Summary

The Unit Chief supervises IHSC's Credentialing and Privileging Unit. This position manages credentialing, privileging, licensure verification, policy/SOP development, risk management, reporting, and staff oversight to ensure healthcare providers meet qualifications to deliver high-quality healthcare.

This position is only open to USPHS officers who are currently IHSC employees.

USPHS Call to Active Duty (CAD) candidates are not eligible for this position.

Duties

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Provides direct supervision for federal staff within ICPU that includes the deputy chief, program analyst, health system specialist, and internal/external network provider teams including: a. assigning work based on matching priorities/requirements of the assignments with various capabilities of unit staff to ensure optimum use of personnel; b. completing performance evaluations on all federal staff as required by agency/other government policies and guidance; c. provides direct oversight for technical monitoring of contract staff; d. promoting growth and development of federal staff to enable optimum performance within their current positions; e. promotes, builds, and maintains a collaborative team environment within the unit.
2. Managerial duties include: a. develops and updates unit/agency policy and standard operating procedures for credentialing and privileging to ensure compliance with program regulations; b. establishes clear goals and objectives, implements, and maintains the agency's credentialing and privileging operations to promote integrity of clinical providers; c. facilitates credentialing and privileging of agency healthcare providers, maintaining a tracking system and ensures compliance with practice agreements, clinical privileges competency, peer reviews and pertinent information identified by program standard guidelines; d. applies specialized knowledge of basic principles and practices related to the management of health care delivery systems; e. provides technical advisory services to clinical matters related to credentialing and privileging of health care providers; f. lead appropriate committees as assigned by the CoA, such as the IHSC Medical Executive Committee (MEC).
3. Consults, plans, directs, reviews and coordinates administrative unit activities including: a. monitoring the status of individual professional licensure, certification, and/or national registration for all agency healthcare providers and local community network providers; b. verification that annual or other training/licensure is completed on a timely basis, and that credential files are updated to reflect the current status of all staff; c. preparation of monthly or ad hoc reports on the status of employees provider license, certification, and privileging status; reports are shared internally as directed by the CoA; d. ensuring proper maintenance of physical and digital files contained in the IHSC and DHS databases and other systems as required by agency policy/national regulations; e. provides regular briefings on activities of the Credentials program as requested by the CoA or Deputy Assistant Director for Administration (DAD-Admin); f. applies thorough knowledge of general administrative principles, practices, processes and techniques; and applies this knowledge to solve problems and meet requirements specific to the ICPU; g. submits annual budgetary requirements to Resource Management to ensure sufficient funds are available to validate appropriate licensure and certifications.
4. Promotes quality improvement and manages risk to the agency by: a. providing direct oversight for internal and external credentialing and privileging actions that ensures the integrity of relevant credentialing information for IHSC site providers and network community providers; b. collaborates closely with the IHSC Resource Management Unit to ensure payment is available to conduct required verifications on licensure, education, training, and board certification of IHSC providers; c. reviews and coordinates Risk Management/Adverse Actions cases related to credentialing and privileging; d. critical oversight/involvement that formulating potential solutions to resolve challenges for issues in processes or procedures related to credentialing and privileging; e. conducts periodic or annual evaluations of the agency's credentialing program, along with input from the Medical Executive Committee (MEC) and the Chief of Administration (CoA); f. apprising the CoA on all matters pertaining to credentials and privileging actions of independent health care providers, and status of all licensed, registered, and/or certified healthcare employees at ICE detention facilities; g. develops conclusions and recommendations necessary to implement the objectives and policies of the DHS Office of Health Affairs and the IHSC DAD ADMIN; h. collaborates and work effectively with multiple internal agency units, internal and external stakeholders as required, to include the Customs and Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Department of Homeland Security; may include working with agency attorneys, responding to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, and preparing documentation for Congressional inquiries.
5. Any or all duties above can be delegated to the Deputy Chief of Credentialing or designee as needed.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
• You must successfully pass a background investigation.
• You must successfully pass a drug screen.
• Males born after 12/31/59 must certify registration with Selective Service.
• Requirements by Closing Date: Unless otherwise noted, you must meet all requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
• Service Remaining Requirement Agreement: Upon appointment to this position, officers will be required to serve a new 18-month commitment to IHSC .
• ASSIGNMENT PAY AGREEMENT: You must not have a current Assignment Pay Agreement. However, if you have a current Assignment Pay Agreement, it must be fulfilled within 90 days of your application submission.
• Applicants must be a current USPHS Commissioned Corps Officer who works at IHSC.
  USPHS Call to Active Duty (CAD) candidates are not eligible for this position.
  Civilians are not eligible for this position.
• PHS officers must participate in IHSC TDY On-Call Schedule (ITOS.) ITOS is either an entire month or two 16-day periods a year where, depending on the needs of the agency, the officer is required to be available to serve.

