Advanced Practice Sonographer

UT Southwestern Medical Center•Dallas, TX

6d•Onsite

About The Position

The Advanced Practice Sonographer (APS) functions as a physician extender under the delegated authority of supervising physicians. The role provides advanced clinical sonography services at Clements and Zale Lipshy University Hospitals and/or associated outpatient and clinic imaging centers. The APS supports diagnostic quality, patient safety, staff development, advanced ultrasound techniques, quality improvement, and clinical research. The schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The position works in an office setting. Salary is commensurate with education, skills, and relevant experience.

Requirements

Associate's degree in biology, physiology, or another related field.
Six years of full-time clinical ultrasound experience, including at least three years performing advanced procedures.
Extensive clinical experience providing sonography services and demonstrated ability to mentor and support staff sonographers.
Demonstrated proficiency with computer skills and software programs used for imaging viewing and interpretation, documentation, and report generation.
Registration with the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography upon hire.
Advanced certification in abdominal, neurological, vascular, obstetrics and gynecology, or another area of specialization as dictated by the unit or standard of care, upon hire.
Basic Life Support certification through the American Heart Association or American Red Cross before hire and/or placement in the job.
Maintain proficiency in at least three advanced ultrasound techniques, such as peripheral vascular, 3D ultrasound, contrast-enhanced ultrasound, elastography, or musculoskeletal ultrasound.
Attend faculty-led ultrasound-specific lectures, journal clubs, and staff meetings.
Attend at least 50% of ultrasound quality-improvement and clinical journal club meetings.
Attend other conferences as necessary to stay current with ultrasound practices.
Maintain 10 CME hours per year.
Demonstrate patient-centered behavior, professional and ethical judgment, critical thinking, and effective verbal and interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

Review ultrasound images with sonographers after examinations for appropriateness, image quality, and protocol completion.
Review patient clinical history, signs and symptoms, and prior relevant reports and images to support complete examinations and appropriate billing.
Provide scanning assistance for technically challenging or complicated examinations; authorize patient release or perform rescanning to resolve diagnostic questions.
Provide real-time quality assurance feedback and coordinate department-level quality-improvement initiatives.
Synthesize examination results and prepare draft reports in the departmental dictation or reporting system.
Assist with onboarding new sonographers and educating trainees, students, medical students, residents, and radiology physician trainees.
Communicate new service lines and protocol changes to ultrasound staff and providers.
Participate in advanced ultrasound techniques, including contrast-enhanced, 3D, and musculoskeletal ultrasound; oversee advanced techniques such as elastography and peripheral vascular Doppler.
Coordinate guided procedures and identify relevant patient history and laboratory values.
Facilitate clinical and translational research activities.
Perform additional advanced sonography services or delegated tasks, such as peripheral intravenous line placement, contrast injection, endocavitary ultrasound, and 3D ultrasound, consistent with training and facility policies.
Demonstrate patient-centered behavior and ensure patient safety while patients are in the ultrasound department.
Perform general ultrasound and/or vascular examinations using independent, professional, ethical judgment and critical thinking to capture appropriate anatomical, pathological, and clinical conditions.
Ensure examination orders are complete, include relevant clinical information, and meet medical-necessity standards; acquire additional images when needed for optimal diagnostic results.
Read, interpret, and report ultrasound examinations, while referring diagnostic, treatment, or prognosis questions to appropriate clinicians except where facility policy authorizes otherwise.
Follow professional and ethical standards and applicable laws, regulations, policies, and procedures.
Ensure ultrasound equipment functions accurately; troubleshoot quality-control issues and support patient safety and image quality.
Conduct examinations in accordance with infection-control, sterilization, and patient-safety protocols.
Train sonographers in new equipment features, benefits, and scanning techniques.
Post-process 3D data for volumetric and multiplanar assessment.
Document incidental findings that may affect patient safety or care and communicate them to the interpreting physician or ordering provider; document examination limitations.
Maintain accurate reports, database records, and logs, and oversee imaging quality in PACS.
Oversee quality assurance, including sonographer scanning capability, accuracy, protocol completeness, and technique before findings are released for interpretation.
Work with supervising physicians to ensure quality patient care and serve as a technical or clinical sonography leader.
Develop reporting templates and descriptive preliminary reports for radiologist review and finalization.
Create, oversee, and implement scanning protocols and quality-control activities that improve patient care, outcomes, workflow, or cost-effective imaging.
Provide rescanning support to staff sonographers when appropriate and ensure appropriate accreditation is secured and maintained.
Liaise among sonographers, radiology faculty, imaging service lines, hospital and department administration, and the clinical research office.
Build collaborative working relationships, communicate effectively, and help solve problems across a busy clinical service and its stakeholders.

Benefits

PPO medical plan available day one at no cost for full-time employee-only coverage.
100% coverage for preventive healthcare with no copay.
Paid Time Off available day one.
Retirement programs through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS).
Paid parental leave benefit.
Wellness programs.
Tuition reimbursement.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) qualified employer.
Competitive benefits package, including healthcare and paid holidays.
On-site childcare.
Wage and merit increases.
Career growth and development opportunities.