Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist; Information Systems

Summary

The Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (BESS) (Biomedical information Systems) provides clinical and administrative support to staff – patients and administrators for all matters of concern relating to facility wide life cycles management of networks, networked medical equipment, and associated systems.

• 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: (1) Associates or higher degree in the biomedical technology or biomedical engineering field.
• OR (2) Associates or higher degree in electronics – a field of information technology – or engineering (other than biomedical engineering) AND 1 year of creditable experience.
• OR (3) Completion of the Department of Defense (DOD) biomedical equipment technician training program.
• OR (4) Completion of a DOD training program in repair and maintenance of electronic systems or information technology AND 1 year of creditable experience.
• OR (5) Completion of a biomedical engineering technician or Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) certificate program that included an internship or apprenticeship.
• OR (6) Completion of a biomedical engineering technician or HTM certificate program that did not include an internship AND 1 year of creditable experience.
• OR (7) 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.
• 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:
  Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (Information Systems) – GS‑12.
• (1)
  
  Experience:
  
  One year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade.
• (2) 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.
• Preferred Experience:
  
  Vulnerability Management – demonstrated experience in identifying, assessing, and mitigating security vulnerabilities in IT systems.
• Virtualization and Database Management – strong understanding of networking infrastructure with experience supporting and maintaining medical and special‑purpose systems for reliable and secure operation.
• Networking IT Experience – solid understanding and practical experience in networking medical technologies, protocols, and infrastructure.
• Job‑Related Certifications – holding relevant certifications such as A+, Network+, Security+, or similar.
• Project Management – proven ability to manage and deliver projects on time and within scope.
• Hospital Experience – previous experience working in a healthcare or hospital environment is highly desirable.
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard – please visit https://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below). Standards/.
• The full performance level of this vacancy is…