Echocardiography Technologist - Echo/EKG

Military Health Research Foundation • Killeen, TX

10d • Onsite

About The Position

Military & Health Research Foundation (MHRF) is seeking a skilled Echocardiogram Technologist to join their team at Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center (CRDAMC), Fort Hood, TX. This role involves providing comprehensive clinical and administrative support in a fast-paced, 24/7 teaching hospital. The technologist will assist healthcare providers with patient examinations, treatments, diagnostic procedures, and daily clinic operations, ensuring high-quality, patient-centered care in accordance with Government standards and established clinical protocols. The ideal candidate should possess 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 position is crucial for supporting healthcare providers, maintaining efficient clinic operations, and delivering compassionate care to service members, retirees, and their families in various primary and specialty care settings.

Requirements

• US Citizen
• Graduate of a CAAHEP-accredited Cardiovascular Technologist Program through the JRC-CVT.
• Formal, in-person cardiac sonography training (online-only training is not acceptable). Proof of formal training must be provided before performance begins.
• Current Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification.
• Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer (RDCS) certification.
• Minimum 1 year of post-graduate clinical experience within the last 2 years as a Cardiovascular Technologist performing echocardiographic studies.
• Experience performing and documenting transthoracic echocardiograms (TTEs).
• Experience operating ultrasound equipment according to professional standards.
• Experience preparing patients and acquiring diagnostic-quality images.
• Experience recognizing normal and abnormal cardiac findings.
• Experience collaborating with interpreting physicians and multidisciplinary care teams.
• 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.

Nice To Haves

• Board Certification: Not required.
• Licensure: Not required.

Responsibilities

• Perform duties within the scope of practice determined by didactic, laboratory, and clinical technological education and registration.
• Set up, adjust, operate, and maintain diagnostic cardiac ultrasound and ancillary equipment, including echocardiogram equipment, portable and hospital base echocardiogram systems, and transesophageal echocardiogram probes.
• Initiate emergency cardiac arrest procedures and monitor vital signs during examinations.
• Review and/or record pertinent patient history that supports clinical data.
• Perform appropriate clinical procedures and obtain anatomical, pathological, and/or physiological data for physician interpretation.
• Exercise discretion and judgment in performing 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, explain procedures, provide humane and appropriate care, and communicate to alleviate fear.
• Correctly position patients for examinations and make necessary adjustments.
• Input key test data and patient information into computer equipment to maintain a record of test results.
• Identify abnormalities during testing and determine the need for additional scans of affected areas.
• Identify abnormal heart conditions such as calcification, abnormal wall motion, defects in walls, bacterial growth on valves, and similar conditions.
• Recognize anatomic variants and determine which other areas of the body should be scanned.
• Maintain and clean equipment regularly according to MTF policy.
• Stock and maintain an adequate level of supplies required for diagnostic procedures.
• Recommend necessary repairs when diagnostic quality is degraded.
• Report patients unsuitable for imaging to the attending/reading physician or provider for disposition.
• Perform follow-up or limited studies at the discretion of the attending/reading physician or provider.
• Coordinate maintenance of cardiology-specific imaging equipment after approval from the department chief or designated government representative.
• Ensure availability and sufficient disposable supplies for all equipment, restocking as needed.
• Identify and record 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, including those with limited mobility, variations in physical condition and/or dimensions, presence of prostheses and/or foreign objects, and varying ultrasonic responses.
• Produce quality diagnostic images and place IVs for contrast studies.
• Consult 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 patients on the examination table to obtain the best view for the specific examination requested.
• Query patients regarding medical status, including weight, history of lung problems, respiratory conditions, mastectomy, scar tissue, single lung, and artifacts that may affect testing procedures, to avoid inaccurate clinical interpretation.
• Enter patient information on equipment to record data for strip printouts or digital recordings.
• Attach electrodes to patients' chests to monitor heart rhythm and connect electrodes to equipment leads, adjusting controls based on the specific study requested.
• Listen to and visually observe heart valve activity to distinguish normal from abnormal sounds, recognizing artifacts.
• Review results with the interpreting physician or provider.
• Immediately report unusual findings to responsible physicians or providers.
• Work closely with overseeing physicians or providers who supervise the performance of the ultrasound examination, especially in cases of technically difficult, confusing, non-diagnostic echocardiograms, or those requiring ancillary techniques and/or interventions.
• May be required to transport ultrasound machines and perform echocardiogram examinations at patient bedside, in the emergency room, intensive care, critical care, designated clinics, and/or inpatient wards, including for children under 18.

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.
• MHRF is an EEO Employer - Minorities/Women/Veterans/Disabled and other protected categories.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree