Summary This position is a Detail (NTE 120 days) as the Service Chief for the Office of Veteran Experience and Employee Engagement (OVEEE) under the Assistant Medical Center Director. The office aligns the functions of patient advocacy, patient centered care activities, enhanced communication with Veterans through the promotion of My Health-eVet, and the Integrated/CREW initiatives. The OVEEE is charged with assessing and improving the Veteran Patient Experience. Responsibilities The major duties of this position include but are not limited to: Manages all aspects of the Office of Veteran Experience and Employee Engagement. The office aligns the functions of patient advocacy, Patient Centered Care programming, and enhanced communication with Veterans through the promotion of My Health-e-Vet. As such, must ensure that the aspects function in a supportive, cohesive manner. Oversees the work of the Patient Advocates, providing support on difficult situations. Identifies the elements of clinical or administrative practice which contribute to or create an atmosphere for patient dissatisfaction, and recommends to the Medical Center Director and/or Veteran Centered Care Committee changes which will reduce or eliminate justified complaints. Reviews data with team members and other medical center leadership to determine system and process changes needed to make proactive systems. Produces on a regular basis, a cumulative monthly report which will include a categorization of patient inquiries in order to track and trend the patterns, and to identify opportunities for improvement of care. Prepares and projects short and long-range planning efforts for implementation of Patient Centered Care. Develops and provides in-service education as necessary to bring awareness to the hospital staff of the patient's perceptions of the facility experience in order to enhance staff understanding and attitude. This position will ensure that the staff in the OVEEE: - Resolves patient complaints timely - Documents contacts for tracking and trending purposes - Responds timely to Congressional and patient written inquiries - Coordinates the implementation of Patient Centered Care through committee, work team and other avenues - Promote electronic communication between staff and Veterans through My Health-e-Vet - Oversees/coordinates the activities surrounding Integrated Ethics - Oversees/coordinates the activities surrounding the CREW (Civility, Respect and Engagement in the Workplace) Initiative Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00AM - 4:30PM Telework: Ad-Hoc. VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist - Detail NTE 120 - Chief, Office of Veteran Experience/PD045880 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): 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, 12/26/2024. 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-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: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-13 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Knowledge and skill of an expert analyst who have mastered applying a wide range of qualitative and analytical and evaluative methods and techniques to issues or studies concerning the efficiency and effectiveness of program operations; requires comprehensive knowledge of pertinent laws, regulations, policies and precedent which affect the operation and administration of the Veterans Centered Care program and related support resources; knowledge of the major issues, program goals and objectives, work processes and administrative operations of the entire organization; knowledge and skill in adapting analytical techniques and evaluation criteria to the measurement and improvement of program effectiveness and organizational productivity; skill in conducting detailed analyses of complex functions and work processes; and interpersonal skills in presenting staffing recommendations and negotiating solutions to disputed recommendations. Knowledge of management principles, organizational theory, and techniques of analysis and evaluation, along with knowledge of standardized administrative practices and procedures to conduct studies to identify, analyze, and recommend solutions to problems in a variety of subject areas. Knowledge of administrative regulations and operating procedures plus skill in applying fact-finding and investigative techniques to gather information necessary to support the task. Knowledge is applied to plan and conduct comprehensive studies and projects to assist in evaluating and recommending ways to solve problems; and improve efficient and effective work operations to meet the goals and objectives of the facility, and to meet the needs of veterans. Knowledge and skills are necessary to properly relay findings, make recommendations, and develop proposals to management, which may require negotiation skills to persuade management to accept and implement recommendations from findings. Knowledge of customer service standards and directives governing medical benefits for Veterans, medical terminology, and services available. Skill in oral and written communication as well as interpersonal relations. Skill in interviewing; knowledge of counseling principles and record keeping techniques. Skill with tact, good judgment, empathy, flexibility, and the ability to work with diverse group of individuals. Able to develop and conduct satisfaction surveys. Able to collect and analyze data relating to customer services, identify system problems relating to customer service standards, and possess the knowledge, skills and abilities to work with medical center personnel to improve the culture and delivery of Veteran Centered Care. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Administration and Management Analysis and Problem Solving Change Management Education and Training Project Management 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, although some slight physical effort may be required. Included are walking, standing, bending, carrying of light items. In some instances, relationships with staff, management and stakeholders can become intense and the employee may be placed in a position of stress. This position demands emotional stability as the Patient Advocate is deeply involved with many seriously ill, dying patients and their families. 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. 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. VA Healthcare System Serving Ohio, Indiana and Michigan (VISN 10) advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being. 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.