Summary

This Medical Instrument Technician Echocardiology position is located at the West Roxbury - MA campus for the VA Boston Healthcare System in the Specialty Care Service. This position is full time at 40 hours per week.

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. Applicants must be fully qualified by the closing date of this announcement.

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
• Education: There are no specific educational requirements for this occupation
• English Language Proficiency: Medical Instrument Technicians must be proficient in spoken and written English
• Licensure or Certification: Licensure or Certification is not required for this occupation
• however - it is strongly desirable at GS-6 or above as evidence of possession of the essential knowledge - skills - and abilities
• Grade Determinations: Medical Instrument Technician (Echocardiology) GS-9: In addition to the core competencies defined at the GS-8 full performance level - positions at this grade may be lead - supervisory - or non-supervisory with specialized advanced knowledge and assignments
• Experience: At least 1 year of experience comparable to the next lower grade level (GS-8) - which is directly related to the duties of the position to be filled and must fully meet the KSAs at that level
• This would be experience which demonstrates possession of the knowledge required in order to provide all aspects of echocardiography services
• Echocardiography technicians at this level identify and record anomalies indicative of disease - injury - or other medically significant condition from ultrasound imaging and simultaneous recordings of the Doppler
• They incorporate the causes and results of a variety of symptoms and conditions into a plan of ultrasonic diagnostic examination
• They change and develop sounding techniques to accommodate such variables as limited patient mobility - variation in physical condition or dimension of the patient - presence of prosthesis or foreign objects - and ultrasonic response of different body parts
• They produce diagnostic quality images and Doppler frequency recordings using M-mode - two-dimensional - and Doppler ultrasound.
• GS-8 Knowledge - Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the one year of experience - applicants must also demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to produce diagnostic quality images and Doppler frequency shift recordings using M-mode - two-dimensional - pulsed and continuous wave Doppler spectral display - and color flow Doppler imaging
• Knowledge of normal echocardiographic findings and deviations produced by a wide variety of cardiovascular diseases
• Ability to perform complex procedures such as cardiac studies of the four chambers of the heart and valves using sector scanning techniques to detect stenotic and incompetent valves - chamber enlargement - and pericardial effusion and cardiovascular studies deriving pressure gradients across obstructed valves - etc
• Ability to perform complementary ultrasonic examinations (including noninvasive) transthoracic - Bubble studies and contrast echocardiography - (invasive) stress echocardiography - and transesophageal echocardiography
• Ability to adapt transducer positioning - instrument controls - and examination techniques to the individual patient being studied and the problem being evaluated including recognizing pertinent abnormalities and documenting abnormal findings
• GS-9 Knowledge - Skills and Abilities (KSAs)
• KSAs 1 - 2 - and 3 are appropriate for all positions at this level
• KSAs 4 and 5 are to be used in accordance with their appropriateness for the specific assignment
• Knowledge of the more complex examination and treatment procedures and techniques in order to provide training and supervision in these procedures - to evaluate and initiate performance improvement projects - and to write policies - procedures - and protocols - that pertain to Echocardiography
• Ability to communicate effectively and professionally with employees at varying grade levels
• Knowledge of JCAHO and other regulatory requirements
• Ability to manage and supervise employees Ability to provide or provide for - staff development and training
• Preferred Experience: 5 years of experience in adult Echocardiography - ability to travel to satellite location - knowledge of stress treadmill and dobutamine stress echo - knowledge of strain imaging - and knowledge of 3D imaging
• Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) - ARDMS or CCI certification/registry is desirable
• Certification: No certification is required
• however - it is desirable that employees at this level have one or more of the following certifications/Registrations: Registration by the Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI) as a Registered Cardiac Sonographer (RCS) or by the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (ARDMS) as a Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer (RDS)
• Basic Cardiac Life Support (BCLS) and Advanced Cardiac Lift Support (ACLS) certifications
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-9. Physical Requirements: The incumbent must be able to travel to treatment areas with ease while pushing an Echo Machine
• The incumbent must be able to stand for up to 8-10 hours while providing patient care
• The incumbent must be able to lift up to 20 pounds of equipment - supplies and records
• The incumbent must be able to manipulate the probes during the procedure - pushing against the patient's chest to obtain the appropriate images
• Additionally - the incumbent will be required to transport patients on stretchers - beds and wheelchairs
• There is the potential for extended periods of sitting at computer terminals
• The incumbent is expected to use proper preventive ergonomic techniques to perform duties
• SF-50 - Notification of Personnel Action (for Eligibility and/or Time-in-Grade): (FOR CURRENT AND FORMER CIVILIAN FEDERAL EMPLOYEES ONLY
• IF YOU HAVE NEVER WORKED FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT - PLEASE DISREGARD) If you are a current federal employee - you must attach your most recent - non-award SF-50
• This SF-50 should not be more than a year old and must show your current position - grade and step
• Award SF-50's typically do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted if they do not include Grade and Step
• In order to clearly demonstrate you possess the time-in-grade as required by the announcement - additional SF-50s should be attached which clearly demonstrate the minimum time-in-grade requirement
• Please note that having steps does NOT show time-in-grade
• When in doubt - submit your most previous (within the last year) AS WELL AS an SF-50 that is OVER 1 YEAR OLD
• Examples of appropriate SF-50's include: -Within grade increases at the highest grade held -Promotions with an effective date more than one year old -SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old PLEASE CONTACT THE HR SPECIALIST LISTED ON THE ANNOUNCMENT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THE PROPER SF-50S
• NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE AFTER THE CLOSING DATE.

