Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (Imaging)

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. English Language Proficiency: Individuals appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C. chapters 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA must be proficient in written and spoken English. See Chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part. Education and/or Experience: You must meet at least one of the requirements below. Associates or higher degree in the biomedical technology or biomedical engineering field; OR Associates or higher degree in electronics, a field of information technology, or engineering (other than biomedical engineering) AND 1 year of creditable experience; OR Completion of the Department of Defense (DOD) biomedical equipment technician training program; OR Completion of a DOD training program in repair and maintenance of electronic systems or information technology AND 1 year of creditable experience; OR Completion of a biomedical engineering technician or Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) certificate program that included an internship or apprenticeship; OR Completion of biomedical engineering technician or HTM certificate program that did not include an internship AND 1 year of creditable experience; OR Hold or having ever held certification as a Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician (CBET), Certified Radiology Equipment Specialist (CRES), Certified Laboratory Equipment Specialist (CLES), or Certified Healthcare Technology Manager (CHTM). Continuous maintenance of certification is not required throughout VHA employment. Foreign Education equivalent to the above: To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. 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: Specialized Experience - In addition to the basic requirements, candidates must possess one year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Examples of equivalent experience may include planning, implementing, and providing technical and project oversight for medical equipment and clinical systems. Managing medical equipment and clinical systems including installation, planned maintenance, troubleshooting, repair, calibrations, electrical safety inspections, patient safety, cybersecurity, and decommissioning. Performing incoming inspections on medical equipment and systems to determine that all safety regulations, manufacturer's specifications, contract requirements, and needs of users are met, and they initiate corrective action when necessary. Providing instruction and guidance to end users on proper use and care of equipment including operator-level maintenance of equipment and accessories. Partnering with customers to determine the nature and scope of the customer's issues and needs, providing an appropriate response and applicable solutions, and ensuring the customer is apprised of delays and significant steps until completion. Responding appropriately to hazard alerts and recall notifications concerning medical equipment, investigate equipment incidents, cases of equipment damage and abuse, equipment failure reports that cannot be duplicated, and medical device security incidents. Serving as a member of a Root Cause Analysis (RCA) team, ensuring proper disposal of medical equipment and clinical systems including removal of protected health information (PHI) and hazardous materials. Documenting activities and ensuring data is correctly entered into the Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS). Ensuring compliance with all applicable standards, policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements such as National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the Joint Commission (TJC), and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI). Escalating BESS issues to higher-level technical support or management. Demonstrated Knowledge Skills and Abilities: 1. Knowledge of imaging principles including techniques, technologies, radiological practices, and procedures. 2. Knowledge of HL7 and DICOM standards. 3. Skill in applying standards for safe operation of medical equipment and clinical systems including National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Nuclear Radiation Commission (NRC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Joint Commission (TJC), and the American College of Radiology (ACR). 4. Ability to resolve complex failures on imaging equipment and clinical systems. 5. Ability to perform advanced testing to troubleshoot imaging equipment and clinical system interfaces. NOTE: To be creditable, the experience must have required the use of knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with current health care industry and required using knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) directly applicable to the assignment and associated within the scope of the BESS profession. Experience is only creditable if it was acquired in the health care industry and is either directly related to the position to be filled or a related field (for example, Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist, Biomedical Equipment Technician, Field Service Engineer, Medical Equipment Repairer, or Information Technology (IT) Specialist). 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-11. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12. Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. This position is located at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System. The incumbent serves as a Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (BESS) in imaging equipment within the Clinical Engineering department. They provide clinical and administrative support to staff, patients, and administrators for all matters of concern relating to the facility wide lifecycle management of advanced imaging or radiological and other medical devices.