What are the responsibilities and job description for the Echocardiography Technologist - Echo/EKG position at Military Health Research Foundation?
Overview
Military & Health Research Foundation (MHRF) is seeking a skilled Echocardiogram Technologist to join our team at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center (CRDAMC), Fort Hood, TX. In this role, you will provide comprehensive clinical and administrative support in a fast-paced, 24/7 teaching hospital, assisting healthcare providers with patient examinations, treatments, diagnostic procedures, and daily clinic operations while delivering high-quality, patient-centered care in accordance with Government standards and established clinical protocols.
The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong clinical support skills, attention to detail, and the ability to thrive in a dynamic healthcare environment, along with excellent communication, customer service, and interpersonal abilities. This role is essential to supporting healthcare providers, ensuring efficient clinic operations, and delivering compassionate, high-quality care to service members, retirees, and their families across a variety of primary and specialty care settings.
Essential Functions and Job Responsibilities
- Perform duties within the scope of practice determined by didactic, laboratory, and clinical technological education and registration.
- Knowledge of and skill in setting up, adjusting, operating, and maintaining diagnostic cardiac ultrasound and ancillary equipment to include, but not limited to, echocardiogram equipment, portable and hospital base echocardiogram systems, and transophageal echocardiogram probes.
- Knowledge of and skill to start emergency cardiac arrest procedures and monitor vital signs during examinations.
- Review and/or record pertinent patient history and that support clinical data.
- Perform appropriate clinical procedures and obtain a record of anatomical, pathological, and/or physiological data for interpretation by a physician.
- Exercise discretion and judgment in the performance of cardiovascular diagnostic and therapeutic services.
- Perform a full range of cardiac diagnostic ultrasound examinations.
- Perform daily warm-up and complete assigned quality control checks of equipment
- Receive patients and explain procedures, providing humane and appropriate care and communication to alleviate fear of examination. Correctly position the patient for the examination and make adjustments necessary for the required examination.
- Input key test data and patient information into computer equipment to maintain record of test results.
- Identify abnormalities during testing and determine the need for additional scans of affected area.
- Identify abnormal heart conditions to include, but not limited to, calcification, abnormal wall motion, defects in walls, bacterial growth on valves, and other similar conditions.
- Recognize anatomic variants and determine which other area(s) of the body should be scanned.
- Maintain and clean equipment on a regular basis in accordance with MTF policy. Stock and maintain an adequate level of supplies required for diagnostic procedures.
- Recommend necessary repairs when diagnostic quality is degraded.
- Reports patients unsuitable for imaging to attending/reading physician or provider for disposition.
- Performs follow-up or limited studies at the discretion of the attending/reading physician or provider.
- After approval department chief or their designated government representative, coordinates maintenance of cardiology-specific imaging equipment.
- Ensures availability and sufficient disposable supplies are available for all equipment, restocking as needed.
- Identifies and records anomalies indicative of disease, injury, or other significant medical conditions from two-dimensional (2-D) ultrasound imaging and simultaneous records of pulsed wave, continuous wave, M-mode, and color doppler of the heart and related structures.
- Incorporate and develop techniques to accommodate a variety of patients to include, but not limited to, limited mobility, variation in physical condition and/or dimensions, presence of protheses and/or foreign objects, and ultrasonic response of different body parts.
- Product quality diagnostic images and places IVs for contrast studies for further clinical information.
- Consults with other medical government personnel when no standard instructions or procedures are available.
- Explain procedures to patients to obtain cooperation and reduce anxieties.
- Accurately position patient on examination table to obtain the best view for specific type of examination requested by physician or provider.
- To avoid failure of inaccurate clinical interpretation of echocardiogram, tactfully queries patients regarding medical status to include, but not limited to, weight, history of lung problems, respiratory conditions, mastectomy, scar tissue, single lung, and artifacts which may affect testing procedures.
- Enter patient information on equipment to record information for strip printout of test and/or digital recording format.
- Attaches electrodes to patients, chest to monitor heart rhythm and
- connects electrodes to electro leads of equipment adjusting controls based on specific
- type of study requested.
- Listens to and visually observes heart valve activity to distinguish from normal to abnormal sounds recognizing artifacts resulting from, but not limited to, equipment, pacemaker, or reflections.
- Review results with interpreting physician or provider.
- Immediately report unusual findings to responsible physicians or providers.
- Works closely with overseeing physicians or providers who supervise the actual performance of the ultrasound examination. Communication is particularly important in the study of patients with technically difficult echocardiograms or studies that are confusing, non-diagnostic, or that require ancillary techniques and/or interventions.
- May be required to transport ultrasound machine and perform echocardiogram examinations to patient bedside, emergency room, intensive care, critical care, designated clinic, and/or in-patient wards, to include both inpatient and outpatient children under the age of 18 years old
Minimum Requirements
- US Citizen
- Education: Graduate of a CAAHEP-accredited Cardiovascular Technologist Program through the JRC-CVT.
- Training: Must have formal, in-person cardiac sonography training. Online-only training is not acceptable. Proof of formal training must be provided before performance begins.
- Board Certification: Not required.
- Licensure: Not required.
- Current Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification.
- Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer (RDCS) certification.
- Experience: Minimum 1 year of post-graduate clinical experience within the last 2 years as a Cardiovascular Technologist performing echocardiographic studies,
- Including:
- Performing and documenting transthoracic echocardiograms (TTEs).
- Operating ultrasound equipment according to professional standards.
- Preparing patients and acquiring diagnostic-quality images.
- Recognizing normal and abnormal cardiac findings.
- Collaborating with interpreting physicians and multidisciplinary care teams.
Additional Information
- Must pass TB Test
- Subject to a background/security investigation
- Willingness to comply with DHA vaccination requirements.
- Willingness to complete a physical examination
- Pre-employment drug screening
- Required to wear PPE during performance of services.
- Walking, long periods of standing, stretching, crouching, bending, stooping, lifting to 50lbs, lifting over 50lbs with assistance.
- Exposure to infections disease; toxic, hazardous, or irritating chemicals; carcinogenic materials; noxious fumes; flammable liquids; radiation; pathogenic bacteria; electric hazards.
- Contract workers should maintain good personal hygiene and present a well-groomed and professional appearance IAW the policy at the place of performance.
Company Benefits
The Military & Health Research Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation dedicated to discovering and transitioning lasting solutions for troops on the battlefield and across civilian healthcare settings. Since 2011, our goal is to ensure that dynamic life-saving technologies with advances in healthcare are readily accessible when the need arises.
MHRF is an EEO Employer - Minorities/Women/Veterans/Disabled and other protected categories.