Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Viera (FL); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking a Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (BEES) at the full performance level within the Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) Service at the Orlando VA Healthcare System.

The BEES troubleshoots and performs planned maintenance on a range of medical devices and clinical systems. The role requires knowledge of NFPA/FDA/AAMI standards, strong diagnostic skills, and the ability to coordinate with vendors and clinical staff to ensure device safety and

Qualifications

• Meet one of the basic requirements or grandfathering provisions described in the qualification standard.
• Education or certification must be documented and meet VA/DoD standards.
• Experience related to biomedical equipment management and clinical systems is required.

Responsibilities

• Manage multiple assignments, prioritize work with minimal supervision.
• Serve as Contracting Officer Representative for purchasing equipment and contracts.
• Monitor backups, data integrity, and network connectivity to EMR systems.
• Reload operating systems and calibrate devices during system failures.
• Ensure disposal of equipment and protect health information when needed.

Skills

NFPA standards

FDA standards

AAMI standards

Schematic diagrams

Networking (TCP/IP, VLAN)

Troubleshooting medical devices

PC maintenance

Project management

Education

Associate or higher degree in biomedical technology/biomedical engineering

Associate or higher degree in electronics/IT/engineering

DOD biomedical equipment technician training

DOD repair/IT training + 1 year experience

HTM/BME certificate with internship

CBET/CRES/CLES/CHTM certification

Tools

Digital multimeters

Electrical safety analyzers

Defibrillator analyzers

Patient simulators

LAN analyzers

Job description

Serves as a Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (BEES) at the full performance level within Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) Service at the Orlando VA Healthcare System (OVAHCS). Works in support of the medical equipment management program Troubleshoots and performs planned maintenance on a range of medical devices and clinical systems.

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- Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f).
• Education, Experience or Certification-(Documentation Submitted) Individual 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 Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the United States must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials, and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to experience gained in conventional United States programs.
• 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.

Grandfathering Provision

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). For employees who do not meet all the basic or assignment-specific requirements in this standard, but who meet the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed, the following provisions apply:

1. Employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or be changed to a lower grade within the occupation, but they may not be promoted beyond the journey level or be newly placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
2. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
3. Employees retained in this occupation under this provision who subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re- entry to the occupation.

Grade Determinations

GS-11 Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist

Experience. In addition to the basic requirements, one year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-09 grade level, that is directly related to the position to be filled.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• Knowledge of standards 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) for safe operation of medical equipment and clinical systems.
• Skill in using test and calibration equipment including digital multi- meters, electrical safety analyzers, defibrillator analyzers, patient simulators, manometers, tachometers, and Local Area Network (LAN) analyzers.
• Skill in interpreting a variety of technical data including schematic drawings and wiring diagrams.
• Skill in applying networking principles, such as Access Control List (ACL), Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), and Virtual Local Area Networks (VLAN).
• Ability to perform advanced testing to troubleshoot medical equipment and clinical system interfaces.
• Ability to maintain medical computers and software.
• Ability to manage projects involving medical equipment and clinical systems.

Assignment

Employees in this assignment is responsible for managing multiple assignments, organizing, and independently prioritizing their work with minimal supervision. They serve as Contracting Officer Representative or Contracting Officer Technical Representative to purchase medical equipment, maintenance and repair contracts, and facility projects as needed. BESSs conduct pre- purchase evaluations and address pre-implementation security issues to ensure medical device isolation architecture requirements are met. They provide instruction and guidance to end users on proper use and care of equipment including operator-level maintenance of equipment and accessories. BESSs are responsible for monitoring system backups; data integrity; ensuring network connectivity between systems, servers, databases, and the electronic medical record; and maintain systems security and standards. In the event of a system failure, BESSs reload operating systems and clinical application software and interface with the Office of Information and Technology to keep systems operational. They use schematic drawings, wiring diagrams, and manufacturer service literature as guidelines to accomplish work. BESSs use specialized electronic test equipment or software to analyze, evaluate, diagnose, troubleshoot, calibrate, or repair analog and digital microprocessor controlled, computerized, or networked digital systems. BESSs coordinate and manage vendor services and review work performed to ensure defined specifications are met and documented. They serve as a member of a Root Cause Analysis team as needed. BESSs determine when healthcare technology, instrumentation, or systems are obsolete, hazardous, or no longer cost-effective to maintain. They ensure proper disposal of medical equipment and clinical systems including removal of protected health information and hazardous materials. BESSs document all activities and ensure the data is correctly entered into the Computerized Maintenance Management System. They ensure compliance with all applicable standards, policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements such as National Fire Protection Association, Food and Drug Administration, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Joint Commission , and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation.

Preferred Experience

Preferred applicants have at least 12 months of experience in life cycle management of medical systems, including imaging, life support, dialysis, and patient monitoring, with both physical and network support. Candidates should also demonstrate fundamental knowledge of Joint Commission (TJC) and NFPA requirements as they relate to Facilities Management and Health Technology Management.

Reference

For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements

Must be able to stoop, reach, kneel, crouch, and maintain intense concentration for long periods of time under adverse conditions, such as troubleshooting, repairing and/or calibrating life-saving equipment while it is monitoring and/or supporting the life of a patient. Heavy lifting (over 40 lbs.) can be accomplished by getting assistance when needed. Certain electronic component repairs require adequate eyesight and dexterity.