Program Specialist (Supervisory)

Job Title

The position serves as the facility's technical authority for inpatient administrative operations, develops and implements administrative procedures, ensures compliance with applicable policies and regulations, and coordinates with clinical and administrative stakeholders to support efficient patient flow and high-quality administrative service delivery.

Major Duties and Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Operations Policy & Process Control: Interpret and implement VHA/Facility directives affecting inpatient administrative operations (admissions, eligibility, transfers, discharges, consents, privacy/confidentiality, records scanning, scheduling, and contingency workflows).
• Data Quality & Analytics: Build and maintain routine analytical products (monthly/quarterly dashboards; ad hoc analyses) using local/VISN/national data sources (e.g., VSSC, CPRS, VistA, and unit-specific clinical/administrative databases).
• Systems & Access Governance: Coordinate with IS/IRM and clinical services to ensure appropriate menu options, templates, and user roles in VistA/CPRS align with assigned duties (principle of least privilege).
• Compliance, Privacy & Information Management: Serve as the technical point for privacy, confidentiality, and information security requirements as they apply to inpatient administrative operations (e.g., patient data handling, scanning/record integrity, access controls, chain of custody for records).
• Contingency & Emergency Administrative Operations: Maintain and test downtime procedures for inpatient administrative workflows (admission/discharge, order filing, records, and scheduling) to ensure continuity during network, CPRS, or VistA outages.
• Cross-Service Technical Coordination: Represent inpatient administrative operations in facility/service meetings and interdisciplinary workgroups as the technical owner for process and data issues (not as rating official).
• Supervisory Duties: The incumbent serves as a second-line supervisor for the inpatient administrative program and exercises supervisory authority only over Hybrid Title 38 personnel within Inpatient Medical Support Services.
• Supervision of GS Supervisory Medical Support Assistants: The incumbent provides line supervision to the GS-8 Supervisory Medical Support Assistants (SMSAs), who serve as the first-line supervisors for inpatient administrative staff across all inpatient units and divisions.
• Administrative Oversight of Hybrid Title 38 Personnel: The incumbent provides administrative supervision only to Hybrid Title 38 staff assigned to inpatient administrative roles.
• Personnel and Workforce Management: The inpatient administrative workforce consists entirely of Hybrid Title 38 personnel.
• Program-Level Staffing Oversight: The incumbent ensures that inpatient administrative units remain adequately staffed to meet operational requirements.
• Labor & Employee Relations: The incumbent participates in labor-management and employee-relations activities for Hybrid Title 38 inpatient administrative personnel within the limits of administrative supervisory authority.
• Supervisory Oversight Across Multiple Divisions: Supervision is exercised over inpatient administrative personnel located across multiple VAPAHCS divisions, including Palo Alto, Menlo Park, and Livermore, as well as programs such as the Emergency Department, Operating Room, Outpatient Surgery, mental health programs, rehabilitation services, Polytrauma, Spinal Cord Injury, and the Western Blind Rehabilitation Center.
• Program Representation and Coordination: In the capacity of second-line supervisor and program lead, the incumbent works collaboratively with Nurse Managers, section chiefs, and service leadership to coordinate administrative operations across clinical units.
• Other Duties as assigned.

Preferred Experience:

• 5+ years of demonstrated leadership/managerial experience.
• Demonstrated ability to manage a diverse workforce responsible for inpatient hospital functions across multiple facilities and services that are responsible for the intake of patients, insurance verification, and customer service and performance reporting.
• Skill in managing and directing the work of others to accomplish program goals and objectives.
• Demonstrated proficiency in navigating and managing Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems, such as Epic or Cerner, along with workforce management software and common software programs (i.e., Microsoft Office Suite, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, etc.) and other electronic data and documentation programs.

Work Schedule: M-F 7:30 am - 4:00 pm or as determined by the supervisor.

Compressed/Flexible: This may be authorized at the supervisor's discretion.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist (Supervisory)/ PD03393O

US Department of Veterans Affairs