Application Specialist, AHI-AZ

Summary

The Application Specialist, AHI is responsible for supporting, maintaining, and upgrading the key medical applications, modules, and their dependencies at the Animal Health Institute (AHI). The role provides support to faculty and students who need assistance with accessing and utilizing the applications. They coordinate all issues that arise during the project for their application areas and must be knowledgeable about the organization's policies, procedures, and business operations. The Application Specialist, AHI will support the following systems: StringSoft, Orchard Harvest, Merge PACs, OmniCell, and additional systems as necessary.

Essential Responsibilities       

• Acting as the primary support contact for the application’s end users.
• Identify issues that arise in assigned application area as well as issues that impact other application teams and work to resolve those issues.
• Guide workflow design, build, and test the system, and analyze other technical issues associated with the AHI applications.
• Identify and implement requested changes to the system.
• Serve as a liaison between end users’ workflow needs and the application vendors.
• Maintain regular communication with the AHI staff on updates and changes with their applications.
• Develop an understanding of operational needs to set the direction for the clinic’s workflows within the different applications.
• Participate in training and working with end users.
• Troubleshoot problems and questions.
• Review the status of projects and issues on an ongoing basis with leadership.
• Maintain and update the different critical medical systems, their different components, dependencies, and modules used throughout the organization.
• Attend meetings with the different department specialties on a weekly or monthly basis.
• Implement changes within the applications or implement and test new systems to meet the needs of the AHI or specialty.
• Maintain the different HL7 interfaces. Work with 3^rd party vendors to create new medical interfaces or to troubleshoot issues, working with state agencies or lab vendors. Duties involve reviewing medical data and creating labs and their results to ensure they flow correctly into the system.
• Troubleshoot any issues found within the applications, modules, and their dependencies.
• Correspond with faculty, staff, and students via email, phone calls and meetings (in-person and remote). Assist with clinic systems and technology related troubleshooting.
• Assist with radiology workflow modality configuration, worklist configuration, image routing, quality control and overall system management.
• Assist with project implementations by identifying project resources, scope, tasks, milestones, and project timelines.
• Upgrade, troubleshoot and maintain environment with end user and clinical leadership feedback.
• Manage and maintain clinic related server environment, software deployment and clinic workstation configurations.
• Train end users, key personnel and managers in application use relevant to their environment.
• Other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities              

This job has no supervisory responsibilities.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Must be able to work in a constant state of alertness and safe manner and have regular, predictable, in-person attendance. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Technical skills-strives to continuously build knowledge, skills, accuracy, and thoroughness
• Teamwork- contributes to building a positive team spirit
• Must possess excellent oral/written communication skills and the ability to prioritize and complete tasks
• The individual must be able to generate creative solutions and develop innovative approaches

Other Qualifications

• Adaptability/flexibility – Demonstrated ability to be flexible with respect to changing end-user business needs.
• Critical thinking – Ability and willingness to see things in an open-minded way and examine an idea or concept from as many angles as possible.
• Dependability – Ability and willingness to take ownership of work activities and ensure that they are completed in an accurate, efficient, and timely manner.
• Initiative – Ability and willingness to recognize assignments or tasks that need to be completed, to seek out additional assignments or tasks, and to help others.
• Listening – Active listening skills, listening attentively to ensure that the intended message has been accurately received, holding responses until the person has finished making their point, and repeating information to ensure accuracy
• Problem Solving – Ability to proactively seek out solutions by logically examining, and interpreting information from various sources to determine a problem’s cause and develop a course of action to resolve the problem and prevent future occurrences.

Education and/or Experience      

Bachelor’s Degree required, preferably in IT or Healthcare related field. 3-5 years of experience working knowledge of software applications. Experience working in a clinical setting desired. The ideal candidate must have a strong level of understanding of application systems with experience providing face-to-face customer support and strong interpersonal skills. Experience with providing technical support and troubleshooting software and hardware peripherals is essential. This individual will work independently at times and function as an integral part of the team.

Computer Skills                                               

Computer proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) required. Previous application experience required. Microsoft server support experience recommended.  Must have the ability and willingness to learn new software and systems as necessary.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl and push or pull equipment. The employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, use hands to finger, handle or feel, talk, and hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include basic close vision. 

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate with occasional work near moving mechanical parts and occasional risk working near radiation.

Midwestern University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer that does not discriminate against an employee or applicant based upon race; color; religion; creed; national origin or ancestry; ethnicity; sex (including pregnancy); gender (including gender expressions, gender identity; and sexual orientation); marital status; age; disability; citizenship; past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services; genetic information; or any other protected class, in accord with all federal, state and local laws, including 41 C.F.R. 60-1.4(a), 250.5(a), 300.5(a) and 741.5(a). Midwestern University complies with the Smoke-Free Arizona Act (A.R.S. 36-601.01) and the Smoke Free Illinois Act (410 ILCS 82/).  Midwestern University complies with the Illinois Equal Pay Act of 2003 and Arizona Equal Pay Acts.

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