Health System Specialist

The Cincinnati VA Medical Center is seeking a Health System Specialist to serve as the Associate Group Practice Manager (GPM) for Medical Service/Specialty Care. The primary function of this position is to provide oversight, recommendations, and administrative data management related to access to care. The AGPM measures and assesses business activities with an emphasis on improving both ambulatory and acute clinical performance in Medical Service.

The primary purpose of the Health System Specialist - Associate GPM for Medicine is to support health care management officials by analyzing, evaluating, advising on, and coordinating specialty care health care delivery systems and operations. The incumbent provides guidance on operational policies and ensures these policies are aligned with and supportive of field operations.

• 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.
• Review and provide input on regulations and policies for local interpretation, utilizing local group practice management and communication strategies.
• Works as part of an inhouse team to ensure a wide range of local factors are considered in the application of national policies and procedures. 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. Reports to supervisor and access leadership in the facility, as assigned. incorporates best practices to help improve patient access to care and that standards are met within assigned services.
• Promotes established system-wide training plans to optimize local use.
• Works with Veteran Experience Officers within the local facility to evaluate patient and family concerns regarding the access to services needed. Aligns efforts with national and local requirements.
• Assists supervisor in coordinating efforts to ensure patient concerns are received, evaluated, and addressed in a timely and effective manner by the appropriate subject matter experts.
• 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. Collaborates with the Veterans Experience, clinic management, scheduling, and analytic groups.
• 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 to meet and sustain ambulatory care goals and objectives.
• Collects and analyzes/reports trended data sets; makes recommendations to assist in the allocation of resources.
• Assists clinic managers in forecasting the impact of staff changes and developing countermeasures to mitigate the effect of staff shortages on access to care.
• 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
• Acts as a liaison or point person for communications with persons and/or groups internal or external to the facility, representing Group Practice Management on clinical access issues.
• Promotes effective communication and optimal information flow within the clinics.

Major study -- hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration.

OR,

Progressively responsible analytical or administrative, or clinical management or supervisory experience, equivalent to at least the next lower level, GS-11, 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.

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

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:
  • Ability to investigate complex issues, analyze problems, and present both written and oral recommendations taking into full consideration the wide range of factors and requirements which affect the management of the healthcare delivery system.
  • Applies qualitative and quantitative techniques in order to perform thorough management analysis of current and projected programs.
  • Conducts analytical studies on particular operational processes, issue topics, or related special projects. Studies and projects addressed are commonly so diverse and intense that they often require input and assistance from departmental or program offices. These studies require study planning, statistical measurement, data analysis, and report preparation and development.
  • Monitors and manages incoming actions and requests from initial receipt to completion and closeout.
  • Receives and monitors completed actions or responses; analyzes responses for completeness and accuracy against known policies and procedures; and ensures action or inquiry is closed out with the inquirer or office.
  • Applies technical, organizational and project management skills, develops dashboards, creates simple forms, and manages multiple projects to completion.

• 1 year of demonstrated experience in a group or clinic practice management.
• Experience in clinical data analysis and performance reporting.
• Lean Yellow Belt certification or higher.
• Experience with clinic access, scheduling, and capacity management.
• Experience with leading or supporting process improvement initiatives.
• Experience developing and monitoring operational performance metrics
• Experience working with interdisciplinary clinical and administrative teams.
• Experience interpreting and applying healthcare policies and procedures.

• 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)

• 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.