The Tuscaloosa VA Clinic located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama is recruiting for a Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) - Chief to work within Sterile Processing Services. The Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) functions as a first-level supervisor responsible for the oversight of a group of MSTs, with administrative responsibility for planning and directing the work. The following incentives may be available for qualified applicants: Recruitment Relocation

Duties

Assignment. The Chief has the overall responsibility for the supervision, administrative management and direction of the SPS. Ensures SPS functions are in compliance with all regulatory mandates. Forecasts, plans, develops and manages the SPS program. Manages SPS personnel and serves as liaison between SPS and other departments. Maintains effective interdepartmental relationships, coordinates and resolves problems, and ensures cooperation with other programs and services. Manages the overall SPS budget including determining resource needs, allocating resources, and ensuring proper utilization in productivity, efficiency and cost effectiveness of SPS operations. Formulates objectives, develops priorities and implements plans that support organizational goals. Ensures operations are in compliance with all safety, regulatory and accrediting requirements. Oversees orientation and training of staff. The Chief, SPS provides leadership and management within SPS and identifies and maintains SPS standards of care in all services provided in collaboration with the Associate Director, Patient Care services. The incumbent demonstrates expertise and comprehensive understanding of infection control practices, asepsis and disinfection/sterilization. The incumbent is responsible for designated second-line supervisory authority, responsibility, and accountability for the extended hour operation of the unit, ensuring that subordinate personnel provide timely, technically accurate, and safe services within accepted standards of clinical and infection control practices. They have operational oversight of the quality assurance program in daily practice in order to ensure that the right instrument, in the right condition, is in the right place, at the right time. In conjunction with the Associate Director, Patient Care Services, the Chief will be responsible for maintaining a comprehensive training program for all SPS staff. This role involves clinical, administrative, research, and educational components which impact patients and healthcare personnel throughout the health care system. The incumbent oversees assessing the decontamination and high-level disinfection/sterilization process inside and outside of SPS, all secondary inventories, and the environment. Based on these, the incumbent analyzes trends, transmits data, communicates recommendations, develops and implements policies, and collaborates with others on the application of evidence-based principles to practice. The incumbent ensures the practice of SPS is consistent with the VA Standards, VISN 7 policies/procedures and external regulatory standards, such as The Joint Commission (TJC), AORN, Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and AAMI. The Chief, SPS plays a leadership role in assuring ongoing systematic evaluation, improvement of quality and effectiveness of SPS processes and practices. The Chief, SPS collaborates with all service lines within the Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center (TVAMC), particularly Specialty Care, Primary Care, and Infection Control. The incumbent is responsible for meeting all performance goals including quality of care standards, productivity targets, efficiency and process improvement measures, patient/customer satisfaction, accessibility to care, and budgetary targets. The Chief, SPS assists with the development and completion of action plans associated with instrument processing, decontamination, sterilization, biological monitoring, high level disinfection monitoring, and inventory concerns in secondary storage supplies. Performs other duties as assigned Physical Demands: This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. Transferring patients and objects may be required. May be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don personal protective equipment. May occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. Must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. Transferring patients and objects may be required. May be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don personal protective equipment. May occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. Must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. Work Schedule: 07:30-16:00 Monday-Friday Functional Statement #: 54486-0 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Authorized

