Job Description

Overview

Dignity Health Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital is a 104-bed not-for-profit hospital located in Grass Valley California. The hospital has been providing compassionate quality health care to residents and visitors of western Nevada County since 1958. As an affiliate of the nationally recognized Dignity Health system we ensure the highest standard of health care to our patients and have access to important regional resources throughout the system including the Dignity Health Heart & Vascular Institute the Dignity Health Neurological Institute of Northern California and the Dignity Health Cancer Institute of Greater Sacramento. With 787 employees 101 active medical staff and 21 Emergency Department beds Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital continually implements and upgrades its technology and recruits employees who understand the vital importance of kindness and compassion in the healing process.
Responsibilities

The Cardiology Clinical Specialist/Echo Lab Technical Director performs as Echocardiographer 75% of the time, the remainder 25% is spent on teaching and certification responsibilities and quality assurance for the Cardiology Department.

Job Standards
1 CARDIOLOGY CLINICAL SPECIALIST SKILLS/TASK LIST:
1.1 Teaches/orients Cardiology Department staff on: Echocardiography procedures (adult/pediatric/neonate); General supervision of the technical staff and/or ancillary staff
1.2 Daily technical operation of the laboratory(e.g. staff scheduling, patient scheduling, laboratory record keeping, etc.) and the delegation of those responsibilities to the technical staff and/or ancillary staff when warranted. Works with Medical Director in the development of quality assurance standards for Cardiology department; performing clinical auditing as required by ICAEL standards.
1.3 Ensures compliance of the technical and/or ancillary staff to the ICAEL standards. Assists with development and teaches/certifies staff on yearly department-based competency tests.
1.4 Ensures operation and maintenance of laboratory equipment. Performs product evaluation of new equipment and provides inservices to staff, verifying staff competencies to new equipment 1.5 Completes ICAEL accreditation process for revenue reimbursements.
1.6 All laboratory duties delegated by the Echo Lab Medical Director
1.7 Performance of Echocardiograms in the Laboratory according to Echocardiographer job description and completes technical training requirements according to ICAEL standard

2 The Echocardiographer competently and consistently performs the following:
2.1 Performs technically correct echocardiograms that are of high resolution and contrast quality per protocol.
2.2 Demonstrates knowledge of cardiac anatomy and physiology for echocardiographic diagnostic purposes.
2.3 Maintains quality control procedures and records on echocardiographic equipment.
2.4 Performs cardiac diagnostic cardiac procedures (EKGs, EEGs, holter monitoring/scanning, telephonic arrhythmia monitoring) per protocol for both inpatients and outpatients; adult and pediatric.
2.5 Recognizes both abnormal EKG rhythms and cardiac abnormalities on echo that are potentially life threatening notifying appropriate person, RN or MD.
2.6 Checks emergency resuscitation/crash cart equipment daily and assures availability for procedures.
2.7 Performs clerical duties of processing all EKGs, treadmill stress tests, echocardiograms, stress echocardiograms, holter monitors and telephonic arrhythmia monitors to include billing, filing, and distribution per protocol for each procedure.
2.8 Assists with scheduling of departmental procedures.
2.9 Performs all job duties as necessary as mandated in the job description for Cardiology Technician. May perform EEGs only after training and competency evaluated.

3 CARDIOLOGY TECHNICIAN SKILL LIST
3.1 Recognizes abnormal EKG readings notifying appropriate person (RN, MD) if abnormal EKG is potentially life threatening.
3.2 Stocks supplies for all testing procedures
3.3 Scans Holter recordings to detect arrhythmias and processes report for physician review
3.4 Performs EEGs per protocol for both inpatients and outpatients; adult and pediatric. (See above)
3.5 Adjusts machine settings to obtain acceptable recording data.
3.6 Determines proper filter settings, paper speed, and reference electrodes.
3.7 Recognizes basic EEG patterns.
3.8 Selects appropriate groups of electrodes to records and measure specific types of cerebral activity.
3.9 Maintains proper equipment; notifying bio-medical technician for repairs as appropriate.
3.10 Clerical duties including, but not limited to: Processing all EKG, EEG, treadmill, holter, telephone arrhythmic monitoring documents label appropriately, filing, distributions per protocol for each procedure. Billing entries in Meditech computer system.

Qualifications

Requires:

• 2 years experience in Adult and Pediatric Echocardiography.
• ARDMS Registered
• Current BLS healthcare, ACLS preferred
• 30 hours Echocardiography related continuing education every three years
• Strong teaching, coaching, and mentoring skills. Computer skills.

Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital