Program Specialist
What you'd do
This Program Specialist position is located in Central Western Massachusetts at the VHA Medical Center, Leeds MA. This position is located under the Assistant Director and serves as both the Patient Centered Management Module (PCMM), Mental Health Management Module (MHMM), Home-Based Primary Care Management Module (HBPCMM) Coordinator, and a Clinic Profiler (CP) for the VA Central Western, Leeds Massachusetts Healthcare System (VA CWM HCS).
Major duties
The incumbent provides high-level The position is directly overseen by the Chief of Ambulatory Care Business Operations and works closely with Service Line Chiefs to coordinate administrative management activities such as timekeeping, administrative record keeping, and Human Resources management, as well as communicating with internal and external customers. Other Duties listed include: The incumbent has the responsibility but is not limited to oversight for all clinic profiles/scheduling grids and ongoing analysis of supply and demand throughout the medical center. Furthermore, the incumbent engages in panel management and efficiency of work, research and data analysis work, and training programs related to Primary Care, Mental Health, and Patient Care Service lines. The integrity of the PCMM, MHMM, and HBPCMM Web data is extremely important to the management of primary care, mental health, and patient care services at the facility, VISN, and national levels. PCMM Web is a complex, nationally implemented, stand-alone computer program that is designed to monitor and manage patients and staff in primary care, mental health, and home-based primary care services throughout the VA system. The incumbent will be responsible for the integrity of the VAMC's large PCMM Web database, which integrates data and information from all divisions and community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs). The incumbent will be required to work closely with the VAMC clinic support staff, clinical service chiefs, CBOC staff, DSS staff, VISN staff, and Central Office staff to maintain the integrity of this program and data. These duties include monitoring panel sizes, oversight and correction of transmission errors, and review/rectification of incorrect patient assignments. The incumbent prepares national, VISN, and VAMC level reports, using established and Ad Hoc Fileman (Vista) computer programs. Additionally, the incumbent also collects, compiles, analyzes, and presents data regarding the integrity of the PCMM Web package. The incumbent is responsible for reviewing PCMM, MHMM, and HBPCMM data related to efficiency, workload, and staffing. The incumbent has primary responsibility for maintaining the accuracy of the information in the PCMM Web database and responds to data updates reported in VSSC. The incumbent is responsible for establishing and managing PCMM, MHMM, HBPCMM team, and position set up for all primary care, mental health, and home-based primary care teams at VA CWM HCS. Specifically, he/she will electronically create or modify team and position settings, assign provider user class based on verified credentials, link the associated clinics, set maximum panel sizes, program clinical alert notification levels, and establish preceptor to associate provider links. Additionally, the incumbent uses multiple assignment/reassignment tools to move large groups of primary care and /or mental health patients to different teams and positions when changes become necessary. The incumbent is responsible for working with and responding to Primary Care, Mental Health, Home-Based Primary Care, and clinic site leadership to ensure that the data input accurately reflects the status of primary care and mental health at the parent station and substations. The incumbent provides high-level operational support in the implementation and ongoing management of VA CWM HCS PACT and BHIP Programs. Incumbent serves as a liaison between the PCMM/MHMM. Work Schedule: Full-Time, 40 Hours a week, Monday-Friday, 7:30pm - 4:00pm or 8:00am - 4:30pm, EST. Telework: At Supervisory Discretion. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Program Specialist/PD631-041820 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized NOTIFICATIONS: This position is in the Competitive Service. This position is covered by locality-based comparability pay. Current Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. This position is not a Bargaining Union Position. Veterans' Preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees. Interchange Agreements with Other Merit System: Employees who occupy medical or medical-related positions and were appointed under 38 U.S.C. 4701(1) or (3) [formerly 38 U.S.C. 4104 (1) and (3)] must be serving in a full-time position without time limit and have served continuously for at least one year in this other merit system to be eligible to convert to the Title 5 System. Some exceptions to this rule may apply if you have previously acquired tenure under a Title 5 appointment.
What you need to qualify
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 07/20/2026. Time-In-Grade Requirement: 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-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. Note: 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. Program Specialist GS-0301-09: You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have 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 of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Experience in positions that required working knowledge of the computer system for entry and retrieval of data; Ability to locate and interpret appropriate applicable regulations; Knowledge of medical records, medical billing programs, and medical terminology; Gathering, developing, and interpreting data from various information systems; and Reviews reports, records, and provides statistical analysis for accuracy. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 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. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED). OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond 1 full year of graduate level education. (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED). Note: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hour 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/. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Physical Requirements: Regular and recurring work is mostly sedentary involving sitting at a desk, although the position requires the ability to move from one geographic location of the facility to another. The incumbent works with a computer screen and keyboard. Some physical effort such as standing, walking, bending or prolonged sitting may be required. The incumbent maybe exposed to walking to outlying areas. The work places no special physical demands on the employee. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.
Before you apply
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