Summary You will serve as the Health System Specialist (High Reliability Organization Coordinator) for Jonathan M. Wainwright Memorial Health Care System (HCS) located in Walla Walla, Washington. To which includes Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC) at Richland-WA, Yakima-WA, Lewiston-ID, and La Grande-OR, with the intent of developing an infrastructure for cultural change as the Veterans Health Administration advances along the journey to full implementation of High Reliability. Responsibilities THE CLOSING DATE FOR THIS ANNOUNCEMENT WAS EXTENDED UNTIL 07/29/2024. IF YOU PREVIOUSLY APPLIED, YOU DO NOT NEED TO REAPPLY; HOWEVER, YOU MAY UPDATE YOUR APPLICATION PACKET DURING THIS TIME. The position is responsible for delivering Performance Improvement techniques to a broad array of program and services throughout the Medical Center, including Clinical Team Training (CTT) Lean, Six Sigma, Coaching, Project Management, and Training. Duties include but are not limited to the following: Participates in and facilitates transformative quality, safety, effectiveness, and efficiency improvement efforts. Acts as the project lead for healthcare and operational HRO improvement projects impacting patient care delivery systems and functions throughout the medical center. Facilitates, coaches, and trains audiences at all levels of the organizations throughout the lifecycle of a Clinical Team Training performance improvement project Conducts studies and special projects to implement health care delivery programs and improve the efficiency and reliability throughout the organization. Interfaces with staff the QSV and hospital leadership to evaluate and incorporate best practices to improve patient care and ensure that standards set are met at VAWW. Responsible for the oversight of the use and management of data for the HCS, including collection, reporting and analysis in support of its high reliability journey. Identification of information needs required to manage the critical aspects of clinical operations, design and develop informatics and analytic studies and reports, and to implement data collection processes and systems to meet the ongoing needs of the organization. Develops technical guidance and standards for use within the program office for processes where no established criteria exist and where improvement is needed. Prepares and delivers written and verbal review of findings and recommendations to HCS, VISN, and VHACO leadership to determine applicable requirements and feasible problem resolution. Provides leadership, direction and control of the implementation of HRO activities across the HCS, including developing appropriate controls to assure standardization in use of evidence-based processes and guidance. Provides detailed reports to senior leadership on the schedule, measures, and key change management components. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday; 8:00am-4:00pm Telework: Ad-hoc only authorized. 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 (High Reliability Organization Coordinator)/PD80382O 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. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required. 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. General restriction on movement after competitive appointment 5 CFR 330.502. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement, 07/29/2024. 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 within 30 days of closing date of this announcement. 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. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-09. 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 Requirement (IOR): An IOR is a basic requirement that must be met in order to qualify for the 0671 occupational series. All applicants, regardless of grade level must meet minimum education requirements or specialized experience. For this occupation, the education must be accredited by an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education at the time the degree was obtained. To qualify for this occupational series, applicants MUST have one of the following listed below: Possess a bachelors or graduate/higher level degree with a major study in hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. (Transcripts Required) 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. Successfully completed an agency-sponsored on-the-job training program which 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. 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-09 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 program analysis and management to maintain standards of high reliability organization (HRO); Monitoring health care applications to improve informatics, patient safety, and quality across a complex Health Care Systems; Designs and develops of information sources, reports, analytical studies and data templates for efficient and effective clinical operations. (RESUME MUST SUPPORT THE EXPERIENCE CLAIMED. WE CANNOT ASSUME EXPERIENCE, SO BE CLEAR AND THOROUGH IN DESCRIBING EXPERIENCE AND INCLUDE START/END DATES; HOURS WORKED PER WEEK) OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related. To be creditable, the major must have been in hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED). OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond graduate level (less than one year, and have more than two years, but less than three years of graduate education (as described above). (First two years of graduate study are not qualifying for GS-11.) The total computed percentage of these requirements is at least 100%. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED) You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Manages and Organizes Information Organizational Awareness Organizational Development Planning and Evaluating 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: No special physical exertion is required. The work is primarily performed while sitting though some work may require periods of standing. The regular and recurring work of the position involves sitting at a desk, conferences, meetings, etc., and occasional visits to activity work sites. Occasionally incumbent is required to carry light objects, such as files, mail, supplies and papers. Work Environment: Work is performed in an office setting. Occasional light to moderate travel is required. 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 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 Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator. The 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/. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. 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.