Serves as a Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (BESS) working within a Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) department within William S. Middleton VA Hospital, Madison, WI. Serves as a VISN level or national resource for medical equipment and systems. Manages and supports medical systems that span across multiple facilities.
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. Education, Experience, or Certification: (1) Associates or higher degree in the biomedical technology or biomedical engineering field; OR (2) Associates or higher degree in electronics, a field of information technology, or engineering (other than biomedical engineering) AND 1 year of creditable experience; OR (3) Completion of the Department of Defense (DOD) biomedical equipment technician training program; OR (4) Completion of a DOD training program in repair and maintenance of electronic systems or information technology AND 1 year of creditable experience; OR (5) Completion of a biomedical engineering technician or Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) certificate program that included an internship or apprenticeship; OR (6) Completion of biomedical engineering technician or HTM certificate program that did not include an internship AND 1 year of creditable experience; OR (7) 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. 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: Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist, GS-13 Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade. Experience at this level includes, but is not limited to: Manage medical servers and networks, diagnostic software, virtual platforms, and clinical applications software. They manage projects for medical equipment and clinical systems that interface with the electronic health record or other information systems. The BESS manage virtual and physical hardware components including storage, memory, processing, graphical, and network interfaces. They facilitate operating system updates, upgrades, and virus protection. BESSs perform maintenance for networked systems. They leverage resources and knowledge to minimize the need for unit and intermediate-level service contracts and manufacturer or vendor expenditures for tasks that can be completed in-house. BESSs identify and troubleshoot issues related to networked medical equipment and clinical systems. They evaluate compatibility and adaptability of biomedical devices for integration to the electronic health record. BESSs (Information Systems) regularly review, coordinate, and implement available software patches, updates, and system or data backups with other BESSs, manufacturers, informatics, and IT staff. They are responsible for compliance with physical security, privacy, and information standards and infrastructure standards. BESSs ensure compliance of networked clinical systems to all Medical Device Protection Program (MDPP) requirements. They design, implement, and manage appropriate security measures and disaster recovery plans critical to ensure system uptime and prevent loss of patient data from critical medical equipment and clinical systems. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Skill in communicating technical knowledge across multiple levels of an organization. (b) Skill in coordinating work across multiple sites of care such as ambulatory centers, medical centers, and health care networks. (c) Skill in developing timely and economical solutions to technical issues affecting multiple sites of care. (d) Skill in implementing policies pertaining to medical equipment and clinical systems. (e) Skill in applying standards for safe operation of medical equipment and clinical systems including National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Joint Commission (TJC), and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI). (f) Ability to install and configure medical equipment and clinical systems including networked interfaces. 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-13. 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. The work may include electrical energy, working on ladders, working outdoors, and working alone. There may be occasional exposure to moderate risks or discomforts associated with hazardous materials. The work may involve occasional travel, driving, and/or traveling by motor vehicle.
Duties of the Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (BESS) include but are not limited to: Manages and supports medical equipment and clinical systems impacting multiple facilities either remotely or on-site Implements and monitors policies and procedures impacting multiple facilities to ensure compliance with established standards and regulations. Coordinates and supports trainings impacting multiple facilities. Manages or supports large-scale projects impacting multiple facilities. Serves as a subject matter expert on assigned committees, projects, and workgroups. Collaborates with leadership, clinical staff, and administrative staff regarding the management of medical equipment and clinical systems impacting multiple facilities. Serves as a Government Purchase Card (GPC) holder, approving official, or alternate approving official. Work Schedule: Monday Full-time, Monday- Friday, 8:00AM - 4:30PM Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: PD06767F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Drug Test Required: Yes