Cardiac Sonographer II

Cardiac Sonographer

Under general supervision, performs a variety of cardiac sonography procedures, ensures the proper functioning of sonography equipment, and assists the physician in related procedures.

Please note: All applicants are required to submit proof of completion of an accredited Cardiac Sonography program and valid licenses and/or certificates. Applicants who do not attach proof to their application will be rejected. The list established through this recruitment will be utilized to fill both current and future vacancies across the Santa Clara Valley Healthcare (SCVH) enterprise. This may include full-time, part-time, and extra-help/per-diem opportunities. If you are interested in any of these positions, please ensure you respond to the relevant questions in your application.

Better Health for All! The County of Santa Clara owns and operates a hospital and clinic delivery system comprising Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, O'Connor Hospital, Regional Medical Center, and St. Louise Hospital. The Power of WE: Together, we can make a greater impact. Bringing better care and expanding healthcare services across the community. Santa Clara Valley Healthcare (SCVH) is the second-largest public healthcare system in California, comprising three acute care hospitals, 14 clinics, and over 60 specialty and subspecialty services. Our mission is to deliver high-quality, accessible healthcare and exceptional service to all residents of Santa Clara County.

Santa Clara Valley Medical Center - Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (SCVMC) is a full-service tertiary acute care teaching hospital with 699 licensed beds, providing a wide range of specialized services, including Rehabilitation, Burn, Trauma, and NICU. SCVMC was ranked by U.S. News and World Report as the #6 Rehabilitation Hospital in the nation and #1 in the West, and designated as a 2024 High-Performing hospital for Maternity Care, Heart Failure, Stroke, Hip Fracture, and Pneumonia.

O'Connor Hospital - O'Connor Hospital (OCH) is a 358-licensed bed acute care facility offering a full range of inpatient and outpatient medical, surgical, and specialty programs to residents of Santa Clara County. It was founded in 1889 as one of the first hospitals in the county. OCH has experienced significant growth over the past five years, both in its inpatient volume and Emergency Department visits. Along with these volume increases, other ancillary and clinical departments, such as imaging, lab, pharmacy, and respiratory care, have also seen growth.

Regional Medical Center - Regional Medical Center (RMC) is a 258-bed hospital that serves as the primary emergency healthcare provider for East San Jose, treating a wide range of critical and life-threatening conditions for over 60 years. Since the SCVH integration of RMC, effective April 1, 2025, RMC has expanded its critical services, including Level II trauma care, a Thrombectomy-capable Stroke Center, and STEM care, and has seen an increase in the number of emergency visits and inpatient volume.

St. Louise Regional Hospital - Since 1989, St. Louise Regional Hospital (SLRH) has been serving the residents of Santa Clara and San Benito Counties, offering a comprehensive range of inpatient and outpatient medical specialties. SLRH has 93 beds, is a Designated Primary Stroke Center, and is the only acute care hospital in the area. Located in Gilroy, SLRH maintains a CALSTAR 2 emergency helicopter base on the premises.

Typical Tasks

The following are the duties performed by employees in this classification. However, employees may perform other related duties at an equivalent level. Each individual in the classification does not necessarily perform all duties listed.

• Assists in training student technologists, interns/residents, and Cardiac Sonographers in sonography procedures;
• Performs cardiac ultrasounds, including transthoracic echocardiograms (TTE), transesophageal echocardiograms (TEE), and bubble studies;
• Assists physician with the performance of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) procedures;
• Performs contrast, dobutamine stress, and exercise stress echocardiography procedures;
• Consults with referring physician regarding patient's medical history to determine the type of ultrasonic procedure required and to correlate the clinical history with the test to be performed;
• Selects ultrasound and ancillary equipment for use in ultrasound setup according to specifications/protocol of examination;
• Adjusts equipment controls according to protocol and physician's orders for the area of the heart to be examined;
• Explains examination process to the patient and instructs and assists patient throughout the procedure;
• Operates diagnostic ultrasound equipment, observes sound wave pattern produced, produces and processes diagnostic images, and presents completed sonograms to physician;
• Prepares, instructs, and positions patient for ultrasound procedures;
• Documents observations made during the procedure for final interpretation by the Cardiologist or other qualified medical professional;
• Labels permanent records of scans or identifies images, manipulates images, and sends images via the Picture Archive Communication System (PACS) network;
• Maintains records; tracks and bills each procedure and associated supplies;
• Performs calibrations to adjust and maintain ultrasonic and ancillary equipment;
• Submits work orders and reports equipment issues to Manager in a timely fashion to assure proper working order of all echocardiology equipment;
• Cleans and stocks procedure rooms and ancillary areas and maintains proper inventory levels;
• May be assigned as a Disaster Service Worker (DSW), as required*;
• Performs other related duties, as required.

Employment Standards

Sufficient education, training, and experience to demonstrate the ability to perform the above tasks, plus the possession and direct application of the following knowledge and abilities:

Training and Experience Note: The knowledge and abilities are attained through successful completion of an accredited Cardiac Sonography program.

and

Two (2) years of full-time experience performing cardiac sonography procedures.

Special Requirements

• Possess and maintain one of the following certificates:
• Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer (RDCS) issued by the American Registry of Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS).
• Any Echocardiography related certification issued by the Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI).
• Ability to travel to alternate locations in the course of work. If driving, possession of a valid California driver's license prior to appointment and the ability to qualify for and maintain a County driver authorization.
• *As a condition of employment, pursuant to California Government Code Sections 3100-3109 and Local Ordinance, all County of Santa Clara employees are designated Disaster Service Workers (DSWs), including extra help. A DSW is required to complete all assigned DSW-related training, and in the event of an emergency, return to work as ordered.

Knowledge of:

• Cardiac Ultrasound diagnostic procedures and equipment/instrumentation in Adult Echocardiography;
• Cardiovascular principles, vascular physical principles, principles of ultrasound physics, and the propagation of ultrasound through tissues;
• Anatomy, physiology, and congenital/acquired pathology as they relate to the use and interpretation of ultrasound diagnostic procedures;
• Safety principles and procedures relating to ultrasound procedures and equipment;
• Quality assurance as it relates to ultrasound scanning/ultrasound equipment;
• Principles of electronic image processing and image development;
• Common computer systems and applications.

Ability to:

• Operate ultrasound emitters and ancillary equipment in the performance of ultrasound diagnostic procedures;
• Interpret physician instructions and patient medical and clinical records to determine type of ultrasonic procedure to be performed;
• Recognize significance of all structures displayed on the oscilloscope and recognize artifacts and electronic equipment limitations;
• Prepare, instruct, and position patient for ultrasound procedure;
• Provide safe and appropriate care to all patients, even in stressful situations;
• Perform calibrations to adjust and maintain ultrasonic and ancillary equipment;
• Use the PACS network to send images electronically;
• Accurately bill procedures and supplies in a timely manner;
• Troubleshoot, document, and communicate equipment problems;
• Adhere to all relevant regulatory, County, hospital, and clinical policies and procedures;
• Follow written and oral instructions;
• Work efficiently and independently with minimal supervision;
• Comm