Health System Specialist

Veterans Health Administration • Nashville, TN

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Health System Specialist serves as an advisor to the Executive Director and supports the administrative and operational functions of the Office and subordinate services. The role works closely with administrative and technical staff across the Office and clinical staff throughout the Medical Center. It provides leadership and staff assistance on governance matters, operational issues, and agency issue briefs, supporting the goals and mission of the Tennessee Valley Healthcare System (TVHS).

TVHS is an integrated tertiary health care system comprising two hospitals—the Alvin C. York VA Medical Center in Murfreesboro and the Nashville VA Medical Center—and 21 outpatient clinics in middle Tennessee and southern Kentucky. It provides ambulatory, primary, acute medicine and surgery, specialized tertiary, transplant, spinal cord injury outpatient, extended care, and mental health services. The system serves more than 146,000 Veterans across roughly 75 counties and has research, development, and health care innovation programs.

The specialist advises TVHS leadership on governance, including committee structures, requirements, membership, documentation, responsibilities, and oversight. The role reviews relevant agency, facility, and external guidance; ensures committees are properly chartered and managed; oversees governance documentation; and manages facility-level policies from creation and modification through maintenance, storage, and distribution. It also establishes document controls, reviews and distributes higher-level directives, and ensures local policies support accreditation readiness and external oversight requirements. The specialist develops and analyzes reports and other data products and prepares clear, factual issue briefs for senior leadership concerning unusual incidents, deaths, disasters, and other matters of interest.

The position is scheduled Monday through Friday, 7:30 AM–4:00 PM CT. Ad hoc telework is available; this is not a virtual position. Relocation and recruitment incentives and permanent change of station are not authorized; Critical Skills Incentive is not approved.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Must meet the Individual Occupational Requirement through progressively responsible analytical, administrative, clinical management, or supervisory experience in health care, qualifying education in hospital administration, public health administration, or a related field with health care administration coursework, or an eligible agency-sponsored training program.
• For GS-11, must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-9, or qualifying doctoral-level education, or a combination of qualifying graduate education and specialized experience.
• Specialized experience includes collecting data and information to prepare performance reports and visualizations; presenting findings in writing and orally; preparing concise analytical reports; conducting intakes, inquiries, and fact-finding where information may be incomplete or conflicting; collaborating on plans, policies, and procedures integrating administrative and clinical programs; and assessing operational issues and developing corrective actions.
• Experience must be documented on the resume with job title, GS level where applicable, duties, start and end month/year, and hours worked per week.
• Applicants relying on education must provide transcripts; education must be from an accredited institution and include coursework demonstrating knowledge and skills needed for the position.
• Must complete the required application steps and online assessment.
• Subject to background/security investigation and online onboarding requirements.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with Selective Service.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for VA Health Care Personnel.
• Must serve a one-year probationary period.

Nice To Haves

• Completion of a Graduate Healthcare Administration Training Program (GHATP).

Responsibilities

• Provide consultation, direction, and leadership to professional, technical, administrative, and clerical employees, particularly on governance matters and agency issue briefs.
• Develop, plan, coordinate, and direct administrative and technical functions, particularly those related to governance and agency issue briefs.
• Provide staff assistance to the Executive Director and other leaders to support organizational goals and mission.
• Establish and implement TVHS governance goals and direction in support of the system’s mission.
• Advise on operational and management issues and incorporate that understanding into governance programs.
• Review, analyze, and evaluate governance-related program activities and development.
• Develop tools to collect and evaluate data; prepare reports, tables, charts, and graphs; and provide concise analysis to leadership.
• Develop short- and long-term governance plans, policies, and procedures with leadership and support staff, integrating administrative and clinical programs to support quality care and optimal resource use.
• Serve as technical advisor and consultant to TVHS leadership on governance, including committee structure, requirements, membership, documentation, responsibilities, and oversight.
• Review applicable agency, facility, and external guidance to ensure committees are properly chartered, organized, and managed.
• Oversee governance documentation, including policies, charters, and minutes, ensuring records are protected and accessible when needed.
• Manage facility-level policy creation, modification, maintenance, storage, and distribution.
• Ensure local policies comply with higher-level guidance and support accreditation readiness and external oversight requirements.
• Create and maintain a document control system for publications and committee documentation with appropriate availability and security protections.
• Review new and updated higher-level directives and mandatory guidance and distribute them to relevant parties for awareness and action.
• Ensure issue briefs provide clear, concise, and factual information about unusual incidents, deaths, disasters, and other matters of interest to senior leadership, including potentially the Secretary of VA, White House, or Congressional representatives.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package; specific benefits depend on position type and eligibility.
• Potential credit for job-related non-federal experience or active-duty uniformed military service toward annual leave accrual, subject to request and approval before appointment.

What This Job Offers

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