Requirements

Qualifications

Assignment. The GS-10 Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) - Chief functions as a first-level supervisor responsible for the oversight of a group of MSTs, with administrative responsibility for planning and directing the work. Conducts staff performance appraisals. Oversees attendance and leave, including approval of sick and annual leave and vacation schedules. Informs higher level management of anticipated vacancies or increases in workload. Recommends promotions, reassignments, recognition of superior performance, retention or release of probationary employees or other changes of assigned personnel. Holds corrective interviews with employees, referring disciplinary problems to higher levels of management. Resolves informal complaints of employees and deals with union representatives on personnel matters. Provides technical supervision necessary for accomplishing the work of the organizational unit. Basic Requirements: (in addition to meeting the basic requirements applicants will still be required to meet Knowledge, Skills and Abilities at the next lower grade level GS-09 in order to be referred to the hiring manager.) a. Citizenship: Citizen of the United States. Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, paragraph 3g. b. Experience and/or Education: Experience. Six months of experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work; or Education. One year above high school that included at least 6 semester hours in health care related courses such as sterile processing, nursing assistant, hospital corpsman, and operating room and surgical technician courses or other courses related to the position; or Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable. c. Certification. None. d. Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs. e. Physical Requirements. The work requires standing and walking during the entire workday and frequent bending and lifting of packages (occasionally weighing as much as 50 pounds). The work requires dexterity and visualacuity for manipulating, disassembly and assembly of instrumentation. f. English Language Proficiency. MSTs must be proficient in spoken and written English Grade Requirements: a. Creditable Experience. (1) Knowledge of Current MST Practices. Experience in Sterile Processing and advanced knowledge of SPS standards and practices. To be creditable, the experience must have demonstrated the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) associated with MST responsibilities. Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid/non-paid employment. (2) Quality of Experience. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to MST experience at the next lower grade level of the position being filled. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. (3) Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience as a MST is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example, a MST employed 20 hours a week, or on a 1/2-time basis, would receive 1 full-time workweek of credit for each 2 weeks of service. Grade Determinations: GS-10 Supervisory Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) - Chief a. Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, GS-9. b. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: 1. Ability to implement and incorporate regulations, policies, and procedures to manage SPS operations. 2. Ability to evaluate new products and equipment, develop options, and make recommendations. 3. Ability to integrate SPS managerial duties, which includes strategic planning of facility organizational goals and integration of SPS vision and values within the organizational mission. 4. Ability to perform a full range of supervisory duties, including assigning, planning and evaluating work, recommending awards, approving leave, identifying training needs, and resolving staff issues. 5. Skill to initiate and lead interdisciplinary groups in order to facilitate daily SPS functions. 6. Ability to analyze and interpret fiscal data in order to forecast resource and equipment needs. Assignment. The Chief has the overall responsibility for the supervision, administrative management and direction of the SPS. Ensures SPS functions are in compliance with all regulatory mandates. Forecasts, plans, develops and manages the SPS program. Manages SPS personnel and serves as liaison between SPS and other departments. Maintains effective interdepartmental relationships, coordinates and resolves problems, and ensures cooperation with other programs and services. Manages the overall SPS budget including determining resource needs, allocating resources, and ensuring proper utilization in productivity, efficiency and cost effectiveness of SPS operations. Formulates objectives, develops priorities and implements plans that support organizational goals. Ensures operations are in compliance with all safety, regulatory and accrediting requirements. Oversees orientation and training of staff. Oversees orientation and training of staff, instrument tracking, and quality assurance. Preferred Experience 1. One year minimum experience required. This cannot be substituted with education. 2. Experienced in Sterile Processing and advanced knowledge of SPS standards and practices. 3. At level comparable to MST experience at the next lower grade level of the position. 4. Implementing and incorporating regulations, policies, and procedures to manage SPS operations. 5. Evaluating new products and equipment, develop options, and making recommendations. 6. Integrating SPS managerial duties, which includes strategic planning of facility organizational goals and integration of SPS vision and values within the organizational mission. 7. performing a full range of supervisory duties, including assigning, planning and evaluating work, recommending awards, approving leave, identifying training needs, and resolving staff issues. 8. Initiating and leading interdisciplinary groups in order to facilitate daily SPS functions. 9. Analyzing and interpreting fiscal data in order to forecast resource and equipment needs. Preferred: VHA SPS Certification or current national certification through Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA) or Certified Board for Sterile Processing and Distribution (CBSPD). 10.VHA SPS Certification or current, national certification through HSPA or CBSPD. 11. Currently working in Sterile Processing Note: All males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered with the Selective Service. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/76 PART II, APPENDIX G-47, dated May 28, 2014.The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-08.

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 Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center 3701 Loop Road East Tuscaloosa, AL 35404 US
• Name: Amber Higgins
• Phone: (205) 933-8101 X333587
• Email: [email protected]