This position is located in the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), mid-Atlantic Healthcare Network (VISN 6) Salisbury, NC and is organizationally aligned under the Biomedical Section at the W.G Hefner VA Medical Center. The Lead Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (BESS) works in support of the Biomedical Engineering Department by managing workload among assigned employees.

Duties

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. 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, and outpatient clinics). Lifecycle management of network equipment including, but not limited to, network switches, servers, routers and related infrastructure as well as networked complex medical devices and systems such as imaging, life support, dialysis, and monitoring. Performs installation, testing and troubleshooting of medical devices and systems involving their interfaces and connections to information systems either directly or through the facility's hardwired and wireless networks. Manage, troubleshoot, and maintain complete systems of computerized networks, databases and servers including, but not limited to, biomedical information systems that store or facilitate patient information. Implement and plan for new and emerging technologies including but not limited to diagnostic modalities, network management and storage, and virtual data centers. Design, implement, and manage network incident response due to infection, loss of service, or regional and local policy changes according to VA guidelines. Ensure proper security configuration for assigned devices and networks. Regularly review and install available approved software updates and virus definitions for applicable networked medical devices (vulnerability management). Lead development of disaster recovery procedures for critical systems to be enacted in the event of device failure. Adhere to Medical Device Isolation Architecture Guidelines in both pre-procurement and during system implementation. Load operating system and clinical application software as needed. Performs advanced testing and troubleshooting of medical devices and systems involving their interfaces and connections to information systems either directly or through the facility's hardwired and wireless networks. 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 (AAMI). Documents all work performed in the computerized maintenance management system (CMMS). Participates in local safety improvement processes such as Root Cause Analysis (RCA), and safety work groups. Identifies hazards during routine job performance and takes action to ensure they are addressed and corrected. Maintains knowledge of the state of the art in medical technology, including scientific advances, network protocols, and vendor changes. Provides training and education as appropriate to medical technology end users and clinical staff. Represents Biomedical/Clinical Engineering department on committees and in meetings as delegated by supervisor. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm

Requirements

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENTS Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. After a determination is made that it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens, necessary personnel may be appointed on a temporary basis under authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 without regard to the citizenship requirements of 38 U.S.C. 7402 or any other law prohibiting the employment of or payment of compensation to a person who is not a citizen of the United States. Candidates must meet all other requirements for the grade and position concerned. 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. (Transcripts required) Or, Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering Technology or in a related field such as Electronics Engineering Technology (EET) or Information Technology. (Transcripts required) 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. (DD 214 required) GRADE DETERMINATIONS. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates: Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist, GS-12 Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of VA, NFPA, FDA, NRC, The Joint Commission, and other relevant safety and radiation safety standards. Ability to work on medical equipment if needed to maintain compliant workflow. Knowledge of project management principles required to effectively and efficiently manage multiple, concurrent projects. Skill in communication to interact with clinical, technical and managerial staff. Ability to instruct staff, individuals, manage priorities, and schedule own work assignments. References: VA Handbook 5005/95 Part II Appendix G49 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: Maintenance, repair, inspect and calibrate a wide variety of technical medical electronic equipment. Involves some bending, stretching. Use of carts and ladders and light power tools. Working under stressful deadlines.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: 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. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address WG Bill Hefner Salisbury VA Medical Center 1601 Brenner Avenue Salisbury, NC 28144 US
• Name: Kristopher Palmer
• Email: [email protected]