Summary The Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (BESS) works in Facilities Management Service at the Detroit VA Medical Center 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. Responsibilities Biomedical support requires the application of engineering and mechanical concepts and methodology to provide lifecycle management and technical support of diagnostic, therapeutic devices, monitoring, and other equipment utilized in the practice of medicine, and to improve health service delivery systems for communities and within individual VA facilities (medical centers, outpatient clinics, and domiciliaries). Duties 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 lnformation 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, end multimeters. 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). 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. May be tasked with leading and managing installation or upgrade projects for medical devices and systems. This includes but is not limited to pre-implementation planning and coordination with end users, vendors, and other onsite support staff (OIT, Informatics, SPS, etc.). Represents Biomedical/Clinical Engineering department on committees and in meetings as delegated by supervisor. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am-4:30pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 91948-A; 91949-A; 91950-A; 91951-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Experience & Education. Associates degree in Biomedical Electronics Technology, Biomedical Equipment Technology or Biomedical Engineering Technology or in a related technical field such as Electronic Technology or Information Technology & 2 years of experience as a BESS, Biomedical Equipment Technician, Field Service Engineer, Medical Equipment Repairer, or Information Technology Specialist. OR Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering Technology or in a related field such as Electronics Engineering Technology (EET) or Information Technology. OR Completion of a military training program in biomedical equipment & 2 years of experience as a BESS or Biomedical Equipment Technician, Field Service Engineer, Medical Equipment Repairer or Information Technology Specialist. English Language Proficiency. Candidates will not be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C. chapters 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written & spoken English. Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA as a BESS on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series & grade held, including positive education that is part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who don't meet all the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: Such employees may be reassigned, promoted up to & including the full performance (journeyman) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. BESSs who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. BESSs initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. Employees who are retained as a BESS under this provision & subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status & must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry as a BESS. Grade Determinations: GS-5- Experience/Education. None beyond basic requirements. GS-7- Experience. At least 1 year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities KSAs. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate: Ability to read, interpret, & apply a great variety of technical data such as schematic drawings, wiring diagrams, table charts, mathematical expressions & formulas. Ability to learn equipment maintenance, operating procedures, & repair procedures from training materials & courses. Fundamental knowledge of electronics to include analog, digital & microprocessor theory, pneumatics, hydraulics, optics, electro-mechanics, physics, basic ne2rking, & chemistry. Knowledge of the use of standard level test equipment to include, but not limited to, multi meters, electrical safety analyzers, patient simulator, storage oscilloscopes,