Qualifications

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

1. Must be able to perform duties in a fast-paced environment without physical limitations.
2. Sitting and/or standing for extended periods of time [6-8 Hours].
3. Performing repeated bending motion.
4. Average manual dexterity for computer operation.
5. Phone/laptop use for telephonic/virtual meetings for extended periods of time.

Education

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

1. Master's Degree required- PHS category specific and civilian specific to Health Systems Specialist/ clinical or healthcare administration profession.
2. Minimum five years supervisory and five years healthcare administration experience (correctional healthcare experience preferred).
3. Certification in credentialing from accredited body preferred, or able to obtain within two years of onboarding to position.
4. Demonstrates a customer service focus in interpersonal interactions.
5. Strong communication skills with demonstrated ability to clearly and effectively communicate both orally and in writing.
6. Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality of information; exercise judgment and discretion in handling and disseminating information.
7. Ability to grasp conceptual ideas and use critical thinking skills in situations where consultation and evaluation are needed to offer sound suggestions/guidance; provide guidance/suggestions potentially with short notice.
8. Demonstrated initiative, ability to function with high degree of independence, and follow through on taskings, projects and other work commitments.
9. Demonstrated evidence of leadership skills.
10. Ability to promote, build, and maintain a collaborative team environment within the internal ICPU.
11. Ability to provide technical advisory services to clinical matters related to credentialing and privileging of health care providers.
12. Ability to collaborate and work with effectively with multiple internal agency units, internal and external stakeholders as required, that may include working with agency attorneys and preparing documentation for Congressional inquiries.
13. If you have an unrestricted medical or clinical license in any State, the District of Columbia or territory of the United States, it must be maintained.
14. Continuing education requirements must be met as required for licensing and board certification maintenance. (It is the responsibility of the incumbent to fulfill the obligation(s) of their licensing or certifying body to maintain currency. This position may be required to perform clinical activities with the scope of clinical license in times of critical needs within and at the direction of the agency.)
15. If a clinician, you will be placed on a rotational internal TDY schedule to assist with field clinical operations and obtain clinical hours.
16. Maintains basic readiness status including CPR/BLS certification.
17. Follows supervisory chain of command.
18. Flexibility and adaptability to sudden changes in schedules and work requirements.
19. Intermediate or advanced knowledge of computerized databases, sources, and reporting methodologies. Proficiency in MS Office applications and SharePoint preferred.

Additional information

Incumbent will manage the IHSC credentialing and privileging program to ensure all healthcare providers meet the qualifications necessary to perform designated medical services before they are permitted to deliver health care services for or on behalf of ICE and DHS. The work has a direct impact on the application of a healthcare system in a complex and dynamic correctional work setting. Recommendations and actions of the incumbent affect personnel recruitment and retention efforts across all IHSC staffed medical facilities and effective performance of all assigned duties has a direct impact on the quality of medical care provided.

SUPERVISORY CONTROLS:

The incumbent works under the supervision of the IHSC Chief of Administration (CoA) who outlines overall objectives and available resources. The Chief of the IHSC Credentialing and Privileging Unit (ICPU) will supervise and be the designated Rater for the federal staff (PHS and Civilian) in the unit. In consultation, the incumbent will obtain general guidance from the supervisor, to include scope of assignment, any internal and/or potential external stakeholders, and any potential responses required for FOIA requests or Congressional inquiries.

Serves as a first line supervisor for unit staff, and has responsibility for distribution of workload, and usage of program resources. Involved in all aspects of the administration of the credentialing and privileging program and works independently; critically involved in the resolution of credentialing and privileging program problems.

The employee plans and organizes his/her own work, determines the sequence of assignments, selects and develops methods, and seeks assistance from experts only rarely; works independently to resolve complex and unusual issues, through research, analysis and action; develops conclusions and recommendations necessary to implement the objectives and policies of the DHS Office of Health Affairs and the IHSC DAD ADMIN. The incumbent uses initiative in carrying out assignments and independently develops solutions to deviations, problems or unusual situations.

The incumbent directs programs of agency level and of nationwide scope and importance; programs directed are essential to the integrity of clinical care provided by the agency at ICE detention facilities or within the local community network of providers across the nation.

A moderate number of guidelines may be applicable to some parts but not all parts of assignments and may contain some inconsistencies and be partially unconfirmed. The incumbent uses judgment in interpreting and adapting guidelines such as agency, national, PHS policies, regulations, precedents, and work direction for application to specific cases.

In addition to contacts with internal agency units/internal/external providers across the nation at either ICE detention facilities or at local community provider networks, internal stakeholders such as agency attorneys, that include establishing contacts with persons in other Federal Departments to include the Customs and Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, and the DHS (i.e., outside agency to which assigned) local communities, or due to Congressional inquiries, such contacts are required in order to explain, coordinate, interpret and seek support for policies, procedures, programs, plans or individual actions (often of a controversial and complex nature) in which an extensive amount of explanation and tact is required.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.