Summary This position is in the Business Development Office, within the Director's Office, at the Jesse Brown VAMC Chicago, IL,. The purpose of the position is to serve as a Health Systems Specialist (HSS) providing advisory services to the Business Development Office and top-level management on the most complex management and patient care concerns of the hospital, primarily concerning the medical center's strategic initiative to grow unique patients and to recruit new patients within the assigned area. Responsibilities 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. Duties at the Development Level: The incumbent serves in a developmental capacity at the GS-11 grade level. Key functions will be similar to those described at the full performance level of the target position. However, during the developmental assignment, full performance range and level of selected functions will not be completely delegated to the employee until proper orientation and training have been completed and the incumbent has demonstrated the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to accomplish the work at the full performance level. Duties at the Full Performance Level GS 12: Duties include the following: Marketing and Outreach: -Works with a variety of data sources and targets those areas within the designated segment where large segments of veterans who are eligible for VA care but not enrolled reside. -Utilizes data-based resources to devise a comprehensive marketing strategy designed to outreach to these Veterans. -Establishes working relationships with external stakeholders, e.g., Veteran's Service Officers, Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs, Vet Centers, political offices, Chicago Police Department, Cook County Sheriff's Department, Chicago Department of Public Health, local healthcare providers, and other community-based organizations -Develops and maintains internal relationships with executive and clinical leadership within the medical center to review, update and execute the strategic plan for market growth. -Directs the work of the medical center's Outreach staff. -Deploys the Outreach staff throughout the designated segment to engage veterans at various sponsored events in the community. -Creates and hosts outreach events at the medical center, CBOC's and throughout the community. -Develops a detailed marketing and outreach plan based on quantitative and qualitative information gathered from internal and external sources. -Refines or develops guidelines for marketing and outreach methods. -Represents the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center and its CBOC's to a broad and diverse range of officials, groups, and individuals such as federal, state, and local elected officials and their staff; Veteran Service Organizations and their members, local civic organizations -Works with colleagues within the Office of Business Development to create and build a Jesse Brown V Medical Center brand. -Develops and distributes outreach materials to include brochures, fact sheets, web content, and other targeted information which highlights the Medical Center services and locations. -Provides training and information to VA staff, other federal agencies, and community agencies and healthcare providers regarding Jesse Brown VAMC services. -Coordinates events hosted by officials and coordinates all steps required within an event management process, including facilitating selection of the event time and location, program agenda, management of contracts, and other logistical items. Clinical Liaison: -Acts to resolve problems, expedite services, or implement necessary corrective measures within established policies and where appropriate. -Responsible for the resolution of problems which rise for unique or returning patients. -Identifies existing and potential problem areas and suggests solutions or alternatives to existing procedures which contribute to these problems. -Works with medical center and CBOC clinical staff to ensure that new and returning patients are properly dispositioned according to VA customer service standards. -Assists patients, their families and representatives, and facility staff members in recognizing and removing institutional barriers to access VA Medical Center services. Administrative Functions: -Functions as a team member of the Business Development Office (BDO). -Works collaboratively with BDO colleagues in advancing its mission. -Organizes administrative, staff, clinical and in-service meetings with regard to marketing and outreach strategy at the medical center and CBOC's. -Participates in BDO staff meetings. -Serves on relevant medical center committees as assigned by supervisor. -Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am -4:30pm Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual/remote position. Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist/PD22052A and PD24267A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized Requirements 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 You may be required to serve a probationary period Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications To qualify for this position, facility applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement, 11/13/2024. 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-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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Basic - Individual Occupational Requirement: A. Education: I possess a bachelor's or graduate level degree in a major field of study such as hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. OR B. Specialize Experience For positions above GS-05: I possess 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. OR C. 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:1)Assignments providing a knowledge of basic health system administration philosophies, practices, and procedures, and basic government administrative policies and requirements;2)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 3) Oversight by an experienced health system administrator with periodic evaluation of the individual's progress and appropriate adjustment of the training program. In addition to the Individual Occupational Requirement above, the following is the experience and/or educational requirement to qualify at the GS-11 or GS-12 grade level in this occupation. Specialized Experience GS-11: Applicants must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-9) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: planning and carrying out assignments or projects and resolve problems or deviations in the work according to instructions, policies, previous training, or accepted practices; the supervisor evaluates completed work primarily for technical soundness, responsiveness, appropriateness, and conformance to policy and program requirements, and secondarily for methods or techniques used. --OR-- Combination Education and Experience GS-11: Equivalent combinations 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 that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do to the work of this position. NOTE: Only education in excess of 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education may be used to qualify at the grade 11 level. TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED. Specialized Experience GS-12: Applicants must have one (1) 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: experience in positions that required in knowledge of healthcare administration, continuous quality improvement, data analysis, healthcare principles, theories and practices, strategic planning, and marketing; experience with comprehensive marketing and advertising, data collection and database management; skill in applying advanced qualitative and quantitative techniques to perform thorough management analysis; extensive knowledge related to the policies and management practices of a Healthcare Delivery System; experience in the application and use of statistics and business analysis to develop, conduct, and analyze surveys, evaluations, demographic studies, and programs; knowledge of community outreach and referral procedures; and knowledge of oral and written techniques sufficient to develop and present formal briefings, outreach materials, statistical data, reports, and present to large and diverse groups of government, civic, and community-based constituencies. Preferred Experience in sales and market growth but not required. There is no educational substitution for the GS-12 grade level. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Administration and Management Creative Thinking Planning and Evaluating Strategic Thinking Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: Work is usually performed both in an office setting and outside the medical center, in the community as involvement with outreach efforts requires. A high level of physical energy is required, as the incumbent will be expected to meet with many people in many different locations in the course of a workday; however, no special physical demands are involved in performing the work. Work Environment: assigned workspace at the medical center with adequate lighting, heat, and ventilation, however, it is expected that a major portion of the services provided will be conducted away from the office, in the office and in the community. 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/. Education Substitution of Education for Experience GS-11: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree, obtained in an accredited college or university, or LL.M., if related, may be substituted for specialized experience to qualify for this grade 11, Health Systems Specialist position. Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent one (1) year of full-time study If that number cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours will be considered an academic year of graduate study. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. NOTE: TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED. There is no educational substitution for the GS-12 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/. Additional Information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. 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.