These positions are located at the Orlando VA Medical Center (Chemistry, Hematology or Microbiology sections), Viera and Daytona Beach Outpatient Clinics which are part of the Orlando VA Healthcare System. As a Lead Medical Technologist, incumbent occupies a staff position Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (P&LM) Service and participates, develops, performs, evaluates, interprets, correlates, and validates the accuracy of laboratory procedures and results.

Duties

Performs duties as Lead Medical Technologist: Modifies or adapts new methods or techniques to improve or expand services Develops protocols for performance of tests and evaluation of results Ensures that laboratory tests and procedures are consistent with accrediting agencies standards and requirements. Identifies, defines, and resolves issues associated with complex aspects of the data and ensures the validity of data in relation to the test systems Recognizes methodology limitations such as linearity, interference, sensitivity, and specificity and considers these when drawing conclusions about the validity of testing results. Assures corrective action is initiated when test performance deviates from established performance specifications. Performs validation/method verification studies for new systems. Assures Inventory Management Consults with healthcare providers on logical protocol to follow in attempting to confirm the diagnosis or risk assessment of a patient. Performs additional duties as needed in the detailed and assigned Section Provides Instruction: Provides effective and professional training to newly hired medical technologists/technicians and other clinical staff on the theoretical and practical aspects of Chemistry or Hematology and in unique handling of specimens and testing procedures. Stays abreast of new developments and changes in the profession. Provides on-the-job demonstration of laboratory practices and explains procedures to new medical technologist/technicians and other clinical staff. Assist in Establishing and Maintaining Quality Assurance and Quality Control Criteria: Performs and monitors quality control and measures to assure the accuracy and validity of test results. Prepares reagents, assembles equipment and verifies correct instrument operation. Maintains validity of assay system by appropriate testing of reagents prior to use. Evaluates the validity of data in relation to the test system and assay procedures. Correlates and integrates information and performs additional testing to confirm abnormal or unusual testing results. Monitors quality control system daily. Ensures timely and thorough evaluation of data, ensures discrepancies are identified and attended. Obtains data and complies with the practice, procedures and techniques described in the quality improvement program. Adheres to quality control measures, suggests new and revised methods of collecting and evaluating quality control data. Participate in the evaluation and selection of equipment, methods, and procedures needed for the assigned clinical section. Participates in selection of all instruments and methods used in assigned clinical section. Performs and documents evaluations of new methods and instruments in assigned clinical section. Assist in updating and maintaining assigned laboratory section procedure manuals and protocol. - Assists in maintaining procedure manuals in document control platform utilized according to VA, Medical Center policies, FDA, CAP, TJC and CLSI standards and requirements. - Assists in review of procedures in assigned section on a yearly or bi yearly basis according to all regulatory agencies requirements. Work Schedule: May vary by position and location. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases .When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of existing pay, higher or unique qualifications, or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade). Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 80315F 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 Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. 7403(f). 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 inorganic 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, (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 inorganic 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. c. 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. d. Certification. Candidates must have either (1) or (2) below: Candidates must currently possess the appropriate certification as a MT, MLS, or CLS given by the ASCP-BOC, ASCP-BOR, or AMT. 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). f. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. g. English Language Proficiency. MTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part. Grade Determinations: The following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. GS-11 Lead Medical Technologist 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. Assignments. These assignments require specialized training and experience and have wide latitude for exercising independent judgment. Employees must have advanced knowledge of specialized and complex subject matter extending beyond the duties of test performance. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Lead Medical Technologist. Facilitates team or unit processes by working in collaboration with team members to ensure that tasks, priorities, goals and achievements are coordinated with management. Responsible for all aspects of operation in their area of specialty including preparation and maintenance of records and reports, analysis of testing methodologies, training, instrumentation and compliance. Acts as a liaison to other departments of the medical center for the appropriate laboratory specialty. In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: a. Knowledge of medical technology applicable to a wide range of duties to solve complex problems involving diverse aspects of clinical laboratory practice. b. Knowledge of regulatory, licensing and accrediting agency requirements and statutes governing clinical laboratory operations in order to plan, implement or monitor laboratory programs and services. c. Ability to manage and coordinate daily work activities and assignments in a section. d. Skill to maintain, troubleshoot and repair laboratory instrumentation. e. Ability to provide technical oversight in order to manage personnel and work assignments in a manner that assures completion of the laboratory workload. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G24 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-11. Physical Requirements: The work requires regular and recurring physical exertion such as prolonged standing, bending over microscopes, reaching for supplies or materials and lifting moderately heavy items such as centrifuges and record boxes (or occasionally lifting heavier items such as reagent packs, weighing 50 lbs.). 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address Orlando VA Medical Center 13800 Veterans Way Orlando, FL 32827 US
• Name: Olivia Gregg
• Phone: 407-631-8489
• Email: [email protected]