Summary
This is an external job announcement. Current permanent Aleda E. Lutz employees, current permanent VA employees from another facility, and current permanent employees from another Federal Agency MUST apply under the INTERNAL announcement, CBSR-11042850-21-CLE unless applying by using Veteran Preference. All applicants applying under this external announcement will be subject to Veterans' preference.
Responsibilities
The Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (BESS) (Biomedical Information Systems) provides clinical and administrative support to staff, patients, and administrators for all matters of concern relating to the facility wide lifecycle management of networks, networked medical equipment and associated systems. The BESS maintains networks, networked medical equipment and associated systems using established local, regional and national policies and procedures designed to meet criteria and standards from multiple accrediting agencies and governing bodies. Duties of the position include, but are not limited to: Lifecycle management of network equipment including but not limited to network switches, servers, routers, and related infrastructure for any and all networked complex medical devices and systems such as imaging, life support, dialysis, and monitoring. Manages, troubleshoots and maintains complete systems of computerized networks, databases and servers including but not limited to biomedical information systems that store or facilitate patient information. Implements and plans for new and emerging technologies including but not limited to diagnostic modalities, network management and storage, and virtual data centers. Investigates, remediates and documents recalls and safety alerts within established timeframes. Participates in local safety improvement processes such as Root Cause Analysis (RCA), safety work groups, and Environment of Care Rounds. Provides training and education as appropriate to medical technology end users and clinical staff. Provides mentoring and technical training to peers and development graded BESS. Work schedule: 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM (Monday through Friday, may be required to work some evenings and weekends)
Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Not Available
Virtual: This not a virtual position.
Functional Statement Title: Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
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 and 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 and two years of experience as a Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist, 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 and two years of experience as a Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist 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 and spoken English. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met. Grade Requirements: GS-12 You may qualify based on your experience or education as described below: Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized Experience includes, but is not limited to: drafting Request for Proposal (RFP) language, Sole-source justifications, Statements of Work (SOW), conducting market research, product evaluations, evaluating contractor performance, and pre-procurements assessments. Consults and advises clinical and administrative staff in evaluating medical equipment proposed for purchase. Determines when healthcare technology, instrumentation, or systems are obsolete, hazardous and/or not cost effective to maintain. Performs incoming inspections on new and unfamiliar medical equipment and systems upon receipt to determine that all government safety regulations, manufacturer's specifications, contract requirements are met. Attends training from in-house as well as outside sources (e.g. attendance in community college courses, vendor service schools, conferences/seminars, etc.) to maintain and improve working knowledge of medical equipment, including current technology and future advances. Provides biomedical equipment related technical training to peer and Developmental BESS's as well as clinical staff. Additionally, you will be rated on the following Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Please make sure that each is addressed in your application package.
Current knowledge of computer virus protection software, available software patches and upgrades, and information security tools.
Expert knowledge of electronics, computer and networking theory with experience maintaining, interfacing and troubleshooting networked medical equipment to include VLAN configuration, IP addressing, sub-netting, and network security.
Ability to utilize and maintain computer and server based medical equipment, medical record databases, and proprietary and generic software, Experience with TCP/IP, HL7, networking, network security, and DICOM standards.
Ability to interpret, identify, and apply network engineering principles and practices where there often times is no previous example to follow, or precedence.
Skill to distinguish networking problems from non-networking and discuss various options with IT networking and operations staff members. 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. 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. Reference: VA Regulations, specifically VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G49,BIOMEDICAL EQUIPMENT SUPPORT SPECIALIST QUALIFICATION STANDARD. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-12 to GS-12. Physical Requirements: Incumbent must be able to stoop, reach, kneel, crouch, and maintain intense concentration for long periods of time under most adverse conditions, such as troubleshooting, repairing and/or calibrating life-saving equipment while it is monitoring and/or supporting the life of a patient. Heavy li