The purpose of this position is to serve as a Medical Technologist in P&LMS at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital. The Technical Specialist rotates work bench assignments, assuring coverage of all areas of responsibility. He/she advises the technologist in resolving issues/conflicts/discrepancies which may include researching references the incumbent develops, performs, evaluates, interprets, correlates, and validates the accuracy of laboratory procedures and results.

Duties

Specific duties of the Technical Specialist include: A. Serves as an expert providing authoritative advice and consultation for more markedly difficult, complex, unique, and/or emerging test requiring special knowledge. Examples, but not limited to, special chemistry, electrophoresis, HPLC, drug testing, urinalysis, immunoassays, immunofixation, principles of quality control and quality assurance B. Conducts studies and recommends changes to correct deficiencies and improve the specialty area. Recommends new or replacement instrumentation. C. Design's workflow to accomplish objectives in the clinical specialty area. D. Advises all organizational levels on various aspects of the specialized testing, including the appropriateness of specific tests and takes into consideration the clinical context and usefulness of the test information. Advises on alternate testing to overcome ambiguities in the clinical diagnoses. E. Identifies training needs appropriate for the type and complexity of the laboratory services performed. F. Identifies defines, and resolves issues associated with complex aspects of data or unique or controversial aspects of the testing where no direct precedent exists. G. Skilled in informatics, laboratory data flow and statistical techniques. H. Analyzes emerging trends and technology and adopts appropriate methods and testing. I. Applies laws, policies, and precedents, regulatory, licensing, and accrediting requirements to establish, monitor, and maintain the specialized testing. J. Maintains process control in a specialty area through a multifaceted quality assurance program. K. Ability to write complex written procedures. L. Ability to communicate effectively, consult and interact well with other members of the healthcare team, external relations, customer service and patient education. M. Ability to provide technical oversight and assign personnel and tasks to be accomplished in a manner that assures completion of the workload. N. Ability to provide independent bench assistance in short, staffed situations. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Dayshift, Monday - Friday with rotating weekends and holidays, hours to be determined. Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized to a Highly Qualified Candidate with a service agreement. 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. English Language Proficiency: Medical technologists must be proficient in spoken and written English. Education: (Must submit a copy of transcripts) 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 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. OR 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 following: A letter from a college or university with a baccalaureate program recognized by the NAACLS stating that the individuals's foreign degree has been evaluated and been found to be equivalent to its bachelor of medical technology degree. A letter from ASCP-BOC or AMT stating that the individual is eligible for certification examination. Certification. Candidates must have either (1) or (2) below: (1) Candidates must currently possess the appropriate certification as a MT, MLS, or CLS given by the ASCP-BOC, ASCP-BOR, or AMT. (2) For positions up to the full performance level, candidates must currently possess the categorical or specialist technologist level certification from the certification agencies listed above, such as, but not limited to, chemistry (C/SC), hematology (H/SH), microbiology (M/SM), molecular biology (MB/SMB) and blood bank (BB/SBB). Technologists with categorical or specialist certifications may only perform duties within the area of the laboratory specific to their categorical certification (e. g., an individual with a chemistry (C) certification can only perform duties in chemistry)(Must submit a copy of certification). 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: To qualify for the GS-11, you must possess one of the following: 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. 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. In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 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. Skill to apply new scientific/technical developments and theories to laboratory testing. 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. Ability to develop procedures for new tests and modify existing procedures and methods in order to resolve problems relative to complex and difficult situations. Advanced knowledge of a particular discipline or function with wide latitude for exercising sound independent judgment. Preferred Experience: Experience with Hematology, Coagulation, and Immunology instruments. quality control processes, calibrations, validations. Strong knowledge in Excel, computer interfacing, regression analysis, BioRad Unity, Instrument Manager, Accutrak, Insight Sysmex and EP Evaluator. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II Appendix G24, Medical Technologist Qualification Standard, GS-0644 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. Physical Requirements: The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion such as long periods of standing, bending over microscope, reaching for supplies or material, and lifting moderately heavy items such as centrifuges and record boxes (or occasionally lifting heavier items such as reagent packs). The work may require specific physical characteristics and abilities such as dexterity (to perform intricate collection or analysis procedures) and color vision.

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 James A Haley Veterans Hospital 13000 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard Tampa, FL 33612 US
• Name: Davina Cook
• Phone: 407-631-8616
• Email: [email protected]