A Medical Technologist (Technical Specialist) facilitates team processes by working in collaboration with team members to ensure that tasks, priorities, goals, needs and achievements are coordinated with management. Provides authoritative consultative services to management at all levels of the organization as it applies to quality management in a clinical laboratory setting. Maintains a laboratory performance improvement program and ensures monitoring of components and customer feedback.

Duties

Major duties include, but not limited to: Provides expert authoritative advice and consultation for more markedly difficult, complex, unique and/or emerging tests requiring special knowledge. Examples include, but are not limited to, molecular/DNA/Genetic/flow cytology/bone marrow/ cancer marker testing. Advises hospital staff at all organizational levels on the aspects of specialized testing. Advises on alternate testing to overcome ambiguities in the clinical diagnoses. Analyzes emerging trends and technology of different reference laboratories to provide the best possible testing methodologies to clients. Applies policies, precedents, regulatory , licensing, and accrediting requirements to establish and monitor appropriate reference laboratories utilized at CTX. Monitors and maintains reference laboratory test menus, acceptable turn-around times, troubleshooting result issues and rejected samples. Monitors, maintains, and implements test requests through the Reference Laboratory LEAF portal. Monitors test analyses and specimen examinations to ensure acceptable levels of performance and initiates corrective action when warranted. Develops and updates technical policies and procedure manuals. Works with laboratory COR to validate invoices for reference laboratories to ensure accurate and timely payments. Maintains effective interdepartmental relations with other services to accomplish medical center goals. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 7:30am - 4:15pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: Medical Technologist (Technical Specialist) - Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP) / PD000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): 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. Education and/or Experience Combination (1) A bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university in medical laboratory science, medical technology, clinical laboratory science or in a related science (e.g., laboratory sciences such as chemistry, biochemistry, biology, microbiology, immunology, etc.). AND completion of a medical technology clinical practice program. Clinical practice programs completed after 1974 must have been accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP, formerly CAHEA), or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). The professional curriculum may have consisted of a post-baccalaureate certificate program or be integrated into a four-year program of study that culminated in a baccalaureate degree. OR, (2) A bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university, including 16 semester hours of biological science (with one course in microbiology), 16 semester hours of chemistry (with one course in organic or biochemistry) and one course in mathematics, AND two years of post-certification clinical laboratory experience (e.g., blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology, immunology, clinical microscopy, etc.) within the last ten years as a certified Medical Laboratory Technician by the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification (ASCP-BOC), American Society of Clinical Pathology Board of Registry (ASCP-BOR) or American Medical Technologists (AMT). This experience must include performing moderate and/or high complexity testing in blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology immunology and clinical microscopy (or categorical experience which matches categorical certification) in a clinical laboratory. (3) A bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university, including 16 semester hours of biological science (with one course in microbiology), 16 semester hours of chemistry (with one course in organic or biochemistry) and one course in mathematics, AND five years of clinical laboratory experience within the last ten years performing moderate and/or high complexity testing in blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology, immunology and clinical microscopy (or categorical experience which matches categorical certification) in a clinical laboratory. Foreign Graduates. Graduates of foreign baccalaureate degree programs meet the educational and/or experience requirements if the degree is found to be equivalent to degree programs recognized by the NAACLS or clinical laboratory experience as described in paragraph 2b(2) or (3) above. This finding may be based on either of the following: (1) A letter from a college or university with a baccalaureate program recognized by the NAACLS stating that the individual's foreign degree has been evaluated and been found to be equivalent to its bachelor of medical technology degree. (2) A letter from ASCP-BOC or AMT stating that the individual is eligible for the certification examination. Certification. Candidates must currently possess the appropriate certification as a MT, MLS, or CLS given by the ASCP-BOC, ASCP-BOR, or AMT. MTs must maintain their certification. Loss of certification will result in removal from the occupation and may result in termination of employment. Grandfathering Provision. All MTs employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including positive education and certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. English Language Proficiency. MTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part. 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: GS-11 Experience. Must have 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the full performance level (GS-9), which is directly related to the position to be filled. Experience would include routine testing, quality control, routine maintenance of instrumentation and troubleshooting. Develop, perform, evaluate, interpret, correlate and validate the accuracy of laboratory procedures and results ensuring all laboratory regulatory requirements are met. Testing procedures are performed on a variety of biological specimens and/or environmental samples using manual or automated techniques, following practices and regulations governing biosafety and biosecurity in the workplace. These require a broad exercise of independent judgment and responsibility, including organizing and setting priorities with minimal technical supervision. The work performed is in a variety of laboratory disciplines, such as chemistry, microbiology, immunology, hematology, and immunohematology. Such positions include requirements to monitor quality control systems and measures; collaborate in the diagnosis and treatment of patients; and provide education for laboratory healthcare professionals and the public in a professional, courteous and effective manner. OR, Education. Must have 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education or a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in medical technology or a directly related field. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: a. Advanced knowledge and understanding of concepts, principles, methodology of medical laboratory technology, regulatory and accrediting agency requirements, medicolegal requirements and pertinent statistics sufficient to perform complex diagnostic tests. b. Skill to apply new scientific/technical developments and theories to laboratory testing. c. Advanced knowledge of instructional techniques to instruct newly hired technologists and clinical pathology residents in proper performance of tests and applications of the laboratory procedures. d. Ability to develop procedures for new tests and modify existing procedures and methods in order to resolve problems relative to complex and difficult situations. e. Advanced knowledge of a particular discipline or function with wide latitude for exercising sound independent judgment. Preferred Experience: >2 years experience researching, processing, resulting, communicating, troubleshooting reference lab orders >2 years experience reviewing/collating/approving reference lab invoices against contract terms. >2 years experience with accreditation readiness >2 years experience investigating/initiating lab quality management/process improvements References: VA Handbook 5005/72, Part II, Appendix G24 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. Physical Requirements: Light Lifting (under 15 lbs); Light Carrying (under 15 lbs); Reaching above shoulder; Use of fingers; Both hands required; Walking (2 to 8 hours); Standing (2 to 8 hours); Repeated bending (2 to 8 hours); Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; Near vision correctable at 13' to 16' to Jaeger 1 to 4: Depth perception; Ability to distinguish basic colors; Ability to distinguish shades of colors; Hearing (aid permitted).

Education

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

Note: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in 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 VA Central Texas Health Care System 1901 Veterans Memorial Drive Temple, TX 76504 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]