This position is located under the Healthcare Technology Management Service of the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System, Bay Pines, FL. The Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (BESS) provides clinical and administrative support to staff, patients & administrators for all matters of concern relating to the facility wide lifecycle management of networks, networked medical equipment and associated systems.

Duties

The duties of a Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (BESS) include but are not limited to the following: Lifecycle management of all medical systems such as imaging, life support, dialysis, and monitoring to include physical and network support. Coordinates and works effectively with other facility support departments including but not limited to Facilities Management Service (FMS), Office of Information Technology (OIT), Patient Safety, Sterile Processing Service (SPS), Logistics, Contracting, Informatics, and Environmental Management Service (EMS). Specific tasks include but are not limited to incoming inspections, regular and unscheduled maintenance, and planning for end-of-life replacement in conjunction with clinical services. Utilizes common test equipment including, but not limited to patient simulators, pulse generators, network analyzers, test phantoms, electrical safety analyzers, oscilloscopes, and multimeters. Maintains functional knowledge of relevant safety codes and standards of regulatory bodies including, but not limited to, The Joint Commission (T JC), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI). Applies basic networking principles to resolve medical system communication issues including, but not limited to, node to server failures. Adheres to VA Medical Device Cyber Security policies and procedures in pre-procurement, during system implementation, and throughout the life of the system. Loads operating system (OS) and clinical application software as needed. Executes VA policy when responding to network incident response (due to infection, loss of services due to policy changes). As assigned, functions as a Contracting Officer Representative (COR) and keeps appropriate certification levels. Uses knowledge of government contract procedures and documentation requirements to develop statements of work, sole source justifications, other applicable documentation (VA Form 6550, Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE), etc.) and to oversee vendor work. Collaborates with Logistics and Contracting to procure parts and services; functions as a purchase cardholder, as required. Investigates, remediates, and documents Repairable Medical Device (RMD) recall and safety alerts issued through the VA Alerts and Recall Management System (ARMS) within established timeframes. Participates in local safety improvement processes such as Root Cause Analysis (RCA), safety workgroups, and Environment of Care Rounds. Identifies hazards during routine job performance and takes action to ensure they are addressed and corrected. Provides training and education as appropriate to medical technology end-users and clinical staff. Provides mentoring and technical training to peers and BESS at developmental levels. May be tasked with leading and managing installation or upgrade projects for medical devices and systems. This includes but is not limited to pre-implementation planning and coordination with end-users, vendors, and other onsite support staff (OIT, Informatics, SPS, etc.) Additional duties are performed as assigned by the supervisor related to maintenance, remediation, and tracking of medical systems (action items, special projects, etc.) to meet mission-critical requirements. May be asked to assist in other administrative duties as well, including participating in hiring panels. Represents Healthcare Technology Management Service on committees and in meetings as delegated by supervisor. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 7:00am - 3:30pm Travel: Occasional travel required, up to 25% of the time Compressed/Flexible: Available Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 20394F, 20395F, 20396F, 20382F Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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: Citizenship. Must be a citizen of the United States English Language Proficiency. Biomedical Equipment Support Specialists (BESS) must be proficient in spoken and written English. Experience and/or 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, Education. 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. Licensure/Certification/Registration. None Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA as a BESS 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 that is part of the basic requirements of the occupation. GRADE DETERMINATIONS Biomedical Equipment Support Specialists, GS-5 Experience or Education. None beyond basic requirements. Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist, GS-7 Experience. At least one year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level such as: providing support of basic medical equipment an systems to include, but not limited to installation, preventive maintenance, troubleshooting, repair, calibrations and safety inspections. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Ability to read, interpret, and apply a great variety of technical data such as schematic drawings, wiring diagrams, table charts, mathematical expressions and formulas. (b) Ability to learn equipment maintenance, operating procedures, and repair procedures from training materials and courses. (c) Fundamental knowledge of electronics to include analog, digital and microprocessor theory, pneumatics, hydraulics, optics, electro-mechanics, physics, basic networking, and chemistry. (d) Knowledge of the use of standard level test equipment to include, but not limited to, multimeters, electrical safety analyzers, patient simulator, storage oscilloscopes, manometers, tachometers, etc. (e) Knowledge of anatomy, physiology, medical terminology, medical equipment, and technology. (f) Knowledge of basic networking, computer/server hardware/software and information technologies and computer virus protection software, available software patches and upgrades, and information security tools (i.e. Microsoft Office, Windows operating systems, McAfee, etc.) Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist, GS-9 Experience. At least one year of experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of electronics and electricity including analog and intermediate digital electronics to test, calibrate, maintain, and repair biomedical equipment and moderately complex biomedical instrumentation systems. (b) Skill in the setup and use of standard and advanced level test equipment to perform precise and detailed analysis of the operating and design characteristics of equipment and initiate repairs, reconfiguration, or redesign of moderately complex medical systems. (c) Skill in applying theory, concepts, techniques, design characteristics, operation, and functions to assist and support installation, operation, test, maintenance, repair, design, and modification for a comprehensive range of medical equipment connected to networks or other operating systems. (d) Ability to evaluate practical and technical information from manufacturers, contract specifications, manuals, and historical data in order to perform analysis required to make effective recommendations concerning operation, maintenance, and repair of medical equipment. (e) Ability to perform testing and troubleshooting of medical devices involving their interfaces and connections to other medical devices, clinical systems, or information systems either directly or through the hospitals hardwired and wireless networks. (f) Ability to use application software and hardware as it relates to the operation and diagnostics of medical equipment. (g) Knowledge of computer equipment with a wide variety of software to input and retrieve data as required, and to prepare a variety of specific working documents and forms such as spreadsheet, database, word processing, and other similar products. Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist, GS-11 Experience. At least one year of experience equivalent to the GS-9 grade level. ***Certification. Certification as a Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician (CBET), Certified Laboratory Equipment Specialist (CLES), Net+ and A+ are highly desirable at this level but not required.*** Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs).In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of a wide range of sciences including, but not limited to, electronics (analog and digital), computer science/networking, mechanical engineering design, pneumatics, hydraulics, chemistry, physiology, medical terminology, anatomy, optics, and biology to perform duties of a broad scope and nature on complex and sophisticated patient-related medical systems and sub-systems. (b) Ability to perform advanced testing and troubleshooting of medical devices involving their interfaces and connections to information systems either directly or through the hospitals hardwired and wireless networks. (c) Knowledge of codes and standards relevant to safe operation of medical instrumentation such as National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the Joint Commission (TJC), and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI). (d) Skill in the use of all types of test and calibration equipment such as digital multi-meters, electrical safety analyzers, defibrillator analyzers, patient simulators, digital oscilloscopes, pulse generators, and Local Area Network (LAN) analyzers in performing troubleshooting/repair and preventive maintenance activities. (e) Ability to configure and maintain medical servers and desktop computers.(f) Knowledge of contracting regulations, requirements, and specific contract specifications including performance-based contracts. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-5 to GS-11. Physical Requirements: The position duties are physically demanding involving walking, sitting, standing, climbing ladders, crouching, crawling, stooping, reaching, kneeling, and some prolonged periods of intense concentration, under adverse conditions. Lifting of objects between 10 and 40 pounds is common, and on occasion lifting of heavier objects is necessary. Trips to satellite outpatient clinics are sometimes necessary and will involve transportation via station vehicle or privately ­owned vehicle. References: VA Handbook 5005 Part II, Appendix G49

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address CW Bill Young Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 10000 Bay Pines Boulevard Bay Pines, FL 33744 US
• Name: Edit Sedgwick
• Phone: 407-242-7396
• Email: [email protected]