Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist

Duties

The Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist provides clinical and administrative support to staff, patients, and administrators for all matters of concern relating to the facility wide lifecycle management of networks, networked medical equipment, and associated systems.

• The Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (BESS) will use his/her extensive practical knowledge and expertise in engineering, information technology physiology, anatomy, the principles and techniques of operation of medical equipment, and research or clinical procedures to:
• Advise clinicians and management regarding the need for and appropriateness of acquiring and/or replacing medical equipment and systems;
• Assist in developing requirements and evaluating technologies and specific equipment and systems for possible purchase;
• Plan for installation, including development of design criteria for construction and site preparation when necessary.

Duties include:

• Lifecycle management of network equipment including, but not limited to, 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.
• Manage, troubleshoot, and maintain complete systems of computerized networks, databases and servers including, but not limited to, biomedical information systems that store or facilitate patient information.
• Implement and plan for new and emerging technologies including but not limited to diagnostic modalities, network management and storage, and virtual data centers.
• Design, implement, and manage network incident response due to infection, loss of service, or regional and local policy changes according to VA guidelines. Ensure proper security configuration for assigned devices and networks. Regularly review and install available approved software updates and virus definitions for applicable networked medical devices. Lead development of disaster recovery procedures for critical systems to be enacted in the event of device failure. Adhere to Medical Device Isolation Architecture Guidelines in both pre-procurement and during system implementation. Load operating system and clinical application software as needed.
• Maintain functional knowledge of relevant safety codes and standards of regulatory bodies including, but not limited to, The Joint Commission, National Fire Protection Association, Food and Drug Administration, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation.
• Document all work performed in the computerized maintenance management system. This documentation is completed in accordance with regulatory body requirements, the Office of Healthcare Technology Management Documentation of Services policies and guidelines, and other VA requirements.
• Maintain knowledge of the state of the art in medical technology, including scientific advances, network protocols, and vendor changes. Focus on professional development in all areas of medical technology lifecycle management including technical skills. Knowledge and training is obtained from formal (conference, vendor-provided classes) or informal (magazines, articles, peer training) means.
• Provide training and education as appropriate to medical technology end users and clinical staff.
• Provide mentoring and technical training to peers and Biomedical Equipment Support Specialists at developmental levels.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Title/Functional Statement #: Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (Biomedical Information Systems)/23990F

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.
• 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.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).