VA Careers - Diagnostic Radiologic Technologist: https://youtube.com/embed/I-4ku5UMvWM
Receives - The incumbent will independently serve as a liaison for OIT, Biomedical employees, and clinical users to ensure the PACS system is configured to optimize Imaging and clinical operations as well as distribution capabilities. Uses standard approaches to perform a variety of duties related to digital image support issues. Directly responsible for conducting extensive research and compiling daily data from diverse sources. Extracts and assembles information, conducts analysis, and develops reports or presentations. Analyzes problems and determines the appropriate course of action required to resolve problems.
Provides first-line technical support for image transmission and voice recognition and displays errors related to modalities, including ViSTA interface, display workstations, printers, and voice recognition system. Initiates proper repairs when possible and instructs users in proper operation or workarounds, and initiates service level agreements coordinating repair requests with appropriate services or vendors when necessary. Investigating Power Scribe system malfunctions to determine the cause. Defines and isolates the specific problem, using available diagnostic and error recovery techniques, and initiates corrective actions. Monitors equipment controlling environment and executes emergency procedures in case of natural or man-made disasters and security risk situations.
Independently performs daily operations of the PACS system. Monitors PACS and related systems, including application systems, networking interface software, and system administrative software. Evaluates system performance by utilizing various tools, capacity planning, and imaging management/maintenance to adjust system and operation parameters as necessary. Oversee all aspects of the implementation of software and upgrades to the PACS system and proactively identify any potential issues. The incumbent is responsible for the coordination and transmission of images between the VA Medical Center and the contracted teleradiology services (NTP). This includes but is not limited to, coordinating meetings, identifying conflicts, and developing resolutions to satisfy both facilities.
Solely responsible for monitoring and evaluating daily exams to identify and update dictation (VR) status, modality image (Dicom) failures, and ensuring the integrity of images and data integration between ViSTA Rad and/or commercial PACS system. Independently identifies and determines training priorities, conducts and administers training programs, and develops and improves training guidance. Provides training to radiologists/physicians and technologists in proper and efficient use of imaging hardware and software, and in the use of ViSTA and CPRS software. Coordinates with clinical service Clinical Application Coordinators (CACs) in training and development of instructional materials for display of radiographic images at clinical workstations.
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm (on call schedule)
Retention Incentive: May be Authorized after 90 days in-service as an employee.
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact Lakita Bush;[email protected], the EDRP Coordinator for questions/assistance. Learn more
Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).
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 #: 60384F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
- 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.
- 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
- 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).
- Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:
- your performance and conduct;
- the needs and interests of the agency;
- whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
- whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.
Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.
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. United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
- Certification. All applicants must be certified in general radiologic technology by the American Registry of Radiologic Technology, Radiography (ARRT) (R). Advanced ARRT certification is required for assignments that include computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), [or Mammography (M) duties performed independently, as applicable]. Advanced certification indicates that the incumbent [can operate independently] and has demonstrated specific clinical competency in the appropriate specialty and taken and passed the designated examination. [In modalities that require advanced certification, to support their continued development, technologists who do not possess an advanced certification may be provided on the job training with oversight from a certified radiologic technologist.]
- Education. Completion of a full-time training course of at least 24 months in duration (or the equivalent) in a post-high school diagnostic radiologic technology program, evidenced by a certificate or an associate degree, accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT) or from [other accrediting agencies as recognized by the Department of Education (DOE).
- Credentialing Standards. Public Law 97-35, the Consumer-Patient Radiation Health and Safety Act of 1981, requires that persons who administer radiologic procedures meet the credentialing standards in 42 CFR Part 75, Standards for the Accreditation of Educational Programs and the Credentialing of Radiographic Personnel. Essentially, they must have successfully completed an educational program that meets or exceeds the standards described in that regulation and is accredited by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and be certified as radiographers in their field.
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
Creditable Experience:
(
Knowledge of Current Radiologic Technology Practice. To be creditable, experience must have demonstrated possession of the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (also referred to as clinical competencies) associated with current radiologic technology practice. This may have been evidenced by the equivalent of 1 year of active practice, which is paid or non-paid employment as a DRT as defined by ARRT.
Quality of Experience. Experience is only creditable if it was earned after completion of the basic certification requirements identified in paragraph 2b above. Experience as a graduate DRT is creditable provided the candidate functioned as a DRT and subsequently passed the certification examination.
Part-Time Experience. Part-time experience as a DRT is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time workweek. For example, a DRT would receive 1 week of full-time credit for each 2 weeks of half-time work.
Picture Archival Communication System (PACS) Technologist. Technologists working in this special assignment use their knowledge of radiology workflow and processes in conjunction with a specialized technical skillset to support and troubleshoot image processing, display, and storage systems. The PACS technologist also provides oversight and support of PACS display workstations, interfaces, secondary applications, speech recognition and other hardware that is critical to departmental efficiency and throughput.
GRADE DETERMINATION In addition to the basic requirements for appointment, the following criteria must be used when determining the appropriate grade assignment of candidates:
[Diagnostic Radiologic Technologist], GS-11
Experience. At least one year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level directly related to the position being filled that demonstrates the clinical competencies needed to provide services as a quality control technologist, DRT team leader, supervisory radiologic technologist, [PACS technologist, clinical program director], or an assistant chief radiologic technologist.
Assignments. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty), and range of variety, and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. DRTs at this grade level may be appointed to one of the following assignments:
PACS Technologist. This position serves as a liaison for the Office of Information and Technology (OI&T), Biomedical Engineering staff and clinical users to ensure the PACS system is configured to optimize imaging including distribution capabilities; develops methods and programs to evaluate, monitor and maintain digital imaging and voice recognition systems; serves as team leader in planning, developing, and instructing users in the operation of PACS network elements, the integration of these with related systems, and recommends corresponding upgrades. This position researches and or/analyzes problems, issues, or program requirements supporting the functions of a digital imaging system; performs complex system administrator functions such as: oversight of RIS (Hospital Information System/Radiology Information System) links necessary to interface with the HIS (Hospital Information System), Application Entity (AE) titles, individual and user group creation, and access management, system filters, exam code dictionaries, DICOM configuration testing, hanging protocols, voice file exchange, and other duties associated with this position. The incumbent ensures compliance with all national and VA information and security requirements, including archiving of images to VistA imaging. This position may independently function as a DRT, which may include complex modality such as CT, MR, mammography, ultrasound, and IR.
The candidate must demonstrate all of the following technical KSAs:
- Knowledge of contingency plans during equipment downtimes.
- Ability to act as liaison for Radiology with biomedical engineering and OI&T.
- Ability to develop methods and programs to evaluate, monitor, and maintain digital imaging and voice recognition systems.
- Ability to lead a team of multidisciplinary members in accomplishing strategic planning and integration of PACS and network elements.
- Ability to perform complex system administrator functions such as: oversight of RIS (Hospital Information System/Radiology Information System) links, AE titles, individual and user group creation and access management, etc.
- Knowledge of VA and other national guidelines pertaining to PACS network, VistA imaging, and database security.
- Knowledge of specific positioning, technique, and imaging procedures so he/she will be able to perform and reconcile image information correctly and efficiently during technical post processing and evaluation.
Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.
The full performance level of this vacancy is 11.
Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.
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/.
Receiving Service Credit for 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.
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Review our benefits
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
- Professional Certification
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Resume
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Transcript
Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.
Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.
The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.
- Cover Letter
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DD-214/ Statement of Service
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Disability Letter (Schedule A)
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Disability Letter (VA)
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License
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Other (1)
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Professional Certification
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Resume
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SF-15
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SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
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Transcript
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
