Health System Specialist

This position is a Health System Specialist that serves as the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 20 as a Patient Advocate and PATS-R coordinator in the Chief Nursing Office. This position is located within a Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Vancouver, WA.

This position can be filled at either Vancouver, Washington or Missoula, Montana.

Serves as the VISN's lead for building, sustaining, and implementing Patient Experience and Employee Engagement practices that promote a whole-health, patient-centered culture. Responds to patient-experience issues, anticipates emerging needs, and guides VISN-wide efforts toward a consistent, positive patient experience.

Major duties include but are not limited to:

Leadership & Oversight
- Lead VISN-wide Patient Experience initiatives and foster a culture centered on the patient.
- Supervise and collaborate with patient advocates, program coordinators, public affairs officers, and data staff to translate data into actionable insights.
- Partner with facilities to drive continuous improvement and ensure strong commitment to patient-experience goals.
- Support training and initiatives such as Own the Moment, patient-centered care, new employee/patient orientation, and supervisory development.

Program Development & Management
- Build and sustain a proactive, patient-centered culture through strategic planning and ongoing reinforcement.
- Work with the National Veterans Experience Office to develop programs driven by Veteran and staff feedback from PATS, VSignals, SAIL, SHEP, AES, and other data sources.
- Ensure clear communication between VISN leadership and PX Officers to support consistent practices across facilities.
- Provide guidance and feedback on administrative, educational, and culture-related matters influencing patient experience.

Program Planning
- Serve as a Health System Specialist and internal consultant to VISN leadership on planning, developing, and implementing customer-service and patient-experience programs.
- Develop strategic plans, meet directive requirements, and prepare annual and cyclic planning documents.
- Analyze diverse feedback data, identify trends, and propose and implement solutions.
- Produce required reports that support program planning and decision-making.

Program Implementation
- Manage the VISN Patient Experience Program, including oversight of medical center services such as customer service, transportation, and patient advocacy.
- Establish criteria for internal reviews and apply findings to improve program operations.
- Monitor changes affecting patient satisfaction and advise staff and managers on improvement opportunities.
- Conduct workshops, seminars, and meetings to enhance patient-experience knowledge and practices.
- Analyze data and recommend actions that drive innovative quality improvements.

Program Evaluation
- Continuously evaluate the effectiveness and impact of patient-experience initiatives using data from PATS, Medallia, SAIL, SHEP, and other sources.
- Develop and support local evaluation practices to assess program outcomes.
- Lead or participate in committees and workgroups, share findings with leadership, and help scale successful practices.
- Use evaluation results to inform resource allocation and future program improvements.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 7:30am - 4:00pm PST
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Description/PD#: Health System Specialist/PD10340A
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized.
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI) Not Approved.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Approved.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 06/15/2026.

You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

• Basic Requirement: The Health System Specialist Series 0671 requires specific experience to be appointed into this position. All applicants must meet one of the following requirements in addition to the grade specific requirements. Your experience must show 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.

In addition to the Basic Requirement, applicants must also meet specialized experience to qualify for the GS-12 grade level.

GS-12
Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to: Expertise in applying analytical and evaluation methods and techniques to patient experience issues Interpersonal skills in presenting recommendations, articulating decisions, and negotiating solutions to disputed recommendations. Experience with health care system operations and interdependence of various departments. Ability to embrace and adapt to change, as well as cultivate partnerships to build consensus. Uses MS Word or comparable word processing software to execute several office automation functions such as storing and retrieving electronic documents and files; activating printers; inserting and deleting text; formatting letters, reports and memoranda; and transmitting and receiving e-mail. Uses MS Excel or other comparable spreadsheet software to develop and change spreadsheets to graphically display data. Uses MS PowerPoint or other comparable graphics software to develop presentation materials. NOTE: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month & year starting and ending dates AND hours worked per week.

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/.

There is no educational substitution at this grade level.

• 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. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• 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.
• 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 dentification 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 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 period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.