Videos

The Assistant Chief, Sterile Processing Service (SPS) position for Veterans Health Administration (VHA) in the Sterile Processing Service of the Birmingham VA Healthcare System. The incumbent of this position will be supporting the decontamination, preparation, and distribution of the hospital's critical and semi-critical reusable medical devices (RMD), medical equipment and oversight for non-critical RMD with supervisory responsibilities for personnel in the Sterile Processing Service (SPS).The duties include but are not limited to:

• The incumbent will perform 10% of duties as a Medical Supply Technician (MST) to provide backup and fill in as necessary, 10% of duties as the Reusable Medical Devices (RMD) Coordinator, and 80% of duties as the Assistant Chief.
• Responsible for assisting the Chief, Sterile Processing Services (SPS), in oversight of all operational and administrative activities of the service.
• Responsible to oversee quality management system activities within SPS, to include training, competency assessment, development, and enforcement of standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Assists the Chief, SPS to adapt work to accomplish program goals and objectives, and to meet new and changing program requirements.
• Serves as liaison between SPS and other departments.
• Assists Chief, SPS, in managing the SPS Equipment Inventory Listing (EIL) for equipment assigned to SPS such as sterilizers, washer/disinfector, ultrasonic, sealers through the nonexpendable property program for the assigned facility/system and requests replacement of all equipment under their purview as needed in conjunction with Lead MSTs.
• In the absence of the Chief, serves as a member or in an advisory capacity on committees such as Commodity Standardization, Infection Control, Environment of Care, and Reusable Medical Devices.
• In addition, the Assistant Chief is required to attend regularly scheduled meetings as assigned to represent SPS and to provide written and verbal reports as required Issues, adapts, implements and maintains local SPS policies and procedures as applicable to specific facility/system programs in conjunction with the Chief, SPS
• Assists the Chief, SPS in developing, directing and maintaining a Quality Control Program ensuring product quality assurance through random sampling, biological monitoring, product assessment and other means, and providing specific reports as required.
• Solicits assistance from, or responds to, inquiries from outside regulatory and advisory agencies to ensure compliance with established policies and procedures from organizations such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), Joint Commission (JC), Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA), Association of Perioperative Nurses (AORN), Office for Sterile Processing (OSP), and others.
• Assists Chief, SPS in preparing and evaluating future scheduling projects, anticipating future workload requirements to forecast appropriate staffing levels.
• Works closely with Supply Chain Management to monitor inventory levels to identify and take corrective action on matters relating to potential inventory shortages created because of additional case volume, scrap, or any customer related skills that may exist.
• Oversees appropriate reprocessing of RMD to eliminate risk of infection and to provide timely safe patient care in all patient care areas.
• Responsible for continuous quality improvement projects that result in improved services to all customers.
• Knowledgeable and prepared to function as Acting Chief of the service. REUSABLE MEDICAL DEVICES
• Ensure that all individuals charged with reprocessing duties of RMD are appropriately trained and competency is documented prior to the performance of the assigned tasks.
• Ensure that specific processes and procedures are in place for reprocessing all critical and semi-critical RMD to include reprocessing of RMD after hours as needed for back up.
• Develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and competency assessments for the reprocessing of all critical and semi-critical RMD and the operation and maintenance of equipment used in the reprocessing of critical and semi-critical RMD according to manufacturer's guidelines in coordination with Department end users.
• Ensure that all SOPs pertaining to RMD are kept up to date

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm, with rotation to alternate tours to meet patient care needs.
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: FS54415
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Conditions of employment

• 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 probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details.

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:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.
• English Language Proficiency: MSTs must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3j.
• 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.

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-9

One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-8.In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

• Ability to plan and project staffing needs and requirements.
• Ability to manage, interact and deal with individuals of varying backgrounds.
• Ability to manage, direct and adapt work to accomplish program goals and objectives, and meet new and changing program requirements.
• Ability to develop and recommend new or revised policies that are consistent with organizational goals and objectives.
• Ability to perform a full range of supervisory duties, including assigning, planning and evaluating work, recommending awards, approving leave, identifying training needs, and resolving staff issues.
• Ability to evaluate new products and equipment, develop options, and make recommendations.
• Ability to manage, interpret, and present fiscal data (i.e. fund controls, contracts and equipment expenditures), forecast resource and equipment needs and administer an allocated budget.

Assignment. The Assistant Chief contributes to the oversight of all supervision, administrative management and direction of the SPS. Oversees all decontamination, sterilization and disposition of facility critical and semi-critical RME. Develops and maintains a system of internal reviews that ensure service programs operate in compliance with regulatory and accrediting organizations. Contributes to the effective utilization of resources, budgetary allocation and fiscal management. Makes selections, assigns personnel and provides direction to subordinate staff. Manages the training, documenting and evaluating of staff. Serves as liaison between SPS and other departments.

Preferred Experience: The applicant must possess knowledge of the technical names, general uses, physical characteristics, and operating conditions of medical supply items; knowledge of decontamination, cleaning, preparation, sterilization, and storage procedures; knowledge of aseptic techniques; and skill in operating a washer-sterilizer, ultrasonic instrument cleaners, and gas and steam sterilizers.

References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G47

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-9.

Physical Requirements: The work requires constant physical effort in the receipt, reprocessing, storage and issue of RME, folding of linen items, assembling trays, pans, and case carts, inserting and retrieving loaded sterilized carts from the autoclaves. Hand and eye coordination is required in the disassembly and reassembling of equipment. The worker is exposed to long periods of standing, bending and walking while reprocessing reusable medical equipment. Frequent requirement for the lifting of RME, trays and cartons from storage shelves to carts. Incumbent regularly uses case carts in the delivery of supplies and instruments to the clinical areas within the Medical Center. Material weighs up to 50 pounds.

How you will be evaluated

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.