Health System Specialist

Summary

The incumbent performs a variety of senior level analytical, planning, evaluative, and advisory work which often serves as precedents for others. This includes targeted and broad analyses of medical adverse event and close call data contained in large health care datasets; patient safety program consulting services with VA field facilities and workgroups to provide guidance and strategy; consultation and support for the ongoing operation of VA-DoD Joint Patient Safety Reporting System (JPSR).

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Duties

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• Independently and in collaboration with others, designs and conducts comprehensive management studies where the boundaries of the studies are extremely broad and difficult to determine in advance.
• Reviews and reconciles large amounts of data. Applies analytical and evaluative methods and techniques to issues or studies concerning the efficiency and effectiveness of patient safety program operations carried out by clinical and non-clinical personnel or substantive administrative support functions.
• Interprets findings resulting from studies that are independently developed. Completes analyses of data and identifies programmatically significant findings.
• Develops, drafts, coordinates, and/or prepares reports, briefing materials, white papers, and other correspondence for NCPS leadership to aid in discussions and communications with top level officials within VHA, and externally with DoD and FDA.
• Represents NCPS at meetings with personnel of other VHA program offices, VISN and field facilities; and with external agencies and groups. Presents information and takes positions which are consistent with VA policies and organizational philosophy.
• Assists in monitoring and analyzing changes in mission, goals, new legislation, regulations, policies, procedures, and technological advances to assess the impact of these changes on work methods/procedures and participates in the development of new systems and approaches which will address these changes.
• Reviews incoming management and program operations data, written material, policy recommendations, and other information, and analyzes the content to review or refine the recommendation or text, and/or develop and propose alternative or new recommended course(s) of action, as appropriate. The subject matter will encompass a full range of healthcare delivery and administrative issues.
• Delivers and/or assists with the development, preparation, and delivery of key presentations and publications relative to sharing best practices and highlighting programs for those internal and external to VHA.
• Organizes and applies information tools for use in operations, training, and education. Such tools include digital video, still images, cognitive aids (posters-booklets), and clinical simulation of patient safety situations. Organization of those tools can result in new tools, training materials (e.g., PowerPoint, computer-based training modules), or new compilations of RCA information (e.g., hazard summaries de-identified).

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm

Telework: This position may be authorized for ad hoc telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Ad hoc is defined as occasional, non-recurring telework.

Virtual: This position may be authorized for Virtual Work. Virtual Work eligibility is for current VA employees that are already subject to the return to the in-person work mandate in their current position.

Definition of Virtual Work: Employee works outside of original hiring duty station at a VA-owned or leased space.

Return to Office (RTO): RTO mandates are in effect and selectees will be required to report to in-person work unless they are approved for an exception or an exemption. Any approval for an RTO exception, exemption, or extension will happen after a tentative job offer, but before a final job offer.

Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist / PD02894A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• 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.
• 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 ( 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.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/27/2026.

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-13 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-12. 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.

You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-12 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

• Collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to plan, develop, monitor, manage, and evaluate fall prevention and management strategies, requirements, and programs to identify impact and any needed change in program goals, directions, evidence base, and priorities.
• Reviewing, interpreting, and reconciling fall event data and applies analytical and evaluative methods and techniques to determine efficiency, effectiveness, and needed strategic shifts of fall prevention and management operations.
• Developing, coordinating, and delivering fall prevention and management reports and briefs materials, presentations, and/or publications to key stakeholders.

AND

The Individual Occupational Requirement: For the 0671 Occupational Series you must have

• 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.

OR

• 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.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

Education

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: 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:

Additional information

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.