Duties

• Medical Instrument Technicians for Echocardiography at the GS-9 is above full performance level
• The incumbent responsible for performing echocardiography exams which range from the routine to the complex in all echocardiography modalities
• Responsibilities also include varied administrative duties - staff development and supervisory functions which may require problem solving - communication and writing skills - as well as knowledge of regulatory and industry compliance and accreditation issues
• Duties for the position include but are not limited to: Perform real time 3-dimensional cardiac ultrasound using on-line and off- line computer enhancement and reconstruction technology - 3-dimensional Q-Lab analysis - and 3D cropping tools
• Provide training and supervision to students in cutting-edge modalities
• Perform basic echocardiograms as well as complex procedures such s stress exercise and dobutamine echocardiograms - saline contrast studies - contrast echocardiography - research protocols - valve cases and assist with transesophageal echocardiograms as needed
• Adhere to all lab protocols and adjust the scanning procedures to the specific pathology as it presents itself
• Set up and maintain the echocardiography laboratory's transesophageal equipment
• Assist the supervisor in writing lab and scanning procedures - protocols and policies for Quality Assurance and IAC accreditation
• Assist with special projects and datable operations
• Assist in managing and maintaining IAC accreditation for the Echo Lab
• Compile QA data - and on an ongoing basis present finding to Medical and Technical Directors
• Act as the lab liaison between IAC and the echo lab to ensure all required documents are submitted
• Assist in creating ideas to better manage workflow and organization of the laboratory via project management plans
• Liaison to triage equipment problems and communication with other departments to correct malfunctions
• Work Schedule: Full Time - Monday - Friday 8:30am - 5pm Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 523-F03633 Recruitment Incentives/Sign On Bonus: May be authorized for highly qualified applicants
• Relocation: May be authorized for highly qualified applicants Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): 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 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) 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) NOTIFICATIONS: This position is not a Bargaining Unit position
• Due to critical staffing shortage - U.S.C. 7412 waives the requirement to apply Veteran's preference for this job announcement
• Position is covered by a special rate
• This position is in the Excepted Service
• The incumbent may be required to travel to other Boston VA campuses and CBOC's
• Current and former Federal employees may be required to submit copies of their most recent SF-50 - (Notice of Personnel Action)
• The SF-50 must identify the position title - series - grade - step - tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted)
• In some cases - more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held
• Narrative responses to the knowledge - skills and abilities (KSAs) may be required from the selectee in order to proceed with the appointment.