This is a senior level Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (BESS) position in which the applicant consults on the lifecycle management of medical technology(s) for the TeleCritical care program regionally within assigned VISN(s) within VHA. The incumbent is an expert for a specific medical technology (s) and serves as a liaison between Biomedical Engineering staff at VHA, VISN, and facility levels.

Duties

Major duties include, but are not limited to: Provides input on medical technology to local facility and/or VISNs, or National on High-Cost/High-Tech requests as needed. Monitors emerging medical technology and trends across TeleCritical Care Program. Provides consultations on strategic equipment planning as requested. Initiates and participates in technology assessment and product evaluations. Drafts RFP requirements for new equipment purchases, translating clinical needs into technical specifications. Coordinates with regional/VISN and facility stakeholders including but not limited to medical staff, clinical personnel, Biomedical Engineering, OI&T, Facilities Engineering, Patient Safety, Logistics, Contracting, NAC, and equipment manufacturers on medical technology. Provides education and cross-training, sets up local and regional training programs on topics such as networking, a specific medical technology, etc. Coordinates and implements National TeleCritical rollout of technology updates/upgrades and activation of new systems The specialist serves as project leader for installation of equipment that he/she supports. This includes planning and coordinating with other services, identifying and ordering materials and arranging for assistance from other trades and crafts as necessary. The specialist identifies and prepares orders for parts and materials needed to complete repairs on all assigned equipment in a timely manner. They maintain an efficient stock of parts to provide for scheduled preventive maintenance on all assigned equipment and to conduct rapid repairs on critical equipment. They will research alternate sources for parts in order to find parts no longer available from manufacturer as well, as to be fiscally responsible. To ensure the safe, accurate, and reliable operation of medical equipment for all patients and clinical staff, the specialist serves as an in-service educator to clinical staff on such topics as appropriate operator maintenance procedures, proper operational techniques, and electrical safety. They will consult with AMM to ensure consumables needed for medical equipment are ordered and stocked appropriately. Policy and administrative: Reviews and drafts local and/or VISN, and national policies and procedures for implementation as related to the incumbent's area of assignment. Provides education and creates local and/or regional training programs for medical technology as applicable. Establishes and shares best practices for maintaining and managing medical technology. Investigates and advises on medical device and information security issues. Provides support of Repairable Medical Device (RMD) alerts and recalls issued through the Alert & Recall Management System (ARMS). Provides guidance to VHA facilities on applicable regulatory requirements, codes and standards as they apply to the safety, operation, and management of medical instrumentation. Advises on and develops BESS performance standards, competencies, and work methods/approaches throughout the assigned geographic region. Serves as VA BESS liaison to equipment manufacturers for specific technologies at a regional/VISN level. Serves as liaison to clinical Program Offices and VISN personnel for specialized medical technologies. Creates and reviews regional Biomedical Engineering documents including policy, PM procedures/protocols, and technology configuration guidance. Participates in regional/national workgroups and projects to provide technical and Biomedical Engineering expertise. Technical Support: Provides maintenance and technology management to multiple VHA medical centers both remotely and on-site as needed. Serves as regional expert on specific medical technologies and provides consultation on medical technology systems that span across multiple medical centers in the VHA organization. Provides assistance and technical guidance to facility Biomedical Engineering staff (on-site as needed) on preventive and corrective maintenance, shares troubleshooting tips, training, and best practices. Administers guidance on specific technology networking requirements in accordance with established VA Medical Device Cyber Security policies and procedures. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and range of variety, and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. The incumbent supports medical technology systems in multiple facilities in a geographic region Additional duties are performed as assigned by supervisor related to role, e.g., (action items, special projects, etc.) to meet mission critical requirements. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 06:30 AM - 3:00 PM Telework: Telework, if approved, will be on an Ad-Hoc basis only. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

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. 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. 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. Grade Determinations: Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (Geographical Regional Technical Specialist), GS-13 Experience: At least one year of experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level. Certification as a Project Manager highly desired but not required. AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Ability to effectively communicate with professionals of varying levels of technical knowledge within multiple levels of the VHA organization. (b) Ability to coordinate work across multiple settings, e.g., medical centers, VISNs. (c) Knowledge of the codes and standards of VA, TJC, NFPA, AAMI, FDA, and AHA as they apply to the safety and operation of medical instrumentation. (d) Knowledge related to the characteristics, capabilities, installation, and configuration of medical equipment and their associated networks. (e) Ability to analyze regional technical issues and develop timely and economical solutions. Preferred Experience: Phillips eCare Manager Experience, TeleCritical Care/Telehealth experience, Caregility experience, remote monitoring equipment experience, GE experience, AirStrip experience. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/95, PART II, APPENDIX G49 Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application.

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 Minneapolis VA Medical Center One Veterans Drive Minneapolis, MN 55417 US
• Name: Jason Arcand
• Phone: 612-629-7118
• Email: [email protected]