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.

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The Clinical Laboratory Scientist (Ancillary Testing Coordinator) position is located at Harry S Truman VA Medical Center in Columbia, MO within the Pathology and Laboratory service line.

The duties for the Clinical Laboratory Scientist (ATC) are, but not limited to:

• Carries out day-to-day operations and responsible for the oversight of the point-of-care testing (waived/non-waived) and PPM laboratory specialties.
• Plans and schedules on-going work independently.
• Chooses methods for achieving work goals, objectives, and management strategies.
• Ensures corrective action is initiated when test performance deviates from established performance specifications or nonconforming events.
• Develop and/or recommends local procedural and policy changes as appropriate.
• Maintain effective interdepartmental relations with other services to accomplish medical center goals.
• Performs all assigned duties in a timely and efficient manner.
• Ensures compliance with rules and regulations of assorted regulatory agencies such as VHA National Enforcement Office (NEO), OIG, FDA, CAP, TJC, AABB, and OSHA.
• Serve as the liaison between administration, clinical staff, and technical staff regarding the clinical, business, technical operations management processes associated with point-of-care testing and PPM.
• Ensure local compliance with privacy, information security, and cyber security requirements.
• Follows procedures for patient identification, sample procurement, and specimen labeling.
• Calibrates, standardizes, adjusts, and maintains instruments. Verifies correct instrument operation using established procedures and quality control checks and monitoring. Identifies the cause of common problems and makes simple repairs/corrections.
• Manages the proficiency testing program for the point-of-care and PPM specialties. Maintains records for proficiency testing according to VHA NEO, TJC, CAP and laboratory standards.
• Responsible for the generation of laboratory results from the work area into the laboratory computer system and for the editing and verification of the results recorded into the computer system.
• Must be able to independently manage the approved point-of-care software and laboratory information system; validates new instrument/system connectivity, validates accuracy/integrity of tests results transmission, accept/release or reject results that are held by the point-of-care application and/or by laboratory policy.
• Incorporates principles of educational methodology in the instruction and training of new employees and students and in the laboratory's in-service/continuing education program.
• Communicates effectively and courteously while working as a healthcare team member. Provides excellent service as defined by the customer (healthcare providers, patients, and others). Gives direction and guidance using underlying principles of laboratory testing.
• Works on weekends, holidays, or irregular shifts or in other sections to provide laboratory coverage for routine or emergency procedures as needed or directed by management, when applicable.
• Other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:30am - 5:00pm
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
EDRP Authorized: Former EDRP participants ineligible to apply for incentive. Contact visn15edrp@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 #: 000000
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.
• English Language Proficiency: Candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7403 (f).
• Certification: Candidates must meet one of the certification options below.
  • Generalist certification as an MLS given by ASCP BOC or AMT.
  • Generalist certification as an MT given by ASCP BOR or AMT.
  • Categorical certification or Specialist certification by ASCP 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-12
Clinical Laboratory Scientist (Ancillary Testing Coordinator)
Experience. 1 year of creditable experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-11) is required for all GS-12 assignments
AND
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.

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.

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.
• 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.