Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (Information Systems)

01Basic 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: Must be proficient in written and spoken English.

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.

02Grade Determinations

Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist, (Biomedical Information Systems) GS-12 Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level. Specialized Experience GS 12: Do you possess at least one (1) year of specialized experience that equipped you with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist position? To be credible, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Manages the lifecycle of medical equipment and clinical systems; Troubleshoots medical equipment and clinical systems using a variety of technical data and completes corrective action; Performs incoming inspections and planned maintenance on medical equipment and clinical systems; Documents all work in the Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS); Responds to and remediates hazard alerts, recall notifications, and incidents concerning medical equipment and clinical systems.

Documents all actions in the appropriate system; Monitors system backups, ensures network connectivity, mitigates cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and maintains clinical systems; Utilizes test equipment in accordance with manufacturer instructions; Manages projects involving medical equipment and clinical systems; Serves as a Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) and keeps appropriate certification levels.

Uses knowledge of government contract procedures and documentation requirements to develop statements of work, sole source justifications, other applicable documentation (VA Form 6550, Independent Government Cost Estimate (IGCE), etc.) and to oversee vendor work; Develops documentation to purchase commodities and/or vendor services; Manages, monitors, and evaluates contractor performance and addresses issues or deficiencies; Loads operating system (OS) and clinical application software as needed.

In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of Health Level 7 (HL7) and Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) standards. (b) Knowledge of advanced testing methods to troubleshoot networked medical equipment and clinical system interfaces. (c) Skill in maintaining computer and server based medical equipment, databases, and software. (d) Skill in managing medical equipment and clinical system projects that interface with an electronic health record or other information systems. (e) Skill in applying cybersecurity standards to medical devices and clinical systems such as Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA), and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) guidelines. (f) Ability to apply information security tools including virus protection, software updates, and operating system patches. (g) Ability to establish a medical network including VLAN configuration, Internet Protocol addressing, and network security.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

03Physical Requirements

Employee will continually handle objects weighing up to 20 lbs. and occasionally objects up to 50 lbs. Occasionally work will be performed in cramped and awkward positions. The work also requires frequent periods of standing and walking. Position requires operating a motor vehicle to service equipment at locations off campus, including transport of objects. The position constantly operates a computer, tools, and diagnostic test equipment to perform assigned duties.

Technical, academic, and mental demands are considerable. The work performed is of a precise nature requiring prolonged concentration. The incumbent will often work under conditions of stress caused by the nature of the medical mission which involves the well-being of the patients and the necessity to meet deadlines.

Major duties: Lifecycle management of network equipment including network switches, servers, routers and related infrastructure for any and all networked complex medical devices and systems such as imaging, life support, dialysis, and monitoring. Manages, troubleshoots and maintains complete systems of computerized networks, databases and servers including biomedical information systems that store or facilitate patient information.

• Implements and plans for new and emerging technologies including but not limited to diagnostic modalities, network management and storage, and virtual data centers.
• Designs, implements and manages network incident response due to infection, loss of service or regional and local policy changes according to VA guidelines.
• Ensures proper security configuration for assigned devices and networks.

Regularly reviews and installs available approved software updates and virus definitions for applicable networked medical devices. Leads development of disaster recovery procedures for critical systems to be enacted in the event of device failure. Adheres to MDIA Guidelines in both pre-procurement and during system implementation. Loads operating system (OS) and clinical application software as needed. Investigates, remediates and documents recalls and safety alerts within established timeframes.

Provides training and education as appropriate to medical technology end users and clinical staff. Functions as a Contracting Officer Representative (COR) and keeps appropriate certification levels. Additional duties are performed as assigned by supervisor. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 6:30am - 3:00pm, 7:30am - 4:00pm, and 8:30am - 5:00pm. (Tours of Duty could include weekends). Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 06326F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Available Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized