Cardiac Sonographer, Advanced

Advanced Cardiac Sonographer

As a patient-focused organization, University of Utah Health exists to enhance the health and well-being of people through patient care, research and education. Success in this mission requires a culture of collaboration, excellence, leadership, and respect. University of Utah Health seeks staff that are committed to the values of compassion, collaboration, innovation, responsibility, integrity, quality and trust that are integral to our mission.

The Advanced Cardiac Sonographer ensures high-quality echocardiography services through quality control, leadership, staff support, and training. Responsibilities include preparing preliminary echo reports, rescanning exams, and providing targeted education. The role involves coordinating daily staff assignments and workflows, monitoring staffing, and collaborating with leadership. Additionally, the Advanced Cardiac Sonographer offers immediate support during live scanning, assists with preliminary reporting, conducts daily QC evaluations, and participates in educational sessions and film reviews. This position provides direct patient care and may be required to access and administer medications within their scope of practice and according to state law.

Corporate Overview: The University of Utah is a Level 1 Trauma Center and is nationally ranked and recognized for our academic research, quality standards and overall patient experience. Our five hospitals and eleven clinics provide excellence in our comprehensive services, medical advancement, and overall patient outcomes.

Responsibilities

Enhanced Quality Control (QC):

• Works to coordinate QI by preparing preliminary echo reports for cardiologists daily, ensuring consistency and completeness.
• Rescans and repeats exams identified from performing real-time QC or as identified to be inadequate quality by physicians.
• Provides targeted education to improve staff skills and build cardiologist confidence, streamlining cardiologist workflow by eliminating the need for re-measurements and re-evaluations.

Leadership Continuity:

• Coordinates daily staff assignments.
• Coordinates inpatient, outpatient, and special procedure workflows.
• Monitors staffing and works with leadership on any necessary changes to maintain efficient operations.

Real-time Staff Support:

• Fosters a more cohesive and supportive work environment by providing immediate support to staff, addressing questions and offering guidance during live scanning.
• Assists with inpatient and outpatient preliminary reporting.

Education and Training:

• Plays a key role in weekly "Lunch and Learn" lectures.
• Plays a key role in seminars on new echocardiography techniques by attending vendor and professional conferences
• Schedules 1:1 scanning with staff as identified and needed by the ACS and physicians.

Daily QC Evaluations:

• Conducts daily QC evaluations on exams and submits findings to leadership for review for staff development
• Schedules weekly film review with staff sonographers.
• Conducts reading room QC with onboarding first year Fellows, refining second and third year Fellows and Attending physicians.

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities

• Demonstrated potential ability to perform the essential functions as outlined above.
• Ability to provide care to the population served.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the principles of life span growth and development.
• Ability to assess data regarding the patient's status.
• Ability to provide care as described in the department's policies and procedures manual.
• Demonstrated knowledge of cardiac anatomy and physiology.
• Demonstrated effective communication and human relation skills.
• Ability to educate and train other technologists.
• Demonstrated background and knowledge in congenital/pediatric heart echocardiograms in addition to all aspects of adult echocardiography.

Qualifications

Qualifications

Required

One of the following current, active certifications upon hire:

• Certification as a Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer with a Pediatric Echocardiography (RDCS-PE) specialty through the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS).
• Certification as a Registered Congenital Cardiac Sonographer (RCCS) through Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI).
• Certification as an Advanced Cardiac Sonographer (ACS) through Cardiovascular Credentialing International (CCI).

• If the incumbent does not have the ACS certification through Cardiovascular Credentialing International upon hire, they will be required to obtain this certification within 365 of entry into the role.
• Must document at least fifteen (15) hours of echocardiography-related CME over a period of three (3) years. CME credits must be earned within the three (3) year period prior to application submission.

Qualifications (Preferred)

Working Conditions and Physical Demands

Employee must be able to meet the following requirements with or without an accommodation.

• This position involves intensive work that may exert up to 100 pounds and may consistently require lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling or otherwise moving objects, such as medical equipment, or patients while providing medical care. Workers in this position may be exposed to infectious diseases and may be required to function around prisoners and behavioral health patients.

Physical Requirements

Carrying, Climbing, Color Determination, Crawling, Far Vision, Lifting, Listening, Manual Dexterity, Near Vision, Pulling and/or Pushing, Reaching, Sitting, Speaking, Standing, Stooping and Crouching, Tasting or Smelling, Walking