Program Applications Specialist

Veterans Health Administration • Pocatello, ID

32d • Hybrid

About The Position

This position serves as a Program Application Specialist within the Health Administration Service at the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System. The specialist is responsible for ensuring appropriate business processes are in place to support the implementation of new and updated performance measures, data collection, and workload management systems. This role involves conducting business process modeling, projects, and studies, as well as analyzing data and reports that impact the overall functions of the services in areas such as policy development and implementation, work methodology, processes, streamlining, program/service goals and objectives, and training. The specialist will also be responsible for the coordination, planning, implementation, and training for service and facility staff in business and functional areas for various information technology Vista packages, VEText, Audio-Care, Postcard and Leaf and Power App products. They will provide assistance, training, and troubleshooting for clinical and administrative staff in business processes and associated supporting software. Additionally, the specialist acts as the point of contact for OI&T for information technology planning initiatives regarding hardware and software needs for the service and is responsible for preparing and implementing business contingency plans for system failure, specifically addressing manual system backup plans for long and short-term outages. The role ensures the accuracy of reports related to workload, DSS Mapping, and Physician Productivity, and is responsible for designating and preparing data management analyses, special studies, and reports for management use in budget preparation, workload projections, and quality assurance and utilization reviews. The specialist will serve on committees as a representative of the business office, presenting official policies and viewpoints and providing feedback. A key aspect of the role is knowledge in business metadata to provide information related to continued business operations and external requests such as The Joint Commission, SOARS, CARF, and other internal audits.

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).
• Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee -Official Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) noting your current position or most recently held position, tenure, type of position occupied (i.e., Excepted or Competitive), grade level and duty location. For current Federal employees, the SF-50 must be effective the first pay period of the current year 2026 or later.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period.
• 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-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05.
• For a GS-09 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-07.
• 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.
• 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-07 Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples include: Knowledge of the basic principles, practices, concepts, and methods used in Health Administration Service management. Knowledge of the mission, vision, and goals of HAS and its function within the medical center including knowledge of VA policies and procedures of all areas in the business office and other administrative functions. Perform highly structured, entry-level work designed to develop broader and more in-depth knowledge and skill to perform higher-level assignments. Communicate factual and procedural information clearly, orally and in writing. Gather and analyze basic facts and draw conclusion.
• GS-07 Education: 1 full year of graduate level education or superior academic achievement.
• GS-07 Combination: A combination of specialized experience and education beyond.
• GS-09 Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-07 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples include: Extensive knowledge of policies and procedures of all areas within the Business Office to include facility programs, business/workflow processes, comprehensive knowledge of medical center mission and goals; thorough knowledge of staff work-methodology to perform routine review and appraisal or reports for service programs. Expert knowledge of performance management methods; thorough knowledge of information security principles and methods. Provide advice, guidance and recommendations to management and technical specialists on integration issues. Ability to relay new workflow process integrated with suggested software solutions to alleviate short-term software deficiencies. Knowledge in business metadata that allows the ability to provide information related to continued business operations, external requests and other internal audits; expert knowledge of software programs of other services (i.e. Radiology, Dietetics, Health Summary, OE/RR, CPRS, Laboratory and Pharmacy) for training of all service staff; Knowledge of VA policies, directives, operating procedures, information flow and prevailing automated practices in government agencies and private sector sufficient to ensure applications are consistent with current and planned infrastructure and data environments currently used; ability to communicate a clear, logical and concise explanation of information both orally and in written format.
• GS-09 Education: A master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D., if related.
• GS-09 Combination: A combination of specialized experience and education to meet total experience requirements.
• A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
• Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment.
• If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education.

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge of Veterans Integrated Systems Technology Architecture (VISTA) packages that support the business processes is needed in addition to CPRS, KLF Menu, VSSC, ACRP, ARC, Performance Measures, Physician Productivity, Recall Reminder Card System, Beneficiary Travel Dashboard, Vet-Link, ICB, Veteran Eligibility/Enrollment and Identity Verification systems.

Responsibilities

• Ensuring appropriate business processes are in place to support the implementation of new and updated performance measures, data collection and workload management systems.
• Conducting business process modeling, projects and studies, data and reports that will impact on the overall functions of the services in such areas as, policy development and implementation, work methodology, processes, streamlining, program/service goals and objectives, training, etc.
• Responsible for the coordination, planning, implementation, and training for service and facility staff in business and functional areas for various information technology Vista packages, VEText, Audio-Care, Postcard and Leaf and Power App products.
• Provides assistance, training, and troubleshooting for clinical and administrative staff in business processes and associated supporting software.
• Point of contact for OI&T for information technology planning initiative for hardware and software needs for the service.
• Responsible for the preparation and implementation of the business contingency plans for system failure specifically addressing manual system backup plans addressing how day to day business will be conducted for long and short-term outages.
• Ensures the accuracy of reports relating to workload, DSS Mapping, Physician Productivity, etc.
• Responsible for designating and preparing data management analyses, special studies, and reports for use by top management for budget preparation, workload projections, and quality assurance and utilization reviews.
• Serves on committees as representative to the business office, as appropriate, presenting official policies and viewpoints pertaining to the activity being considered and providing feedback to the appropriate service chief.
• Knowledge in business metadata that allows the ability to provide information related to continued business operations and external requests such as The Joint Commission, SOARS, CARF, and other internal audits.

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: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree