Health System Specialist (Quality & Patient Safety)

Veterans Health Administration • Nashville, TN

11d • Onsite

About The Position

This position is located in the Quality & Patient Safety service that reports to the Office of the Health System Director at the Tennessee Valley Healthcare System (TVHS). The primary purpose of the Health System Specialist (Quality & Patient Safety) is to provide programmatic management and administrative oversight of all TVHS governance structure activities to include TVHS policies and committees ensuring compliance with higher level agency and regulatory oversight standards throughout TVHS. The VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System (TVHS) is an integrated tertiary health care system comprised of two hospitals, the Alvin C. York VA Medical Center in Murfreesboro and the Nashville VA Medical Center, as well as 21 outpatient clinics located in middle Tennessee and southern Kentucky. TVHS provides ambulatory care, primary care, and secondary care in acute medicine and surgery, specialized tertiary care, transplant services, spinal cord injury outpatient care, and a full range of extended care and mental health services. More than 146,000 Veterans in middle Tennessee, southern Kentucky, and northern Georgia trust VA TVHS for their health care needs. TVHS is the seventh largest VA medical center system in the nation serving roughly 75 counties with robust research and development, health care innovation, and more. Middle Tennessee offers an abundance of entertainment such as historic music venues, NFL Titans and NHL Predators, recreational activities, and natural sceneries ideal for any individual. Additionally, Tennessee does not have state taxes making the area more attractive to high-quality candidates.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Must complete all required steps in the process, including the application, questionnaire, and an online assessment measuring critical general competencies.
• 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.
• 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).
• Must serve a 1-year probationary period.
• Major study -- hospital administration, public health administration, or related fields such as business or public administration with course work in health care administration. (TRANSCRIPT MUST BE PROVIDED.)
• Progressively responsible analytical or administrative, or clinical management or supervisory experience in the health care field.
• Experience 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: 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.
• One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-9 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.
• Interpreting and applying regulatory and oversight standards (TJC, OIG, etc.).
• Reviewing new/updated applicable VA/VHA guidance/directives and distributing applicable information to facility entities as needed.
• Writing and interpreting directives, policies, standard operating procedures, committee charters, and other governance related items.
• Developing, planning, coordinating, and directing administrative technical functions, particularly with regard to governance-related issues and agency issue briefs.
• Establishing both long-term and short-term governance-related plans, policies, and procedures, assuring that administrative and clinical programs are integrated in order to provide high quality patient care with optimal resource utilization.
• Possessing significant experience with Microsoft products to include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, & SharePoint.
• 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. (TRANSCRIPT MUST BE PROVIDED)
• Combination of specialized experience and education beyond undergraduate education. (EXPERIENCE MUST BE DOCUMENTED IN RESUME AND TRANSCRIPT MUST BE PROVIDED)

Nice To Haves

• Supporting health care governance by drafting and maintaining policies, procedures, and charters.
• Coordinating and tracking committees (agendas, minutes, membership, and action items).
• Working with leadership and services to ensure compliance with VA directives and regulatory requirements.

Responsibilities

• Provides consultation, direction, and leadership for professional, technical, administrative and clerical employees, particularly with regard to governance-related issues.
• Develops, plans, coordinates, and directs administrative technical functions, particularly with regard to governance-related issues.
• Provides full and complete staff assistance to the Executive Director and other leadership as required to meet the goals and mission.
• Works to establish and implement the primary goals and support the mission of TVHS, setting the direction and overlay for governance-related issues.
• Provides insight in a variety of operational and management issues and integrates this understanding into the development and implementation of governance programs.
• Provides full and thorough review, analysis, and evaluation of governance-related programmatic activities and development.
• Develops tools required to collect and evaluate data and information into reports, tables, charts and graphs, reviews subject matter, and provides a concise analysis to leadership, particularly with regard to governance-related issues.
• Establishes, in concert with leadership and key support staff, both long term and short-term governance related plans, policies and procedures, assuring that administrative and clinical programs are integrated in order to provide high quality patient care with optimal resource utilization.
• Serves as the technical advisor and consultant to all levels of TVHS leadership on governance issues such as committee structure, requirements, membership, documentation, responsibilities, and oversight.
• By thoroughly reviewing all applicable higher level agency, local facility, and external oversight guidance, ensures that all committees are properly chartered, organized, and managed.
• Oversees the management of all TVHS governance-related documentation to include policies, charters, and minutes ensuring files are properly protected and readily available when needed.
• Serves as the facility subject matter expert and manager of facility level policy creation, modifications, maintenance, storage, and distribution.
• Ensures local policies adhere to higher level policy guidance and appropriately support accreditation readiness and external oversight regulations.
• Creates and maintains a document control system for publications and committee documentation via the most technically appropriate and available system which provides the appropriate level of availability and security protections as determined by law and other applicable guidance.

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.
• Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level