The Medical Technologist (Advanced Staff Technologist) position is located in Pathology & Laboratory Service. Responsible for performing procedures in the areas of Send Out testing and Client Services. The Medical Technologist performs technical & non-technical duties to meet the Veteran Health Administration, College of American Pathologists, and The Joint Commission regulatory agencies. This individual performs duties under the guidance of the Administrative Manager.

Duties

Duties may include but are not limited to: 1. Identifies, evaluates, and solves problems related to the send out testing program. 2. Communicates with Reference Laboratory representatives as necessary to implement new tests and provides Laboratory Information Manager necessary information to establish reference tests in VistA/CPRS. 3. Assists with writing procedures or other documents as directed regarding new reference lab test requirements. 4. Creates educational programs to train laboratory staff for new reference lab test requirements. 5. Handles infectious materials and is responsible for sending samples to the testing referral sites following appropriate regulatory and packing/shipping requirements, and specimen requirements of requested testing laboratory. 6. Maintains records for courier services and samples sent to referral laboratories for accountability of specimens referred to outside facilities. 7. Responsible for the generation of laboratory results from the work area into the laboratory computer system and for the editing and verification of the results recorded into the computer system. Evaluates the validity of data needing to be scanned into CPRS. 8. Ensures timeliness of testing results of all samples submitted to reference testing facilities. Monitors incomplete list, follows up, resolves issues with delayed samples. 9. Monitors test utilization reports from reference lab for ordering trends or outliers that need to be addressed and reported to the Administrative Manager. 10. Reviews quality statistics from reference lab and identifies and trends or outliers to address. 11. Collaborates with other send out areas within Pathology and Lab to maintain consistency of processes. 12. Recommends monthly allocations and maintains obligation records. Responsible for processing, requesting, and certifying as applicable the payment of all send out test invoices. 13. Enters purchase order requests for send out tests not on contract and other supplies requested. 14. Maintains supplies appropriate for send out testing and office supplies in the stock room. 15. Serves as the liaison with logistics to ensure appropriate supplies are maintained in the stockroom for pathology and lab. 16. Creates and performs customer service training for the laboratory Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday 7:30am to 4:00pm Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized EDRP Authorized: Authorized 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: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Candidates must currently possess the appropriate certification as a MT, MLS, or CLS given by the ASCP-BOC, iASCP-BOR, or AMT. Basic Education and/or Experience requirements: (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 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 (iASCP-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 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. 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). 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: The following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. GS-10 Advanced Staff Technologist: 1. 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: 1. Comprehensive knowledge of and skill in applying a wide range of concepts, principles and methodology of the field to perform advanced techniques. 2. Ability to modify or adapt established methods, procedures or techniques to resolve difficult or complex problems. 3. Knowledge of the application of laboratory regulatory requirements. 4. Ability to provide or coordinate staff development and training. Medical Technologists at this level perform more complex laboratory functions and have a higher level of professional oversight responsibilities. Duties may include specific targeted laboratory responsibilities or projects such send out program specialist, customer service program specialist, supply room manager, and quality control file maintenance. Duties may include, but are not limited to, any of the following: serves as primary program specialist for send outs; primary client service liaison for the laboratory, customer service specialist and trainer; supply room management to include office supplies and laboratory supplies; assists in writing procedures and other documents as directed; oversight of the clinical training experiences of technical and professional level technologist or technician training programs in order to fulfill educational and professional requirements (where training programs exist);provides technical training and guidance to students, residents, staff and other employees; recommends updated guidelines and policies in compliance with regulatory requirements for nonroutine or complex assignments; coordinates the laboratory competency program; and coordinates the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act (CLIA) laboratory proficiency/survey program. References: VA Handbook 5005 G24The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-10. Physical Requirements: Work is sedentary but also demands standing, walking, bending, twisting, and carrying light items

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 Central Virginia VA Health Care System 1201 Broad Rock Boulevard Richmond, VA 23249 US
• Name: Martina Henderson
• Phone: 8045046811
• Email: [email protected]