Supervisory Health System Specialist (Group Practice Manager)

Summary

The Health System Specialist serves as the Ambulatory Care Operations Director / Group Practice Manager (ACOD/GPM). The primary purpose of the ACOD/GPM is to provide oversight and administrative management of all outpatient care services in the VAMC and related Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), as applicable, regarding access to care.

Duties

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Major duties include:

• Serve as the supervisor for a unit engaged in clinic access and data analytics.
• Lead program planning and execution for the VHA-approved program of clinic practice management at the VAMC level.
• Use Advanced Principles and Strategies for Access Improvement to review and provide guidance to Clinical Leads (CLs).
• Collaborate with local personnel to integrate data analytics and measures into continuous process improvements, utilizing LEAN, Six Sigma, and other improvement methodologies to meet and sustain ambulatory care goals and objectives.
• Incorporate Lean management, system redesign, and process improvement based upon knowledge of VHA's and local MyVA organizational philosophy, policies, and management principles.
• Work independently with medical leadership and personnel at the VAMC, CBOCs, and other facilities to implement national and VISN standards, addressing administrative processes and systems issues, as well as other areas of concern.
• Work collaboratively with VAMC leadership in preparation for The Joint Commission survey and other site visits.
• Collaborate with Logistics and Resource Management offices to oversee contracting services related to clinic activities.
• Ensures record management guidelines are adhered to in the clinic setting.
• Exercise supervisory authority involving work assignments and reviews to include administrative and personnel management functions that are communicated through the formal employee performance management systems.
• Provides access-related consultative services to the VAMC, VISN, and National leadership.
• Review and provide input on nationally issued regulations and policies for VA-wide implementation, utilizing local ACOD/GPMs and communication strategies.
• ACOD/GPMs to ensure a wide range of local factors are considered in the development of national policies and procedures.
• Review and evaluate local processes and procedures to identify areas of effectiveness, efficiency, and potential improvement for the proposal, utilizing the GPM Community of Practice and the national Steering Committee.
• Review and evaluate system-wide training plans to optimize local use.
• Develop both long- and short-term policies and plans for the VAMC.
• Oversee the development of contingency plans to meet unexpected and planned resource demands.
• Lead ambulatory care managerial planning.
• Understand the requirements of Maintaining Internal Systems and Strengthening Integrated Outside Networks (MISSION), Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxins (PACT), and Comprehensive Prevention, Access to Care, and Treatment (COMPACT) Acts, and develop and implement strategic planning initiatives to achieve all requirements.
• Ensure timely review, analysis, and adjustment of marketing strategies, plans, and programs, in collaboration with the marketing office, to meet the organization's needs and respond to changing market conditions.
• Develop and maintain an annual budget plan and staffing plans for outpatient care.
• Work closely with medical leadership and personnel at the VAMC, CBOCs, and other facilities to formulate budget recommendations for all outpatient clinical services.
• Provide administrative management for ambulatory care clinical support services.
• Evaluate and monitor administrative activities and make substantive recommendations for program improvements.
• Review and provide guidance to AL to address panel/profile issues and develop action plans.
• Provide leadership and direction to promote the development and productivity of all employees supervised.
• Evaluate the performance of direct reports and initiate appropriate action in order to reward, guide, or provide counsel.
• Act as a liaison or point person for communications with internal and external individuals and/or groups, representing the principal on Clinical Access issues.
• Represent management at labor management meetings as directed.
• Collaborate with Veteran Experience Advocates at the local VAMC to assess patient and family concerns regarding access to necessary services.
• Oversee the evaluation of patient feedback for access and quality measures in outpatient care at the VAMC.
• Aligning local processes with planning and policies at the network and national access leadership levels.
• Identify, define, and prioritize customer service tools, process improvements, and training opportunities to support frontline employees in providing predictable, consistent, and easy customer service experiences for Veterans, their caregivers, and survivors.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Health System Specialist (Group Practice Manager)/PD013470

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

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
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. This position requires the application, assessment, and questionnaire to be fully completed. The assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification 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 or 2-year trial 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 or trial 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, 11/02/2026.

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 as described below:

• Specialized Experience: at least one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-12) 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 Supervisory 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: (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. At this level, applicants would have obtained this experience working within a health care setting, working directly with healthcare professionals and organizational leadership to solve problems in support of the delivery of patient care and program/operational functions; qualitative /quantitative as well as analytical/evaluative methods for development and management of a major administrative program for the assessment and improvement of program effectiveness or the improvement of complex management processes and systems; Comprehensive knowledge of the range of national administrative laws, policies, regulations, and precedents applicable to the administration of one or more important public programs; Expertise in a wide variety of computer and data management packages and VA databases, including Clinic Practice Management Dashboard, VistA, CPRS, Clinic Access Index, Access Glide Path, SAIL, SPARQ, SHEP, Pyramid, Power BI, etc.; Knowledge of agency program goals and objectives, the sequence and timing of key program events and milestones, and methods of evaluating program events, milestones, and accomplishments; Ability to effectively supervise others by setting priorities, assigning work, evaluating the work of subordinates, and developing subordinates for increased responsibility and succession planning; and Skill to plan, organize, and direct team study work to accept and implement recommendations where proposals from executive leadership involve substantial agency resources, require extensive changes in established procedures, or may be in conflict with the desires of the activity studied. NOTE: Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position:

• Conflict Management
• Influencing/Negotiating
• Manages Resources
• Partnering
• Planning and Evaluating

Supervisory Situational Judgment Test. Applicants will be required to complete a Supervisory Situational Judgment Test (SSJT) as part of the assessment process for this position. The SSJT evaluates judgment and decision-making skills that align with relevant competencies, organizational values, and best practices. Assessment results may be used as part of the evaluation, ranking and referral process. This is not a timed test, however, the assessment is expected to take approximately 45 minutes or less to complete. The assessment for this application does not include a cut score for a minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. However, you must answer each item in the assessment.

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 required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not 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

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

Additional information

The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive se