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. Program 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

Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Medical Technologist: vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Total-Rewards-of-a-Medical-Technologist-Career-Flyer.pdf The incumbent provides authoritative consultative services to management at all levels of the organization as it applies to quality management in a clinical laboratory setting at the Western Colorado HCS. Maintains a laboratory performance improvement program and ensures monitoring of components and customer feedback. Interacts with management officials and organizations involved in inter-laboratory quality assurance and proficiency testing. These assignments require specialized training and experience. Employees must have advanced knowledge of specialized and complex subject matter extending beyond the duties of test performance. They have wide latitude for exercising independent judgment. 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. Duties/Tasks Serves as a recognized expert and provides authoritative consultative services to management at all levels of the organization. Creates and applies reengineering and continuous performance improvement initiatives, both within the laboratory and/or the organization. Maintains a laboratory performance improvement program and ensures monitoring of components and customer feedback to: Implements effective processes and system controls to ensure the highest possible product quality, service quality, and patient safety. Detects and prevents errors in laboratory practice. Reduces process variations that can cause errors. Improves efficiency of processes without sacrificing quality or safety. Complies with all applicable laws, regulations, policies, precedents, and accreditation requirements. Identifies, defines, and resolves issues associated with complex aspects of the collected data. Provides authoritative representation and interaction with management officials, test reagent and instrumentation manufacturers, and with organizations involved in inter-laboratory quality assurance and proficiency testing. Applies concepts of quality design that are consistent with current or future series of standards for quality management, such as ISO 9000. Work Schedule: MONDAY-FRIDAY 8:00AM-4:30PM MST Compressed/Flexible:AVAILABLE Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): NOT AUTHORIZED Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): NOT AUTHORIZED EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact [email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more 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: Available. Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 55494-O Permanent Change of Station (PCS): NOT AUTHORIZED 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 Language Proficiency: MTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part. Education and/or Experience Combination: Applicants must meet one of the following education/experience options as described below: 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 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: 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). Certification: 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-11 Quality Management Technologist. Provides authoritative consultative services to management at all levels of the organization as it applies to quality management in a clinical laboratory setting. Maintains a laboratory quality management program and ensures monitoring of components and customer feedback. Identifies, defines and resolves issues associated with complex aspects of the collected data. Monitors laboratory quality control systems and performance indicators. Interacts with management officials and vendors providing inter-laboratory quality assurance and laboratory proficiency testing. Develops validation plans for equipment and methodology evaluations and evaluates statistical data collected. Responsible for laboratory continuous readiness for regulating agency inspections and accreditation from agencies such as the Joint Commission (JC) and the College of American Pathologists (CAP). 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. AND Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Advanced knowledge of the concepts, principles and practices of medical technology sufficient to perform the full range of duties involved in planning, coordinating and evaluating laboratory services. Knowledge of quality management standards. Knowledge of accrediting agencies and regulatory requirements pertaining to laboratory operations. Comprehensive knowledge of statistical evaluation and analysis. Knowledge of laboratory operations and relationships to the organization. Comprehensive knowledge of laboratory quality control/assurance policies, procedures and principles, as well as safety practices and regulations. Preferred Experience: Five years as a MLS and one year experience with accreditation inspections and laboratory quality management . References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/72 Transmittal Sheet Formally VA Handbook 5005/15, Part II, Appendix G24 Physical Requirements: Incumbent exercises physical effort in the performance of duties-continually standing, bending, walking, stooping, occasionally lift and carry items weighing up to fifteen pounds. Position also requires operation of the computer keyboard which requires frequent involvement (flexion and extension) of both wrists. Eyestrain may be encountered. Work is performed in areas having adequate heating and cooling and is exposed to bodily fluids and disagreeable odors.

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 VA Western Colorado Health Care System 2121 North Avenue Grand Junction, CO 81501 US
• Name: Melburn VanHorn
• Phone: 6292591467
• Email: [email protected]