"When I realized all of the opportunities that being a Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) provides - the versatility you get with only one degree - I said sign me up! It's a really wonderful career."
The Marion VA Medical Center is seeking to fill one full-time Lead Medical Technologist position. This medical technologist will serve as lead in Hematology, Urinalysis, and Coagulation within the Pathology and Laboratory Service 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 and/or Experience Combination: (1) A bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university in medical laboratory science, medical technology, clinical laboratory science or in a related science (e.g., laboratory sciences such as chemistry, biochemistry, biology, microbiology, immunology, etc.).AND completion of a medical technology clinical practice program. Clinical practice programs completed after 1974 must have been accredited by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP, formerly CAHEA), or the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES). The professional curriculum may have consisted of a post-baccalaureate certificate program or be integrated into a four- year program of study that culminated in a baccalaureate degree. OR (2) A bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university, including 16 semester hours of biological science (with one course in microbiology), 16 semester hours of chemistry (with one course in organic or biochemistry) and one course in mathematics, AND two years of post-certification clinical laboratory experience (e.g., blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology, immunology, clinical microscopy, etc.) within the last ten years as a certified Medical Laboratory Technician by the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification (ASCP-BOC), American Society of Clinical Pathology Board of Registry (ASCP-BOR) or American Medical Technologists (AMT). This experience must include performing moderate and/or high complexity testing in blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology immunology and clinical microscopy (or categorical experience which matches categorical certification) in a clinical laboratory. OR (3) A bachelor's degree from an accredited college/university, including 16 semester hours of biological science (with one course in microbiology), 16 semester hours of chemistry (with one course in organic or biochemistry) and one course in mathematics, AND five years of clinical laboratory experience within the last ten years performing moderate and/or high complexity testing in blood banking, chemistry, hematology, microbiology, immunology and clinical microscopy (or categorical experience which matches categorical certification) in a clinical laboratory. Foreign Graduates. Graduates of foreign baccalaureate degree programs meet the educational and/or experience requirements if the degree is found to be equivalent to degree programs recognized by the NAACLS or clinical laboratory experience as described in paragraph 2b(2) or (3)above. This finding may be based on either of the following:(1) A letter from a college or university with a baccalaureate program recognized by the NAACLS stating that the individual's foreign degree has been evaluated and been found to be equivalent to its bachelor of medical technology degree.(2) A letter from ASCP-BOC or AMT stating that the individual is eligible for the certification examination. Certification: Candidates must currently possess the appropriate certification as a MT, MLS, or CLS given by the ASCP-BOC, ASCP-BOR, or AMT. 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). Grade Determinations: GS-11 (Lead Medical Technologist) (a) Experience. Must have 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the full performance level (GS-9), which is directly related to the position to be filled. OR b) Education. Must have 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education or a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in medical technology or a directly related field. Lead Medical Technologist. Facilitates team or unit processes by working in collaboration with team members to ensure that tasks, priorities, goals and achievements are coordinated with management. Responsible for all aspects of operation in their area of specialty including preparation and maintenance of records and reports, analysis of testing methodologies, training, instrumentation and compliance. Acts as a liaison to other departments of the medical center for the appropriate laboratory specialty. In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of medical technology applicable to a wide range of duties to solve complex problems involving diverse aspects of clinical laboratory practice. Knowledge of regulatory, licensing and accrediting agency requirements and statutes governing clinical laboratory operations in order to plan, implement or monitor laboratory programs and services. Ability to manage and coordinate daily work activities and assignments in a section. Skill to maintain, troubleshoot and repair laboratory instrumentation. Ability to provide technical oversight in order to manage personnel and work assignments in a manner that assures completion of the laboratory workload. 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. 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. