Job Information
Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration Biomedical Engineer in Leavenworth, Kansas
Summary EKHCS is committed to Diversity and Inclusion. Together, we strive to create and maintain a working and learning environment that promotes professional growth and teamwork. We offer an inclusive, equitable, and welcoming environment where we celebrate our individual differences and unite as a team toward a common goal of providing outstanding service to our Nation's Veterans. Responsibilities Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf The incumbent as a Staff Biomedical Engineer for the Healthcare Technology Management program at the VA Eastern Kansas Health Care System (VA EKHCS), a two-campus system in Topeka and Leavenworth, Kansas. VA Eastern Kansas is a le complexity health care system comprising 450 beds which includes 138 long term care beds, a 150-bed domiciliary, and community-based clinics. The EKHCS Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) program is composed of Biomedical Engineering departments, which manage medical equipment & systems, and Electronics departments, which manage non-medical equipment & systems in the hospital environment. Incumbent serves primarily at assigned duty station but routinely collaborates with other station in EKHCS, providing on-site support if needed. Duties include but are not limited to: Under direction of more experienced BESS and/or Biomedical Engineers, assists in complex biomedical equipment installations, including planning, procurement, installation and implementation, and testing. Responsible for participating in projects and coordinating with technical, clinical, and education staff for various medical system deployments. Provides local support to VISN and National Initiatives. Most notably provides coordination, integration, and technical support of future Electronic Medical Record (Cerner), including corrective and preventive maintenance. Example technologies where the incumbent coordinates technical support activities across the network include Radiology PACS, Cardiology PACS and Cardiology Information Systems, Dental P ACS, Clinical Information Systems, Anesthesia Record Keeping, Data Analytics Systems, Biomedical-IT policies and procedures, integration of medical devices to current Vista/Electronic Medical Record and future Electronic Medical Record (Cerner), general liaising with VA OI&T, land speech recognition technology. Responsible or assisting in complex networked medical device installations and scheduling, planning, and performing networked medical system upgrades. Completes routine assignments involved identifying and troubleshooting issues related to VLAN configuration, IP addressing, subnetting, HL7, DI' COM, Access Control List (ACL) and network security across the medical device network. Assists with management of the medical device inventory for the hospital. Assists in the maintenance of he Networked Medical Device Database (NMDD). Assists with the completion of medical device recalls, incoming inspections, device deinstallations and turn-ins, medical device risk assessments and reviews. Maintains accurate documentation. Responsible for serving as a professional advisor, manager, and medical technology consultant to the Chief of Biomedical Engineering in the area of Biomedical engineering, as well as on other engineering principles and practices. Seeks out and attends available training classes, conferences, and obtains certifications as it pertains to his/her duties. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00am to 3:30pm Compressed/Flexible: May be authorized Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases 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) Telework: Ad-Hoc; This position is authorized for telework but has not been authorized as virtual or remote. VA supports the use of telework to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. Telework eligibility may be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. 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. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Education and/or Experience: Bachelor's Degree or Higher in Engineering. To be creditable, the curriculum must be from a school of engineering with at least one curriculum accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), as a professional engineering curriculum. Examples of acceptable engineering degrees include: Biomedical Engineering, Clinical Engineering, Bioengineering, Biomechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Biochemical Engineering. Titles may vary from educational institutions and change over time. OR, Certification as a Certified Clinical Engineer (CCE) and a bachelor's degree not listed above. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment listed above, the following education and experience criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Biomedical Engineer, GS-07, Entry Level: Experience: None beyond the basic requirements. Education: Bachelor's degree as outlined above. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: None beyond the basic requirements. Biomedical Engineer, GS-09, Developmental Level 1: Experience: At least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower level, OR, Education: 1. Master's degree in Biomedical Engineering, or a related field of study, as outlined above. OR, 2. Bachelor's degree, as outlined above, plus two full years of progressively higher level graduate education in a related field of study, provided the applicant's total background demonstrates the KSAs for the GS-9 level assignment. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of the principles, theories, concepts, and practices of the Biomedical Engineering profession. Ability to interpret relevant codes, regulations, guidelines, and standards, and make recommendations to ensure compliance with medical center programs. Ability to understand the operational needs of clinical services in the health care system. Ability to prepare material on current technical topics and trends, for presentation to other technical staff and mid-level hospital management, and the ability to keep abreast of changes in technology. Biomedical Engineer, GS-11, Developmental Level 2: Experience: At least one year of experience equivalent to the next lower level, and must fully meet the KSAs at that level. OR, Education: Ph.D., or equivalent doctoral degree in Biomedical Engineering, or a related field of engineering, as outlined above. OR, Bachelor's degree, plus three full years of progressively higher level graduate education in a related field of study, as outlined in above. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to implement and/or sustain an equipment management or biomedical research program that meets The Joint Commission (TJC), National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), or other applicable regulatory requirements. Ability to develop material for a continuing education program for clinical or research staff, that address the principles and application of medical technology, and/or biomedical theory used in healthcare. Ability to advise staff on emerging medical technology, or research procedures, while keeping abreast of changes in such technology, and utilizing the information to solve biomedical engineering problems. Knowledge of basic project management principles, as applied to the healthcare setting and medical equipment, and information system implementation. Biomedical Engineer, GS-12, Full Performance Level: Experience: Completion of at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower level; or completion of a post-doctoral research fellowship in the field of biomedical engineering and must fully meet the KSAs at that level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to conduct a medical equipment management or biomedical research program that is compliant with applicable healthcare standards and regulatory agencies. Ability to develop a curriculum for a continuing education program, that address the safe and effective use of medical technology, and/or research devices. Ability to manage a recall and safety alert program for medical devices, including medical device hazard investigations, to assure compliance with patient safety goals, SMDA, and TJC requirements. Ability to conduct capital asset and infrastructure planning for medical equipment spanning initial concept, installation, and effective implementation of complex medical equipment. Ability to function as the subject matter expert in the field of biomedical engineering, directly supporting specialized clinical technology, including service, system administration, training, quality assurance, and life-cycle management. Ability to effectively advise clinical and administrative staff on medical technology, including existing and emerging technology, which addresses viability, long-term suitability, compatibility, and/or safety. Knowledge of concepts related to computer based medical systems, networking protocols, and information security as it applies to medical technology within VHA. Skill in communicating and working collaboratively with key stakeholders, including technical and professional staff at various levels of the organization. Ability to apply project management principles to deployment of medical equipment and health information technologies. 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). 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-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-07 to GS-12. Physical Requirements: Technical, academic, and mental demands are high. The work performed is of a precise nature requiring prolonged concentration and must be able to lift and hold 40 (forty) pounds unassisted for mounting, positioning, or removing equipment. The incumbent may work under conditions of stress caused by the nature of involved work. Incumbent must be able to interact effectively with all levels of medical center staff and must remain calm, professional, and analytical even under stress. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. 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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. 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. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.