VHA has determined that Anesthesia Technicians are part of the Title 38 Hybrid occupation of Medical Instrument Technicians, Series 0649 (MITs).  This is very positive for recruitment purposes and it may also benefit existing Anesthesia Technicians by providing them a defined career path that offers opportunities for promotion.

At the time the Anesthesia Technicians were determined to be within the MIT classification about half of the Anesthesia Technicians in the VA were already classified as MITs.  The other half were mainly in the Health Technician, Series 0640 occupation.

Anesthesia Technicians already in the MIT occupation need to be boarded under the new qualification standard for Anesthesia Technicians.  The qualification standard has been incorporated in VA Handbook 5005 and a copy can be downloaded by following this link . 
Note:  At GS levels below GS 6, the Medical Instrument Technician qualification standard is a common standard.  Distinct occupations occur at GS6 and above.  The details for GS6 and higher Anesthesia Technicians are in Appendix A of the document.

It is our understanding that the Professional Standards Board (PSB), the body that will determine the appropriate grade for the existing MITs, has been formed at the VISN level.  Each facility’s MITs will have to be submitted to the VISN PSB to move the employees over to the Title 38 Hybrid status.  Your local Human Resources department can assist you with the specific process.

It is also our understanding that the Office of Human Resources Management has agreed in principle that Anesthesia Technicians in series other than Medical Instrument Technician (MIT) can be converted from their current series to the new Title 38 Hybrid Medical Instrument Technician series, GS 0649.  The conversion of a non-MIT Anesthesia Technician to the MIT series is dependent on the individual’s current position description (PD) actually describing Anesthesia Technician work as defined in the new qualification standard for MITs. 

If your non-MIT Anesthesia Technicians qualify for conversion to the MIT series you need to file a Conversion 52 for them with your local Human Resources Department. 

Part A-Box 1 of the 52 should be titled “Conversion of Anesthesia Technician (Health Technician GS 640) to T38 Hybrid Medical Instrument Technician, GS 649-32”.  If your Anesthesia Technicians are not Health Technicians substitute the correct information in the parentheses.

In Part B-Box 7 you will list the current PD title, GS series and your local position number. 

In Part B-Box 15 put Medical Instrument Technician (Anesthesia Technician, GS 0649-32).

The first benefit of getting your Anesthesia Technicians into the MIT series is that the qualification standard provides a career ladder.  As your technician gains new skills and takes on new duties and responsibilities s/he can request promotion through evaluation by the Professional Standards Board.  You will not have to write and have classified a new Position Description locally.  You will need to write a Functional Statement (a less formal process than classification) for each grade you seek to use and it must “agree” with the KSAs, duties and assignments for that particular grade within the Qualification Standard. 

When it comes time to hire a new Anesthesia Technician you will find the hiring process under Title 38 Hybrid to be faster and more flexible than the Title 5 General Schedule process.

A potential benefit of the boarding process, whether for an existing MIT or a Health Technician conversion is the opportunity for your Anesthesia Technician to get a grade promotion or special advancement for achievement (one or more steps in current grade) per the qualification standards rules.

Please contact us if you have questions about filing conversion 52s.

Information about preparing the required packet for the PSB review of an employee:

Boarding packets need to have the following information/documents for the PSB to effectively board individuals-

1. Board Action Form (VA Form 10-2543)  Page one completed by HRMS and the requester.  Top of page two will be completed by the PSB.
2. A completed Application For Associated Health Occupations (VA Form 10-2850c, June 2006).
3. Current CV
4. Since the KSAs for the particular grade SHOULD be included in the job posting and the candidates are asked to address the KSAs, the PSBs need to see this “self-evaluation” to compare to the Functional Statement and the Qualification Standard (generally speaking, the Application and the CV won’t have enough information to compare to the Qualification Standard).
5. Letter or memorandum from the hiring official/service requesting the boarding of the candidate.  This is the opportunity for the hiring official to sing the praises of their choice of individual for the position.  If it is necessary to appoint the candidate above step one of the grade, then the hiring official must request this from the PSB and explain it in this letter.