Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist
What you'd do
This Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (BESS) position serves the Veterans Health Care System of the Ozarks in Facilities Management and provides clinical and administrative support to staff, patients, and administrators for all matters of concern relating to the facility wide lifecycle management of medical equipment. This is for a 120 day competitive detail. Detail may be extended up to 1 year and there is no change in salary or pay. Supervisors written approval is required to apply.
Major duties
Duties of the Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist include, but are not limited to: Lifecycle management of all medical systems such as imaging, life support, dialysis, and monitoring to include physical and network support Coordinates and works effectively with other facility support departments including but not limited to Facilities Management Service (FMS), Office of Information Technology (OIT), Patient Safety, Sterile Processing Service (SPS), Logistics, Contracting, Informatics, and Environmental Management Service (EMS). Specific tasks include but are not limited to incoming inspections, regular and unscheduled maintenance, and planning for end of life replacement in conjunction with clinical services. Utilizes common test equipment including, but not limited to patient simulators, pulse generators, network analyzers, test phantoms, electrical safety analyzers, oscilloscopes, and multimeters Maintains functional knowledge of relevant safety codes and standards of regulatory bodies including, but not limited to, The Joint Commission (TJC), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (MMI) Documents all work performed in the computerized maintenance management system (CMMS). This documentation is completed in accordance with regulatory body requirements, the Office of Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) Documentation of Services policies and guidelines, and other VA requirements Applies basic networking principles to resolve medical system communication issues including, but not limited to, node to server failures. Adheres to VA Medical Device Cyber Security policies and procedures in pre-procurement, during system implementation, and throughout the life of the system. Loads operating system (OS) and clinical application software as needed. Executes VA policy when responding to network incident response (due to infection, loss of services due to policy changes) Maintains knowledge of the state of the art in medical technology, including scientific advances, network protocols, and vendor changes. Focuses on professional development in all areas of medical technology lifecycle management including echnical skills. Knowledge and training is obtained from formal (conference, vendorprovided classes) or informal (magazines, articles, peer training) means Investigates, remediates and documents Repairable Medical Device (RMD) recalls and safety alerts issued through the VA Alerts and Recall Management System (ARMS) within established timeframes. Participates in local safety improvement processes such as Root Cause Analysis (RCA), safety work groups, and Environment of Care Rounds. Identifies hazards during routine job performance and takes action to ensure they are addressed and corrected Provides training and education as appropriate to medical technology end users and clinical staff Provides mentoring and technical training to peers and BESS at developmental levels Additional duties are performed as assigned by supervisor related to maintenance, remediation, and tracking of medical systems (action items, special projects, etc.) to meet mission critical requirements. May be asked to assist in other administrative duties as well, including participating in hiring panels. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:00am-3:30pm (Subject to change based on the needs of the service) Telework: Available, per the discretion of the supervisor Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: GS-5, 564-01658-F; GS-7, 564-01659-F; GS-9, 564-01660-F; GS-11, 564-01507-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
What you need to qualify
Basic Requirements: 1. Citizenship: . Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens according to 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a). 2. Education, Experience, or Certification: Associates or higher degree in the biomedical technology or biomedical engineering field; OR Associates or higher degree in electronics, a field of information technology, or engineering (other than biomedical engineering) AND 1 year of creditable experience; OR Completion of the Department of Defense (DOD) biomedical equipment technician training program; OR Completion of a DOD training program in repair and maintenance of electronic systems or information technology AND 1 year of creditable experience; OR Completion of a biomedical engineering technician or Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) certificate program that included and internship or apprenticeship; OR Completion of a biomedical engineering technician or HTM certificate program that did not include and internship AND 1 year of creditable experience; OR Hold or having ever held certification as a Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician (CBET), Certified Radiology Equipment Specialist (CRES), Certified Laboratory Equipment Specialist (CLES), or Certified Healthcare Technology Manager (CHTM). Continuous maintenance of certification is not required throughout VHA employment. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, candidates must meet the following grade-determining criteria for placement at grade levels specified GS-5 Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist Experience or Education. None beyond basic requirements. GS-7 Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of physics, anatomy, and physiology. Knowledge of electronics such as analog, digital, and microprocessor theory. Knowledge of the use of standard level test equipment such as multimeters, electrical safety analyzers, patient simulators, storage oscilloscopes, manometers, and tachometers. Knowledge of basic networking concepts, such as computer and server hardware and software functionality, information technologies and computer virus protection software, available software patches and upgrades, and information security tools (for example, Microsoft Office, Windows operating systems, and McAfee). Skill in documenting all services provided in support of medical equipment and clinical systems in a computerized maintenance management system. Ability to learn equipment operating and maintenance procedures. GS-9 Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of basic networking concepts including Access Control List (ACL), Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and Virtual Local Area Networks (VLAN). Knowledge of computer and server hardware and software functionality including virus protection, operating system patches and upgrades, and information security tools. Ability to interpret a variety of technical data such as schematic drawings, wiring diagrams, table charts, mathematical expressions, and formulas. Ability to use standard level test equipment including multi-meters, electrical safety analyzers, patient simulators, storage oscilloscopes, manometers, and tachometers. Ability to perform equipment maintenance and operating procedures. GS 11 Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of standards including National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Joint Commission (TJC), and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) for safe operation of medical equipment and clinical systems. Skill in using test and calibration equipment including digital multimeters, electrical safety analyzers, defibrillator analyzers, patient simulators, manometers, tachometers, and Local Area Network (LAN) analyzers. Skill in interpreting a variety of technical data including schematic drawings and wiring diagrams. 7 Skill in applying networking principles, such as Access Control List (ACL), Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and Virtual Local Area Networks (VLAN). Ability to perform advanced testing to troubleshoot medical equipment and clinical system interfaces. Ability to maintain medical computers and software. Ability to manage projects involving medical equipment and clinical systems Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-5 to GS-11. Physical Demands:Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position. May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, pulling, and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment. Work Environment:Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.
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