This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

Duties

Basic Medical Technologist Duties Incumbent performs testing procedures on a variety of biological specimens and/or environmental samples using manual and automated techniques. Testing duties in all disciplines require the technologist to perform, evaluate, interpret, correlate and validate the accuracy of laboratory procedures and results. The work involves accurate and timely completion of testing to provide relevant clinical information to physicians crucial to patient care. Incumbent judges the acceptability of samples submitted for testing using a broad body of knowledge of pre-analytic sample requirements. Technologist shows mastery of the VA Laboratory computer software package (VISTA) as job assignments require. Technologist attentively accessions and labels samples and subsamples, records data accurately in logs and worksheets with extreme attention to ID verification and accurate manual recording. Technologist is responsible for recognition of all critical value results and for the effective and immediate communication of those results to the patient's provider following all required steps and documentation. Tech is responsible for mastering the preventive maintenance requirements for a large number of instruments and testing systems. Technologist's practices require thorough understanding and adherence to all safety requirements as per regulatory laws such as used in phlebotomy, proper handling of blood and body fluids, hazardous medical waste, safe chemical handling practices, etc. Technologist is able to serve the needs of other medical center staff seeking advice on the proper ordering of tests, technical information about tests offered and interpretation of test results. Provides effective and professional training to new staff members on theoretical and practical aspects of procedures in use providing demonstration of laboratory practices. Technologist maintains a professional currency through formal education and professional training and networking. Microbiology Advanced Staff Technologist Duties Patient Care / Routine technical: Incumbent is able to correctly correlate a sample to a request and rapidly assess sample acceptability prior to processing and can determine what factors may create misleading results if not resolved prior to set-up. Incumbent correctly screens all sample types appropriate to the scope of practice for the section and based on an up-to-date body of knowledge regarding clinically significant and potentially significant microorganisms: how to recognize, select & isolate them and what tests are required to identify them. Performance of the identification testing requires incumbent to accurately evaluate and interpret patient results based on acceptable functioning of all test processes and to know when there are malfunctions in any of the control, material, procedural and equipment systems used. During identification testing the incumbent is fully knowledgeable regarding appearance of "Bio-Level III" (highly infectious) agents and what special and critical steps are required to ensure containment, safety and notification of management. Performance of antibiotic sensitivity testing requires incumbent to be fully knowledgeable on all classes of antibiotics tested, the spectrum of efficacy of specific drugs within each class, what antibiotics are suitable or inappropriate for organism type and where dangerously misleading results are possible if certain bug/drug combinations are reported. Incumbent reports data to correct patient file using approved wording and where required, notifies provider a final report is available. When a provider contacts the microbiology section with questions or concerns as to the meaning of a report or with general microbiology related questions, the incumbent is able assist in interpretation of reports, provide academic information or to direct provider to appropriate infectious disease consult or other specialty resource Work Schedule: 0600 - 1630, rotate weekends Telework: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 436-51494-O EDRP Authorized: Authorized -The EDRP Contact is [email protected],for questions/assistance Coordinator for questions/assistance.

Requirements

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. 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 A bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university in medical laboratoryscience, 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 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 OR 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: 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. A letter from ASCP-BOC or AMT stating that the individual is eligible for the certification examination Certification. Candidates must have the below: Candidates must currently possess the appropriate certification as a MT, MLS, or CLS given by the ASCP-BOC, ASCP-BOR, or AMT. Grade Determinations: GS-10: Experience. Must have 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, which is directly related to the position to be filled. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Comprehensive knowledge of and skill in applying a wide range of concepts, principles and methodology of the field to perform advanced techniques. Ability to modify or adapt established methods, procedures or techniques to resolve difficult or complex problems. Knowledge of the application of laboratory regulatory requirements. Ability to provide or coordinate staff development and training. Preferred Experience: 1 year of microbiology (including molecular testing, bacteriology cultures, etc.) References: VA Handbook 5005/72, Part II, Appendix G24 The full performance level of this vacancy is 10. Physical Requirements:The duties of the position require periods of sitting, standing, and walking. Work in front of a computer of 1-4 hours per day is required. Some stressful situations may occur. The work is performed in a medical center and involves risk or discomfort that requires safety and universal precautions typical of a medical center environment. The incumbent must be able to perform all activities of the position without restriction. This position involves Heavy Lifting (up to 40 lbs); Heavy Carrying (up to 40 lbs.); Straight Pulling (1-2 hours); Pushing (1-2 hours); Reaching above shoulder (occasional); Use of fingers; Both hands required; Walking (up to 3 hours); Standing (1 hours); Repeated bending (up to 1 hour); Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously; Sitting (up to 6 hours); Near vision correctable at 13" to 16"; 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: 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 SALT LAKE CITY HCS 500 Foothill Drive Salt Lake City, UT 84148 US
• Name: Dominique Johnson
• Phone: 801-582-1565
• Email: [email protected]