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Summary

The Advanced Practice Sonographer (APS) functions as a physician extender, working under the delegated authority of supervising physicians. The successful candidate will focus on providing advanced clinical sonography services at Clements and Zale Lipshy University Hospitals, and/or associated outpatient/clinic imaging centers. This role will function as a physician extender, providing advanced clinical sonography services and review ultrasound images.

Experience and Education Education/Experience

• Associate degree in biology, physiology, or other related field and six (6) years full-time clinical ultrasound experience including at least three (3) years performing advanced procedures.
• Registration with American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS), and advanced certification in Abdominal, Neurological, Vascular, Obstetrics and Gynecology, or other area of specialization as dictated by unit or standard of care.
• Extensive clinical experience in providing sonography services and demonstrated ability to mentor and support staff sonographers
• Must have a current Basic Life Support (BLS) Certification, course accredited by the American Heart Association (AHA) or American Red Cross (ARC) prior to hire and/or placement in job.
• Demonstrated proficiency with computer skills and software programs used for imaging viewing and interpretation, documentation and report generation.

MAINTENANCE OF QUALIFICATIONS:

• Maintain proficiency in at least three advanced ultrasound techniques (e.g., peripheral vascular; 3D ultrasound; CEUS; elastography; MSK; etc.)Attend all faculty-led ultrasound-specific lectures, journal clubs and staff meetings
• Attend 50% of ultrasound quality improvement and clinical journal club meetings
• Attend other conferences as necessary to stay current with latest ultrasound practices.
• Maintain 10 CME hours per year.

Job Duties

Primary duties include the following:

• Reviews ultrasound images with sonographers upon completion of their clinical examination for appropriateness, image quality, and protocol completion.
• Reviews patient clinical history, including signs and symptoms, to ensure complete patient history and aid in appropriate billing of examination.
• Reviews prior relevant reports and images including prior ultrasounds, CT's, or MRI's. Provides scanning assistance for technically challenging and/or complicated exams.
• Authorizes patient release or rescan patient to resolve diagnostic questions. Provide real-time quality assurance feedback, and coordinate department-level quality-improvement initiatives.
• Synthesizes sonography examination results and prepare draft report in the departmental dictation or reporting system.
• Assists with new sonographer onboarding and trainee education.
• Helps communicate new service line and protocol changes to ultrasound staff and/or providers.
• Participates directly in advanced techniques such as contrast-enhanced, 3D, and musculoskeletal ultrasound.
• Coordinates guided procedures and searches for relevant history and laboratory values.
• Facilitates clinical and translational research activities.
• Performs additional advanced sonography services or other tasks (e.g., peripheral intravenous line placement; contrast injection; endocavitary ultrasound; 3D ultrasound) delegated by the supervising physician, consistent with education, training, and facility protocols, policies, and procedures.

Secondary duties include the following:

• Must be able to demonstrate patient-centered/patient-valued behaviors.
• Assumes responsibility for the safety of the patient while in the ultrasound department.
• Must be proficient in general ultrasound and/or vascular exams.
• Apply independent, professional, and ethical judgment, and critical thinking to ensure that appropriate anatomical, pathological, and clinical conditions are accurately captured in the examination images.
• Ensures the sonography examination order is complete, contains relevant clinical information, and meets the standard for "medical necessity".
• As necessary, acquires additional images to facilitate optimum diagnostic results for the interpreting physician.
• Must be virtually self-supervising. Must be able to read, interpret and report ultrasound examinations.
• Adheres to applicable professional and ethical standards.
• Ensures compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, policies and procedures.
• Provides patient services consistent with the Scope of Practice and Clinical Standards for the Diagnostic Sonographer.
• Excepts as authorized by written facility policies and procedures, refer specific diagnostic, treatment or prognosis questions to the appropriate physician or healthcare professional.
• Equipment use and maintenance
• Exercises responsibility to ensure that the ultrasound equipment is functioning accurately.
• Shows ability to troubleshoot quality control procedures to ensure that the ultrasound equipment operates at optimal levels to ensure patient safety and high image quality.
• Conducts sonography examinations in accordance with infectious disease, sterilization, and patient safety protocols, policies, and procedures.
• Provides education and training to sonographers in the utilization of new equipment features/benefits or scanning techniques.
• Directly oversees use/performance of advanced ultrasound techniques such as 3D ultrasound, contrast-enhanced ultrasound, elastography, peripheral vascular Doppler, and musculoskeletal ultrasound.
• Shows proficiency in post-processing of 3D data for volumetric and multiplanar assessment.
• Documentation and reporting Documents any incidental findings that may impact patient safety or patient care and provide that information to the interpreting physician and/or ordering provider.
• Identifies and documents any limitations to the sonography examination.
• Exercises responsibility for the preparation, maintenance, and accuracy of reports, database records, and logs.
• Provides oversight of imaging quality within Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS).
• Quality assessment/quality improvement Oversees quality assurance, monitoring sonographer's scanning capabilities, accuracy, protocol completeness, and technique before findings are released for interpretation.
• Works with the supervising physician to ensure quality patient care.
• Functions as a technical or clinical leader/expert in sonography.
• Develops templates to use in reporting examination findings.
• Creates descriptive preliminary reports for review and finalization by radiologist.
• Accounts for the creation, oversight and implementation of scanning protocols and quality control activities that positively affect patient care and outcomes, workflow, and/or cost-effective imaging.
• Provides re-scanning support to staff sonographers, when appropriate.
• Ensures that appropriate accreditation is secured and maintained.
• Healthcare team interaction Acts as an effective liaison between sonographers, radiology faculty, imaging service line, hospital administration, department administration, and clinical research office.
• Demonstrates good verbal and interpersonal skills.
• Positive, pro-active attitude with willingness to problem solve; ability to build trust and facilitate a collaborative working relationship within a busy clinical service and among multiple sonographers and other stakeholders.
• Assists with the education and training of sonography students, medical students, residents and/or radiology physicians' trainees.

Working Conditions

Work is performed primarily in general office area.

Security

Any qualifications to be considered as equivalents in lieu of stated minimum require prior approval of Vice President for Human Resources Administration or his/her designee. This position is security-sensitive and subject to Texas Education Code *51.215, which authorizes UT Southwestern to obtain criminal history record information.

UT Southwestern Medical Center is committed to an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community.As an equal opportunity employer, UT Southwestern prohibits unlawful discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or veteran status.To learn more, please visit: