Clinical Laboratory Scientist (Ancillary Testing Coordinator)

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. Program 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.

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

• The duties of this position are those of an Ancillary Testing Coordinator (ATC), with corollary duties as a Laboratory Information Manager (LIM) to serve as a backup LIM.
• Trains, evaluates, and maintains oversight, per regulatory requirements, of the competency of end users in the performance of Ancillary Testing procedures and in the reporting of test results promptly and accurately.
• Develops technical bulletins, procedures, training materials and other program materials, which ensure accreditation and compliance with all regulatory agencies concerning patient testing, result reporting, and proficiency testing. Develops and implements corrective action when deficiencies are identified.
• Manages CAP Surveys to include kit and result distributions, verification of completed attestation documentations, corrective actions, and review of results with Laboratory Director.
• Consults with program managers or equivalent of clinical services to identify Ancillary Testing / POC needs and to analyze emerging trends and technology and adopts appropriate new technology and methods.

• Supports computer operations in the Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Service and provides authoritative advice and consultation on the computer information system and Electronic Medical Record (EMR).
• Implements and maintains coding and mapping for laboratory test ordering, reporting, billing and workload recording systems (for example: CPT, DSS, LMIP, LOINC, and VBECS).
• Advises all organizational levels on various aspects of the functions and capabilities of the Laboratory Information System.
• Serves as a recognized subject matter expert (SME) to provide authoritative advice and consultation on the Laboratory Information System. Monitors computer resources and makes recommendations to higher level authorities regarding allocation or future software and hardware needs.
• Carries out day-to-day operations related to laboratory computer use. Responsible for assigning appropriate computer access and menus; responsible for ensuring routine computer maintenance and computer security.
• Responsible for maintaining all Laboratory files in the Laboratory Information System.
• Interacts with the Clinical Applications Coordinators to assure the proper presentation of patient data in the EMR and verifies the accuracy of data transmission of patient result in the EMR.
• Maintains granular permissions and security on the folders and subfolders of the departmental Shared Drives as requested by Laboratory Manager or Service Chief. Advises when folders need section maintenance to reduce size.
• Builds and runs laboratory SQL searches in data warehouse using approved SQL studio programs.
• Builds and maintains Laboratory Electronic Data Interchange (LEDI) interfaces with VA and Commercial Reference Labs.
• Initiates computer access for new Pathology employees and maintains PIV card access for all Pathology employees.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 08:00am to 4:30pm; with weekends and holidays as needed. Subject to change based on the needs of the facility.
Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized.
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized.
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact VHA.ELRSProgramSupport@va.gov, , 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 #:629-01509F.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

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: A bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university.
  • Certification: (1) Candidates must meet one of the certification options below.
    • (a) Generalist certification as an MLS given by ASCP BOC or AMT.
    • (b) Generalist certification as an MT given by ASCP BOR or AM
    • (c) Categorical certification or Specialist certification by ASCP or AMT.

Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. Graduates of foreign baccalaureate degree programs meet the educational requirements if they meet either of the following: (1) Foreign transcripts are evaluated by an acceptable evaluation agency, and the degree is found to be equivalent to a NAACLS-approved U.S. clinical laboratory science degree program. OR (2) The applicant submits a letter from ASCP BOC or AMT stating the individual is eligible to take the certification examination.

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: Clinical Laboratory Scientist (Ancillary Testing Coordinator), GS-12.

Experience. 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level is required for all GS-12 assignments.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience or education above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:
(A) Knowledge of medical technology concepts, principles, practices, and methodologies sufficient to perform full oversight and guidance for testing programs outside of the laboratory.
(B) Knowledge of mathematics and statistics as related to quality control, quality assurance, proficiency testing, inspection and accreditation, and continuous quality improvement.
(C) Knowledge of Federal, state, and VHA laws, regulations, reference standards, and certifying or accrediting agency requirements to carry out work in each ancillary testing site.
(D) Knowledge of laboratory information technology systems and interconnectivity.
(E) Skill in applying new scientific/technological developments and theories to laboratory testing.
(F) Ability to evaluate, interpret, and teach others to use quality control procedures and implement corrective actions.

Preferred Experience: The ideal candidate will have a bachelor's degree in Medical Technology, Clinical Laboratory Science, or Medical Laboratory Science, as well as ASCP certification: MT(ASCP) or MLS(ASCP). The candidate should have an extensive background in Point of Care testing and a minimum of three years of experience implementing and managing a Point of Care testing program for a hospital with outlying clinics, along with knowledge of accrediting agencies and regulatory requirements. Knowledge of LIS connectivity with Point of Care testing systems is also desirable.
In addition, it is preferred that the incumbent has at least two years of experience in a leadership role, with employee development and training in ancillary testing.The ideal candidate should also have 2 to 3 years Full-Time experience as a Laboratory Information manager (LIM) and the incumbent should have experience working with VistA, building and maintaining Laboratory Electronic Data Interchange (LEDI) interfaces with VA and Commercial Reference Labs, implementing and maintaining coding and mapping for laboratory test ordering, reporting, billing and workload recording systems, (DSS, LMIP, LOINC and VBECS), SQL Searches, and developing practices that provide efficient and effective processes in laboratory data management procedures incorporating Performance Improvement Principles, such as LEAN.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-12. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-12.

Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position. May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, puling, and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment.

Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.

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/.

• 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.
• Must be able to independently operate Government Vehicle.
• Must provide clean driving record report from the DMV during the pre-employment process.

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.