines, to review and develop guidance and policies that will facilitate standardized processes within the facility and applicable CBOCs, etc.

May be called upon to collaborate with staff from other facilities and to work on higher level project groups to review and make recommendations for facility and/or VISN level policies, procedures, systems, requirements, documents, and business or access analysis initiatives.

Reviews and evaluates assigned processes and procedures to determine areas of effectiveness, efficiency, and improvement for proposal through local GPM group and supervisor.

Supports the local clinic management system based on national requirements. Proposes improvements to supervisor regarding national training curriculum for onboarding and sustainment activities.

Maintains knowledge of CPM training materials and supports fulfillment of action plans to meet CPM training requirements.

Works with Veteran Experience Officers within the local facility to evaluate patient and family concerns regarding the access to services needed.

Provides accurate data to ensure that processes and procedures developed are appropriately supported.

Assists in the evaluation of outpatient care patient feedback for access and quality measures at the facility. Utilizes an analytics system for the collection and analysis of outpatient care patient feedback for access and quality measures.

Evaluates and recommends changes for continuous process improvement. Promotes consistent communication plans with clinic teams relating to the plan of action in accordance with the Veterans experience data. Incumbent utilizes advanced principles and strategies for access improvement to review and provide recommendations to Clinical Leads (CLs), including identifying strategies to reduce backlog.

Monitors existing or emerging workflow issues; monitors consult management issues and provide guidance to CLs and Administrative Leads (ALs) when required. Monitors Information Technology (IT) usage and issues and provide information or assistance to CLs as needed.

Works with local personnel to integrate data analytics and measures with continuous process improvement utilizing LEAN, Six Sigma, and other improvement methodologies. Provides administrative program advice for ambulatory care clinical support services.

This may include interpreting policies, making recommendations for local policies, assisting managers in defining administrative requirements, and/or providing advice to higher level leadership on related issues. Evaluates and monitors administrative activities and make substantive recommendations for program improvements.

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Work Schedule: 7:45am to 4:30pm
Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist (Associate Group Practice Manager )/PDS0021A, PDS0022A, and PD60435A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 06/22/2026.

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. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09 . 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.

GS-09 Specialized Experience and/or Education Requirements

• You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-7 level in the Federal service that has equipped me with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this Health System Specialist position, 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.
• Successfully completed a master's or equivalent graduate degree or successfully completed two (2) full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree with major study in hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials.
• You must have an equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate level education (beyond the first year) and specialized experience as described above, to meet the total experience requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses with a major study in hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as course work in health care administration. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials.

GS-11 Specialized Experience and/or Education Requirements

• You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 level in the Federal service that is typically in or related to the work of this Health System Specialist position. 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. At this level, applicants would have obtained this experience working within a health care setting, working directly with clinicians and other administrators to solve problems in support of the delivery of patient care; and experience running an administrative component of a health care credentialing and privileging program.
• Successfully completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR three (3) full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree with major study in hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials.
• You must have an equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate level (beyond a master's degree) and specialized experience as described above to meet total experience requirements. The education portion must include graduate courses with a major study in hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as course work in health care administration. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials.

Specialized Experience GS-12:

• You must have at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-11) in the Federal Service, that is directly related to the work of the position and has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties as a Health System Specialist. 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. At this level, applicants would have obtained this experience working within a health care setting, working directly with clinicians and local leadership to solve problems in support of the delivery of patient care; applying organizational and system-wide strategies for continuous quality improvement; and experience running and supervising an administrative component of a health care credentialing and privileging program.

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

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

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.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• 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.