Health System Specialist (Associate Group Practice Manager)

Full Job Description

This position reports to the Ambulatory Care Operations Director (ACOD) / Group Practice Manager (GPM).

The primary purpose of the position is to provide assistance and support to the ACOD/GPM and to all ambulatory care services in the facility and related Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) as it relates to access to care as applicable.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/21/2026.

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-12 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-11. 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.

GS-12 Minimum Qualifications: 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-11 in federal service in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Specialized experience includes: 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 GS-12 level, applicants would have obtained this experience working within a health care setting, working directly with clinicians and local leadership to solve problems in support of the delivery of patient care; applying organizational and system-wide strategies for continuous quality improvement; experience running and supervising an administrative component of a health care system; comprehensive knowledge of a wide range of qualitative/ quantitative methods as well as analytical/evaluative methods for development and management of administrative programs; assessment and improvement of administrative program effectiveness; improvement of complex management processes and systems; knowledge of the range of national administrative laws, policies, regulations and precedents; expertise in a wide variety of computer and data management packages and VA databases; knowledge of agency program goals and objectives; skill to plan, organize, and lead teams to accept and implement recommendations; and broad knowledge of Federal government policies, regulations, and trends in the areas of management systems.

Note: Experience must be clearly indicated in your resume.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Administration and Management Communication Critical Thinking Problem Solving 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: Performance of the incumbent's duties may require extensive walking per day to meet with the facility managers and other clinic personnel.

Trips to satellite outpatient clinics are sometimes necessary and will involve transportation via automotive vehicle.

The work performed is of a precise nature requiring long periods of concentration that is often interrupted. Incumbent is often faced with changing priorities and with meeting deadlines.

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/.

Major Duties:

The position is responsible for Primary Care, Mental Health, Surgery, Medicine or Ancillary ambulatory clinics oversight and integration into an efficient Clinic Practice Management (CPM) model.

The incumbent will measure and provide recommendations with an emphasis on improving clinical product line performance.

Lists the major duties and responsibilities of the position may include but are not limited to: Program Responsibilities (25%) Provides access related consultative services, working in collaboration with facility Service Lines; Review and develop guidance and policies that will facilitate standardized processes within the facility and applicable CBOCs, etc.; Review and provide input on regulations and policies for local interpretation, utilizing local group practice management and communication strategies; Reviews and evaluates assigned processes and procedures to determine areas of effectiveness, efficiency, and improvement for proposal through local GPM group and supervisor; Proposes improvements to supervisor regarding national training curriculum for onboarding and sustainment activities; Maintains knowledge of CPM training materials and supports fulfillment of action plans to meet CPM training requirements.

Veteran Experience Responsibilities (15%) Works with Veteran Experience Officers within the local facility to evaluate patient and family concerns regarding the access to services needed; Provides accurate data to ensure that processes and procedures developed are appropriately supported; Assists in the evaluation of outpatient care patient feedback for access and quality measures at the facility; Utilizes an analytics system for the collection and analysis of outpatient care patient feedback for access and quality measures; Evaluates and recommends changes for continuous process improvement; Collaborates with the Veterans Experience, clinic management, scheduling, and analytic groups; Project Administration (25%) Incumbent utilizes advanced principles and strategies for access improvement to review and provide recommendations to Clinical Leads (CLs), including identifying strategies to reduce backlog; Monitors existing or emerging workflow issues; monitors consult management issues and provide guidance to CLs and Administrative Leads (ALs) when required; Monitors Information Technology (IT) usage and issues and provide information or assistance to CLs as needed; Works with local personnel to integrate data analytics and measures with continuous process improvement utilizing LEAN, Six Sigma, and other improvement methodologies to meet and sustain ambulatory care goals and objectives; Performs data analyses of performance related to existing internal and/or external requirements; Applies administrative policies and established process improvement strategies; Budget Guidance (10%) Makes recommendations to managers regarding allocation of resources, including potential use of community care options; Monitors, and makes recommendations to adjust plans to effectively and cost-efficiently accomplish the mission within budgetary constraints; Performs cost analysis and cost effectiveness studies to determine make/buy decisions to address gaps; Office Program Planning Work (15%) Provides administrative program advice for ambulatory care clinical support services; Evaluates and monitors administrative activities and make substantive recommendations for program improvements; Implements established action plans that will enable clinical grids to accurately reflect supply; Liaison and Communications (10%) Acts as a liaison or point person for communications with persons and/or groups internal or external to the facility; Promotes effective communication and optimal information flow within the clinics; Follows the established communication plan regarding reporting procedures for CPM access; and Utilizes or creates standardized templates for Access Reporting.

Perform other duties as assigned, normally of a related nature.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm Telework: 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 on an Ad-Hoc basis. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist (Associate Group Practice Manager)/PD99865S Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized