Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) - Coordinator bei Department of Veterans Affairs

Not Required

Duties

Tulsa (James Mountain Inhofe VAMC) - https://youtu.be/3fMEu0iS7_Q?si=Y5RtGcnKKbJGxxk6 Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Monitors quality assurance in cleaning, decontamination, sterilization, reprocessing, and distribution of surgical instruments and technical medical equipment across four SPS work areas, ensuring compliance with national sterile processing standards for critical and semi-critical reusable medical devices (RMD). Coordinates structured training with appropriate materials, ensuring staff competency by reviewing demonstrations of critical and semi-critical RMD reprocessing tasks. Collaborates with hospital departments (e.g., operating room, dental, endoscopy, emergency, clinics) to ensure compliance with national and local directives on critical and semi-critical medical devices. Updates Chief or designee on patient safety alerts and issues concerning reusable medical devices. Evaluates internal work processes using investigative techniques to identify unsatisfactory conditions or trends and recommends corrective actions for complex quality problems. Ensures work appropriateness during quality assurance reviews by applying SPS policies, infection control procedures, accrediting agency standards, and quality assurance guidelines. Applies aseptic principles and techniques, including sterilizer operations, sterilization mediums, and testing effectiveness of sterilization, packaging, storage, and shelf life. Communicates clearly and effectively in writing and orally to ensure staff compliance with directives, rules, and regulations. Develops and reviews policies and procedures impacting the Instrument Management System (IMS), recommends SOP changes to the Assistant Chief, and updates procedures as technology evolves. Performs data entry for new instrument sets, equipment, and procedural trays, tracking all changes to instrument set count sheets. Assists in developing disaster and downtime procedures for the IMS, sterilization equipment, and related systems; runs routine administrative reports for the Chief and Assistant Chief. Manages user access in the IMS, ensuring new users are added and access levels updated as needed. Develops staff competencies for proper IMS use and serves as department hardware/software support representative by identifying needs and ensuring optimal system performance. Works with facility IT and Bioengineering for service-level troubleshooting unless hardware-related; coordinates with Censis Technologies, Inc. for documentation and system performance issues. Collaborates with the Assistant Chief to direct overall Censitrac activities and assists department Educator with orientation, training, and updates as new features are added. Works with other departments to ensure consistent application of professional standards including OSHA, The Joint Commission, CDC, and AAMI; maintains required system competencies. Trains and manages staff assigned to instrument marking, substitute approvals, and data entry; orients new employees to IMS and conducts in-service training on proper instrumentation tracking. Researches, plans, and implements new IMS functionalities across shifts. Receives, analyzes, and resolves day-to-day IMS user questions; performs system file maintenance and manages digital images for individual instruments or sets. Uploads media of all types to enhance accuracy in set assembly, special testing, and preventative maintenance. Assists with the Performance Improvement (PI) program related to the IMS. Actively troubleshoots system problems and accessory equipment, reports issues to Information Services, and follows up with vendors for resolution. Work Schedule: Full-time, All shifts are primarily Monday-Friday but may include rotating shifts on weekends and holidays. Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 623-54467-0

Requirements

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. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a trial period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).

Qualifications

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. Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. Experience and/or Education Experience. Six months of experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work; or Education. One year above high school that included at least 6 semester hours in health care related courses such as sterile processing, nursing assistant, hospital corpsman, and operating room and surgical technician courses or other courses related to the position; or Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable. Certification. None. 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). Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. 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 that gained in conventional U. S. programs. English Language Proficiency. MSTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j, this part. Grade Determinations: The following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. GS-07 Medical Supply Technician (Sterile Processing) - Coordinator Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Practical knowledge of conventional fact-finding or investigative techniques in order to evaluate internal work processes. Skill to develop, analyze and evaluate facts relative to unsatisfactory conditions or trends. Knowledge of and skill in applying various methods and techniques for investigating, analyzing and recommending corrective action on complex quality problems. Knowledge of the SPS policies and procedural manuals, infection control procedures, and accrediting agencies and quality assurance guidelines to assure appropriateness of work during quality assurance reviews. Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and other software programs. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. This vacancy is above full performance level (GS-06). Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.

Education

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Other Information

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.