Health System Specialist

Summary

The position is located in Geriatrics and Extended Care Service at the Spark M. Matsunaga VA Medical Center - Honolulu, HI, VA Pacific Islands Health Care System (VAPIHCS). The purpose of the position is to assess the productivity, effectiveness and efficiency of the medical facility healthcare program activities and operations.

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Duties

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Duties include but are not limited to:

• Plans and conducts a variety of broad and complex analytical and evaluative studies of a wide range of medical facility health care delivery services such as organizational structures and management systems for the administrative services in the health care delivery system; human resources, space, equipment and financial resources; medical records administration; and medical facility housekeeping.
• Considers current medical facility practices regarding the integration of internal administrative and clinical policies to the standards and requirements of various regulatory and accrediting bodies, and to the impact of internal policies on outside entities such as other area hospitals and the community at large.
• Prepares study reports and findings that include substantive and innovative recommendations to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity of the medical facility health care program.
• Makes formal presentations to medical management officials to propose major modifications and improvements regarding the facility organization structure and functions; health care services; a variety of administrative support services; the establishment of an atmosphere conducive to the accomplishment of the basic medical facility mission; and the promotion of good relations with a variety of groups and individuals including patients and staff, as well as representatives of other medical facilities, and community organizations.
• Identifies and participates in resolving the full range of management problems, and assists in the development of proposed management programs on a service, inter-service, medical center, or VISN wide basis.
• Conducts management studies in organizational entities with critical problems; conducts and integrates cyclical management studies and conducts studies with Systematic Internal Reviews and Management Briefings. The incumbent analyzes, evaluates, and formulates recommendations that result in greater efficiency and economy of operations. Conducts studies that analyze problems of workload, work distribution, workflow, and work controls. The incumbent also performs studies that analyze overtime usage, essentiality of work, organizational structure, and staffing requirements.
• Conducts and documents Local Management Reviews, in accordance with the requirements defined in VHA Handbook 1730.2. These quarterly reviews will include an analysis of quarterly financial audits, which cover human resources management requirements; review of fiscal audits; internal reports; external reports; internal control procedures; unannounced agent cashier audits; review of service level policy memorandums; and training by local management.
• Other duties as assigned.

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: Full-Time; Monday-Friday, 7:30am to 4:00pm

Telework: Not Authorized

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist/ PD03229A, 03228A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• 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 dentification 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, 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, 10/05/2026.

Time-In-Grade Requirement : Applicants must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. 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.

• For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09.
• For a GS-12 position you much have served 52 weeks at the GS-11.

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.

Individual Occupational Requirements:

• 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 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.
• 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.

HSS-GS-11:

• Specialized Experience: You must have at least one full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level GS-09 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: Missions, organizations, programs, and requirements of health care delivery systems; regulations and standards of various regulatory and credentialing groups; government-wide, agency, and facility systems and requirements in various administrative areas such as budget, personnel, and procurement. ~OR

• Education: Successfully completed a Ph.D., equivalent doctoral degree, 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, Or LL.M in the related field of the position to be filled (i.e., hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration). The education portion must include courses that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. Education must have been obtained in an accredited college, or university. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application materials to receive credit. ~OR
• Combination: Combinations of successfully completed graduate level education (beyond a master's degree) and specialized experience as described above to meet total experience 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 business or public administration with course work in health care administration).

NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted with your application to receive credit. Experience must be clearly indicated in your resume.

HSS-GS-12:

• Specialized Experience: 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 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 an administrative component of a health care program.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Administration and Management
• Communications
• Compliance
• Organizational Performance Analysis

Physical Requirements/Working Conditions: The work is primarily sedentary. Work is performed in an office setting with no unusual risks or precautions.

Education

There is no educational substitution at the GS-12 Level. Transcripts must be submitted if using education to qualify for the GS-11 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

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

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

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.

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.