Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist - Information Systems

Full Job Description

Serves as a Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (BESS) specialized in information systems within a Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) department at the Butler VA HealthCare System.

Works in support of the medical equipment management program.

In addition to duties at the full performance level, the BESS maintains medical servers and networks, diagnostic software, virtual platforms, and clinical applications software.

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.

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. 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. Physical Requirements.

See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.

Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, candidates must meet the following grade-determining criteria for placement at grade levels specified.

Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (Information Systems), GS-12. Experience. One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade.

Experience includes but not limited to: Knowledge of the principles, methods, & tools for evaluating information systems security features against a set of specified security requirements.

Includes developing security certification & accreditation plans and procedures, documenting deficiencies, reporting corrective actions, and recommending changes to improve the security of information systems.

Knowledge of methods, tools, & procedures, including development of information security plans, to prevent information systems vulnerabilities, and provide or restore security of information systems and network services.

Managing medical equipment & clinical systems including installation, planned maintenance, troubleshooting, repair, calibrations, electrical safety inspections, patient safety, cybersecurity, and decommissioning.

Planning, implementing, & providing technical and project oversight for medical equipment and clinical systems.

Providing instruction & guidance to end users on proper use and care of equipment including operator-level maintenance of equipment and accessories.

Monitoring system backups; data integrity; ensuring network connectivity between systems, servers, databases, and the electronic medical record; and maintain systems security and standards.

Use of specialized electronic test equipment or software to analyze, evaluate, diagnose, troubleshoot, calibrate, or repair analog and digital microprocessor controlled, computerized, or networked digital systems.

Coordinating & managing vendor services and review work performed to ensure defined specifications are met and documented.

Ensuring compliance with all applicable standards, policies, procedures, & 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) Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities.

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. Assignment.

For all assignments above the FPL, the higher-level duties must be of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity, and range of variety, as described in this standard at the specific grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time.

At the advanced level, the BESS, in addition to the duties at the FPL, 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.

BESSs (Information Systems) manage virtual and physical hardware components including storage, memory, processing, graphical, and network interfaces.

They facilitate operating system updates, upgrades, and virus protection. BESSs (Information Systems) 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 (Information Systems) 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 (Information Systems) 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.

Preferred Experience: Knowledge of the architecture and typology of software, hardware, and networks, including LANS, WANS, and telecommunications systems, their components and associated protocols and standards, and how they operate and integrate.

Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for installing, integrating, and optimizing information systems components. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-1601-12.

The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-1601-12. Major Duties:

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am-4:30pm Functional Statement #: GS-1601-12 Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist Major Duties Include but not limited to: Manages and maintains medical servers and networks, diagnostic software, virtual platforms, and clinical applications software.

Manages projects involving medical equipment and clinical systems, to include procurement, installation, and maintenance.

Manages hardware components of virtual servers, physical servers, and medical workstations. Facilitates operating system updates, upgrades, and virus protection.

Identifies, troubleshoots, and completes corrective action for issues related to networked medical equipment and clinical systems.

Evaluates compatibility and adaptability of medical equipment and clinical systems to integrate with the electronic health record or other clinical systems.

Reviews, coordinates, and implements available software patches, updates, and system/data backups with staff and manufacturers.

Coordinates, implements, and manages cybersecurity measures and disaster recovery plans.

Effectively responds to, investigates, and documents cybersecurity incidents involving medical equipment and clinical systems.

Responds to and remediates hazard alerts, recall notifications, and incidents concerning medical equipment and clinical systems. Documents all actions in the appropriate system.

Monitors cybersecurity metrics, and initiates corrective action to address deficiencies. Complies with the facility's medical device protection program.

Ensures networked medical equipment and clinical systems are inventoried in the appropriate database. Serves as a subject matter expert on assigned committees, projects, and workgroups.

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).

Utilizes test equipment in accordance with manufacturer instructions. Provides customer support to staff, evaluates issues and needs, responds with solutions, and keeps customers abreast of status.

Educates staff on the safe operation and user-level maintenance of medical equipment and clinical systems. Serves as a Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) and/or purchase card holder.

Develops documentation to purchase commodities and/or vendor services. Manages, monitors, and evaluates contractor performance and addresses issues or deficiencies.

Complies with applicable standards, policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements. Provides guidance and mentorship to expand professional knowledge and enhance technical skillsets.

Maintains and enhances knowledge in technological advancements through professional development and technical training.

Compressed/Flexible: Not available Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized