Histopathology Technologist

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; West Haven (CT); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking a Histopathology Technologist at the GS-9 level. The incumbent will apply histopathology techniques to process specimens and perform a full range of routine tests in a clinical laboratory.

Applicants must meet education requirements and possess or pursue HTL certification. The role emphasizes organization, prioritization, and adherence to quality standards in a high-complexity pathology lab.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of laboratory information technology systems and inter-connectivity.
• Knowledge of histopathology techniques, chemistry, anatomy and physiology principles, theories, concepts, and methodologies sufficient to process specimens, and the ability to perform a full range of routine specialized tests.
• Ability to identify and test suboptimal specimens and take corrective action to minimize or eliminate impact on a patient's sample.
• Ability to organize, coordinate, and prioritize simultaneous work assignments; both individual and team related.
• Skill in applying professional, anatomic pathology principles, practices, concepts, and theories in performing new or difficult specialized testing methods or techniques.

Responsibilities

• Process and prepare histopathology specimens.
• Perform routine and specialized histopathology tests.
• Identify suboptimal specimens and take corrective actions.
• Coordinate workload and prioritize tasks in a busy lab.

Skills

Lab IT systems

Histopathology techniques

Specimen processing

Suboptimal specimen troubleshooting

Organization & prioritization

Anatomic pathology principles

Education

Bachelor's degree in health sciences or related

Biology & Chemistry credits (30+ hours)

Two years graduate education in health sciences

Job description

This position is eligible for the Education Debt Reduction Program (EDRP), a student loan payment reimbursement program. You must meet specific individual eligibility requirements in accordance with VHA policy and submit your EDRP application within four months of appointment. Program Approval, award amount (up to $200,000) and eligibility period (one to five years) are determined by the VHA Education Loan Repayment Services program office after complete review of the EDRP application.

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: Individuals must meet one of the requirements below:

• Successful completion of a full four-year course of study from an accredited college or university, leading to a bachelor's or higher degree, that included a major study in an academic field related to health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of a histopathology technologist, such as, but not limited to clinical biology, microbiology, physiology, pre-medical, medical lab technology, chemistry, immunology, physiology, anatomy;

• Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college/university with a combination of 30 semester hours (45 quarter hours) of biology and chemistry (must include credit hours in both);

• Successful completion of two years of progressively higher level graduate education, leading to a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree, with a major study in an academic field related to health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the position of histopathology technologist, such as clinical biology, microbiology, physiology, pre-medical, medical lab technology, chemistry, immunology, physiology, anatomy.

Foreign Education: To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization approved by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials, and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs.

Certification: Candidates must currently possess the histotechnologist (HTL) certification given by the ASCP Board of Certification. The ASCP requires completion of one of the following for a candidate to be considered "board eligible" to take the certification exam:

• Successful completion of a histotechnician or histotechnology program accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Science (NAACLS);

• One year of full time experience in all of the following: fixation, embedding, microtomy, processing, and staining in a histopathology (clinical, veterinary, industry, or research) laboratory.

Exception for Non-Board Certified: Non-board-certified candidates designated by ASCP as "board eligible," who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements, may be given a temporary appointment under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405(c)(2)(B). The appointing official may waive the requirement of certification for a period not to exceed two years for a histopathology technologist working under the direct oversight of a supervisor, lab manager, or qualified individual who can verify technical experience. This exception only applies at the entry level. For grade levels at or above the full performance level, the candidate must have HTL certification. Temporary appointments of non-board-certified histopathology technologists may not be extended beyond 2 years or be converted to a new temporary appointment.

Failure to Obtain Certification: In all cases, non-board-certified histopathology technologists must meet one of the ASCP histotechnologist eligibility routes at the date of their appointment and must actively pursue certification from the date of their appointment. At the time of appointment, the supervisor will provide the histopathology technologist with the written requirement to obtain certification, the date by which the certification must be acquired, and the consequences for not becoming certified by the deadline. Failure to obtain board certification by the prescribed date will result in removal from the histopathology technologist, GS-0601 occupational series and may result in termination of employment.

Loss of Certification: Employees who fail to maintain the required certification must be removed from the histopathology technologist, GS-0601 occupation, which may result in termination of employment.

Grandfathering Provision: All histopathology technologists employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series, who perform the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of this qualification standard, are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held, including positive education and certification that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to the position, the following provisions apply:

• Histopathology technologists who do not meet the basic requirements for education and certification may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance level, or demoted within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the full performance level or placed in a supervisory or managerial position.
• Histopathology technologists who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or receive a new appointment on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
• Histopathology technologists initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain education and/or certification that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard, must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
• If histopathology technologists, who are grandfathered under this provision, leave the occupation then those employees lose grandfathered protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the histopathology technologist occupation in this series.

GS-9 Histopathology Technologist

Experience Must have one year of creditable experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level, which is directly related to Histopathology Technology.

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

• Knowledge of laboratory information technology systems and inter-connectivity.
• Knowledge of histopathology techniques, chemistry, anatomy and physiology principles, theories, concepts, and methodologies sufficient to process specimens, and the ability to perform a full range of routine specialized tests.
• Ability to identify and test suboptimal specimens and take corrective action to minimize or eliminate impact on a patient's sample.
• Ability to organize, coordinate, and prioritize simultaneous work assignments; both individual and team related.
• Skill in applying professional, anatomic pathology principles, practices, concepts, and theories in performing new or difficult specialized testing methods or techniques.

References: VA Handbook 5005/118 Part II Appendix G65

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.