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/72 PART II APPENDIX G24 II-G24-1 [APPENDIX G24. MEDICAL TECHNOLOGIST QUALIFICATION STANDARD GS-644 Preferred Experience: 5 years experience as a Lead/Supervisor Physical Requirements: Intermittent moderate lifting (15-44 pounds); light carrying (under 15 pounds); use of fingers; both hands required; walking (up to 4 hours); standing (up to 4 hours); repeated bending (up to 2 hours); intermittent, but possible prolonged stooping and kneeling; ability to distinguish basic colors; near vision correctable at 13" to 16"; ability to read and comprehend ordinary type and computer screens; ability to hear (aid permitted)and work in an environment with constant noise; working closely with others; high cognitive function required to work in a fast paced environment with competing priorities without loss of accuracy; emotional stability required to maintain self-control in difficult and stressful situations; ability to wear required to personal protective equipment as required. ["Lead Medical Technologist duties include but are not limited to: - Incumbent serves as the Hematology, Coagulation, and Urinalysis technical supervisory medical technologist with overall responsibilities for maintaining hematology, coagulation, urinalysis instrumentation, inventory control, quality control, quality assurance, function verification, calibration and preventative maintenance programs in a high volume hematology, coagulation, and urinalysis section of a large clinical laboratory. - Independently coordinates and supervises daily startup activities to include Quality Control, and preventative maintenance for the clinical laboratory to include: Chemistry, Special Chemistry, Hematology, Coagulation, Urinalysis, and Blood Bank. - Lead Medical Technologist is responsible for the overall technical supervision of the, Hematology, Urinalysis and Coagulation departments in the laboratory. - Independently performs a variety of procedures including complex analysis, and uncommon tests throughout the clinical laboratory. Testing includes microscopy, calculations, and interpretations, clinical correlations, evaluating normal/abnormal results before reporting and highly complex testing in chemistry/special chemistry, microbiology, immunohematology, and special send out testing. - Handles specimens in accordance with current information in the specimen collection manual to ensure the physiologic state of the specimen is maintained. Ensures that appropriate safety and infection control protocols are utilized. - Implements and performs quality control/quality assurance and verification procedures to check the accuracy and validity of test results. Identifies unusual results or discrepancies/conditions which cause erroneous results. Documents deviations and corrective action in the appropriate logs. Accurately records and results test results. Correlates data with other lab tests or patient data to verify results. Performs additional testing to clarify/confirm abnormal results. - Reviews all of the Hematology, Urinalysis, and Coagulation results including results from off-hour and weekend shift(s) for correctness as required by CAP, directs involved technicians/technologists in the correction of errors, and notifies attending physicians as appropriate. Provides technical supervision of testing performed in Hematology, Urinalysis, and Coagulation Department on all shifts. - Provides technical guidance to technicians/technologists when quality control or instrument problems occur. Oversees the input of new lots of Quality Control into the instruments and communicates any changes to staff. - Designs and prepares appropriate instrument maintenance logs, reviews these logs weekly and monthly, and assures that proper routine maintenance is being done by technicians/technologists. - Reviews procedures for compliance. Provides guidance for procedures written by other technicians/technologists in all areas under this technologist's supervision. - Has the ability to recognize methodology limitations such as linearity, interference, sensitivity and specificity to draw conclusions about the validity of testing results on the hematology, coagulation, and urinalysis departments. - Independently performs validation/method verification studies, evaluates, makes recommendations, and implements the use of new reagents, methodologies, and instrumentation in the Hematology, Coagulation, and Urinalysis sections. - Evaluates and implements the use of new methodologies and instrumentation in the Hematology, Urinalysis and Coagulation sections. - Trains technicians/technologists in the use of new procedures and instrumentation in the Hematology, Coagulation, and Urinalysis sections. Completes competency annually on Technicians and Technologist that work in the Hematology, Coagulation, and Urinalysis sections of the Laboratory. - Provides training and guidance to students and new employees on the performance of laboratory testing in hematology, coagulation, and urinalysis. Training includes both moderate and highly complex methods that are performed manually and by automated/computerized instrumentations. - Bench trains Medical Laboratory Technicians in Hematology, Coagulation, and Urinalysis for the Southern Illinois Laboratory Technician Program at SICCM. - Independently performs administrative decisions in order to maintain appropriate levels of supplies and reagents for the efficient, continuous operation of the Hematology, Coagulation, and Urinalysis departments by developing systems and procedures for an effective inventory control programs. - Maintains documentation of supplies and reagents received and other proper labeling of reagents according to regulatory requirements (i.e. CAP, OSHA, VA laboratory policies). Work Schedule: 0800-1630 Mon-Fri includes holidays, weekends, and on-call hours Position Description/PD#: 00000/Functional Statement Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized"]
The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system, providing care at 1,298 health care facilities, including 171 medical centers and 1,113 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics), serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year.
