Summary The VA National Center for Patient Safety (NCPS) develops, leads, and oversees activities and programs concerned with improving patient safety throughout the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). This position works to manage, coordinate, and analyze VA/DoD Joint Patient Safety Reporting System (JPSR) project in coordination with, and on behalf of Chief Safety and Risk Awareness Officer/NCPS Director and DoD's Defense Health Agency (DHA). Responsibilities Major duties and responsibilities include: Performs data analysis, data mining, reporting, and program evaluation in all areas of patient safety, particularly analysis of all aspects of Root Cause Analysis (RCA) reports submitted on adverse events. Conducts searches in safety event reporting database using approved NCPS search tools. Devises and implements ways to clearly communicate NCPS program and project information with internal and external stakeholders. Prepares and delivers complex briefings, reports, program, and project updates for executive leadership. Produces analytic reports and studies for internal and external stakeholders, including VISN and field patient safety professionals, and oversight bodies. Coordinates and consults with other VHA program offices, VISN, and field staff to initiate, develop, and execute projects in support of development of data needs. Reviews and interprets regulations, directives, and memoranda for currency and applicability to NCPS programmatic functions and advises leadership of potential impact. Monitors internal VHA and external sources for information that could potentially impact patient safety. Researches, designs, and assists in the preparation, presentation, and implementation of new methods, procedures, and projects, to improve efficiency and effectiveness of the program office. Participates in the design and development of national tools and knowledge products, including surveys, databases, reports, and database applications. Knowledge of methodologies related to analyses of healthcare data measuring such concepts as quality, safety, and error reduction models. Ability to effectively communicate in writing with professional, administrative and technical staff at all levels in order to persuade and influence clinical and management decisions. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM Telework: No Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist/PD6256-0 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, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/26/2025. 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 and/or education as described below: Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR): The 0671 Occupational series has an IOR that must be met: 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- 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. In addition to the IOR, candidates must also meet the following specialized experience for the grade level. GS-13 Specialized Experience: You must have one (1) 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: Performs data analysis, data mining, reporting, and program evaluation in all areas of patient safety. Devises and implements ways to clearly communicate NCPS program and project information with internal and external stakeholders. Prepares and delivers complex briefings, reports, program, and project updates for executive leadership. Coordinates and consults with other VHA program offices, VISN, and field staff to initiate, develop, and execute projects in support of development of data needs. Participates in the design and development of national tools and knowledge products, including surveys, databases, reports, and database applications. Selective Placement Factors: Knowledge of the Joint Patient Safety Reporting (JPSR) system and patient safety analysis techniques (methods), including Root Cause Analysis. Ability and skill to search and/or analyze large healthcare databases. 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: The work is primarily sedentary, but occasionally involves walking, bending, climbing stairs. The work also involves coping with complex, persistent demands from a variety of sources that can be regarded as a high-pressure work situation. 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 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: 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. 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. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/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 http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.