Duties

Summary

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. 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. Learn more

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

The incumbent develops and recommends new policies and procedures regarding the installation and use of the laboratory information system (LIS) in conjunction with the overall hospital information system (HIS). Provides authoritative advice and consultation on the information system as they apply to the clinical laboratory.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Develops and recommends new policies and procedures regarding the installation and use of the laboratory information system (LIS) or the hospital information system (HIS).
• Installs, configures, and implements data management solutions and interface connections between the HIS and laboratory instruments, analyzers and medical devices, including point-of-care instruments, referral laboratory equipment and barcode label printers in the main facility and CBOCs.
• Primary LIM Support focus includes all areas of the laboratory including Central Lab, Reference Lab, Data Innovations, Ancillary Testing, Anatomic Pathology, Blood Bank, Phlebotomy and Microbiology.
• Responsible for the development, deployment and maintenance of Instrument Manager-based decision support algorithms (Rules).
• Implements and maintains coding and mapping for laboratory test ordering, reporting, billing, and workload recording systems.
• Analyzes emerging trends, software, and technology and adopts appropriate methods for local programs to meet agency goals.
• Advises all organizational levels on various aspects of the functions and capabilities of the information system.
• Establish baseline measures (data collection, analysis, reporting) through standardized methodologies pre- and post-implementation.
• Serves as a recognized expert to provide authoritative advice, training and consultation on the information system.
• Participates/Supports VISN wide software implementation advisory group. Ensures testing and deadline compliance for software upgrades, information security upgrades and software patches inclusive of audit trail documentation.
• Serves as the liaison between administration, clinical staff, and technical staff regarding the clinical, business, technical operations management processes associated with each specific laboratory application and CPRS.
• Serves as the Privacy Liaison for P&LMS.
• Ensures local compliance with information and cyber security requirements, including design and maintenance of the computer downtime contingency plan, inventory and critical device lists, quarterly computer access reviews, and annual testing and reporting of contingency testing.
• Serves as the local expert for authoritative advice on laboratory coding, workload, and billing compliance issues.
• Plans and implements laboratory improvement programs related to information technology.
• Determines training needs of personnel and arranges for or personally develops and presents required training.
• Creates and implements new tests ensuring accurate test name, specimen requirements, results format, reference ranges, test descriptions and comments, workload and billing codes as new tests are implemented as well as tests sent to referral laboratories.
• Participates in/supports quality assurance and performance improvement initiatives involving the service.
• Organizes/maintains LIM manuals and records in the spirit of continuous readiness within accreditation guidelines and VA regulations.
• Requests access for new users. Provides training for new users and for existing users regarding the implementation of new programs such as VBEC.
• Ensures that quality and proficiency for testing programs are being maintained as necessary and evaluates for trends and variations. Validates accuracy of updates to computer programs.
• Collects and analyzes data. Reports to laboratory staff. Responds to requests for quality assurance data from facility staff and regulatory agencies.
• Develops and maintains quality assurance procedures for new and existing methods including designating required data, implementing data collection methods utilizing the VA computer system, and identifies parameters and acceptable ranges for parameters.
• Provides support for the installation and implementation of data management solutions and interface connections between the HIS and point-of-care instruments.
• Ensure local compliance with information and cyber security requirement.
• Ensure compliance with local and national policies and procedures, and federal agency regulations.
• Test and verify released patches for functionality before moving into the production account.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30 am until 4:00 pm, occasional nights and weekends
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
Yes

Promotion Potential
None

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Designated and/or random drug testing may be required
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• You may be required to serve a probationary period
• Subject to a background/security investigation
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
• May be subject to satisfactory of our credentialing process

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.
• Medical Technologist must be proficient in spoken and written English.

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).

Education and/or Experience Combination

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.

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)

In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

• Knowledge of concepts, principles and methodology of clinical laboratory technology in relation to laboratory information systems.
• Knowledge and understanding of laboratory operations and their relationship to the organization sufficient to provide advisory, inspection, training, and problem-solving services on specific projects, programs, or functions.
• Ability to adapt, implement, and integrate the use of software to specific laboratory applications and processes, including the use of office automation software.
• Knowledge of laboratory computer system analysis, program techniques, computer language, and program design sufficient to implement various laboratory associated packages and sustain operation of the laboratory system.
• Ability to independently plan, organize, set priorities, work as a team member and effectively complete assignments.
• Knowledge of compliance and regulatory requirements for laboratory functions.
• Knowledge of VACO and Medical Center performance initiatives and clinical programs including implementation, deadline compliance and identification and reporting of issues.

Grade Determinations: Must have 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, which is directly related to the position to be filled.

References: VA Handbook 5005/72, Part II, Appendix G24, Medical Technologist Qualification Standard, May 12, 2014. This can be found in the local Human Resources Office.

Preferred Experience: Experience with building laboratory tests for both clinical laboratory and anatomic pathology. Experience in the development of instrument interfacing with the Data Innovations software. The ability to write and validate auto-verification rulesets using Data Innovation or other instrumentation middleware systems and the ability to extract data using SQL databases.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-12 to GS-12.

Physical Requirements: Intermittent moderate lifting (15-44 pounds); light carrying (under 15 pounds); use of fingers; both hands required; walking (up to 4 hours); standing (up to 4 hours); repeated bending (up to 2 hours); intermittent, but possible prolonged stooping and kneeling; ability to distinguish basic colors; near vision correctable at 13" to 16"; ability to read and comprehend ordinary type and computer screens; ability to hear (aid permitted)and work in an environment with constant noise; working closely with others; high cognitive function required to work in a fast paced environment with competing priorities without loss of accuracy; emotional stability required to maintain self-control in difficult and stressful situations; ability to wear required to personal protective equipment as required. Rotation of shifts imposes additional physical demands.

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 .

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

If you are unable to apply online view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application .

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, résumé, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
Yes

Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

Trust determination process
Credentialing , Suitability/Fitness

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

• VA Form 10-2850C
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• Transcript

VA Form 10-2850c Application for Associated Health Occupations can be found at: https://www.va.gov/vaforms/medical/pdf/vha-10-2850c-fill.pdf .
The VA Form 10-2850c is required at the time of application submission.

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please use this checklist to ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

• DD-214/ Statement of Service
• Disability Letter (VA)
• VA Form 10-2850C
• Professional Certification
• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference .

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.