Health System Specialist - Veteran Experience Coordinator

Veterans Health Administration • Des Moines, IA

20d • Onsite

About The Position

The Health System Specialist serves as the Veteran Experience Coordinator at the VA Central Iowa Health Care System (VACIHCS), a regional referral center and VA healthcare system with five Community Based Outpatient Clinics in Mason City, Carroll, Marshalltown, Knoxville, and Fort Dodge, Iowa. VACIHCS provides emergency, primary, specialty, residential, rehabilitation, and extended care. The position manages and advances the Patient Experience program, supporting a patient-centered culture through data-informed program development, planning, implementation, and evaluation. This work includes coordinating with Veterans, families, caregivers, survivors, staff, community members, facility leadership, committees, and service lines. The position supports the VA Midwest Health Care Network’s Whole Health approach, which empowers Veterans to take charge of their health and well-being through personalized health plans, healing relationships and environments, and connection to their communities.

The position is onsite at the VA Medical Center and follows a Monday–Friday schedule from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Work is primarily sedentary in an office, with visits to facility work sites, inpatient units, clinics, and other Medical Center areas. Occasional use of an automobile or public conveyances may be required. No special physical exertion is required.

This is a GS-11 position. Applicants must meet the stated Individual Occupational Requirement through qualifying specialized health-care experience, an eligible agency-sponsored training program, qualifying graduate education, or an allowed combination of education and experience. Current federal employees may also need to meet time-in-grade requirements. A one-year probationary or trial period is required.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship.
• Meet the Individual Occupational Requirement through one of the stated pathways: one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-09; successful completion of an eligible agency-sponsored on-the-job training program; qualifying doctoral-level or specified graduate education; or an allowed combination of graduate education and specialized experience.
• Specialized experience, when used, must involve progressively responsible analytical, administrative, clinical-management, or supervisory work in healthcare, including work with facility managers and knowledge of healthcare delivery systems, regulatory and credentialing standards, and government, agency, and facility administrative systems.
• Current federal employees who have held a GS grade within the past 52 weeks must meet the GS-11 time-in-grade requirement of 52 weeks at GS-09.
• Submit required application materials, including a resume and, when relying on education, transcripts; experience must be clearly shown in the resume.
• Complete the required online assessment and application steps.
• Register for Selective Service if applicable to males born after December 31, 1959.
• Complete a background/security investigation and the online onboarding process; provide acceptable identification for employment verification.
• Participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program as a condition of employment.
• Serve a one-year probationary period or two-year trial period, as applicable.
• The work is sedentary and does not inherently require physical demands that cannot be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment.

Responsibilities

• Build and sustain a patient-centered culture and coordinate efforts to reinforce patient-centered program goals.
• Develop and manage programs using feedback and data from Veterans, family members, caregivers, survivors, and staff, including data from PATS, Veteran Signals, SAIL, SHEP, Press Ganey, and the All-Employee Survey.
• Promote clear communication among patients, families, caregivers, survivors, staff, community members, and facility leadership.
• Coordinate patient-experience training and initiatives, such as Own the Moment, patient-centered care and customer-service training, New Employee Orientation, and supervisory training.
• Identify training needs and obtain tools to develop and manage programs that promote a patient-centered culture and support employee needs.
• Engage leadership and staff to foster shared ownership of Patient Experience across the healthcare system.
• Assist committees and program offices in developing and managing patient-experience-supportive programs, and support planning, organizing, directing, and evaluating related operations.
• Document and report routine summaries of patient and family concerns; communicate relevant information promptly and accurately; and report significant issues to leadership, committees, and service lines.
• Review analyses, recommend appropriate actions, and ensure effective and timely follow-up procedures.
• Collaborate with facility services and programs to assess and recommend improvements to policies and procedures affecting patient and employee experiences.
• Represent Patient Experience in leadership meetings, including Joint Commission activities and audits, and provide relevant data and insights.
• Manage the Patient Experience program, which may include related services such as transportation, customer service, and patient advocacy.
• Establish criteria for internal reviews and use findings to improve the program; monitor and analyze changes in experience and satisfaction affecting implementation.
• Develop communication materials for patients, families, caregivers, survivors, and staff, such as fact sheets, brochures, and booklets.
• Conduct workshops, seminars, and meetings for staff at all levels; present program concepts in engaging ways to improve understanding and reduce resistance.
• Evaluate the impact of communication materials, training, and initiatives; identify development needs and adjust strategies.
• Continuously evaluate program efforts, impact, and effectiveness using data sources such as PATS, Medallia, SAIL, and SHEP.
• Develop or support local evaluation practices, lead or participate in evaluation committees and workgroups, and use evaluation outcomes to inform resource allocation.

Benefits

• The posting states that federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package; specific benefits depend on position type and eligibility.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed