Kaiser Permanente·Santa Clara, California
Responsible for operating and troubleshooting heart-lung machines, ECMO, and VAD devices to regulate blood circulation and composition during surgery. Additionally, the role involves mentoring team members, maintaining clinical supplies, and collaborating with surgeons to ensure patient safety.
In addition to the responsibilities listed below, this position is also responsible for troubleshooting perfusion equipment, escalating issues to senior leaders, and utilizing resources in conjunction with Information Technology (IT) and Clinical Technology, including but not limited to all operating room (OR), extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), ventricular assist device (VAD), and mechanical circulatory support (MCS) devices; selecting, assembling, setting up, and testing heart-lung machine to ensure that machine and associated equipment function according to specifications independently; participating and assisting in necessary trainings; identifying opportunities for cost savings and providing input on capital request needs of the perfusion service; participating in continuous quality improvement initiatives; signing off on clinical competencies for other certified perfusionists; providing organizational support to the department by orienting perfusion students when necessary; reviewing patients medical history and chart and consulting with surgeon or physician to obtain patient information necessary to set up heart-lung machine and associated equipment independently; operating heart-lung machine to regulate blood circulation and composition, administer drugs and anesthetic agents, and control body temperature during surgery or respiratory failure of patient independently; gathering quality metrics to measure patient and staff safety; and supporting operating room (OR) and cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU) operations by maintaining supplies.
Graduate from a Perfusion program. Minimum two (2) years of experience as a Perfusionist. Bachelors degree in a science or health-related discipline or a related field AND minimum two (2) years of experience in field of specialty OR Minimum five (5) years of experience in field of specialty. Clinical Perfusionist Certificate required at hire Basic Life Support required at hire
Requires graduation from a Perfusion program and a Clinical Perfusionist Certificate, along with Basic Life Support certification. Candidates must have at least two years of experience as a Perfusionist or a bachelor's degree in a science/health field with two years of specialty experience.
Market context
In California, physician openings are typically driven by ongoing demand across large health systems, outpatient groups, and specialty practices, with competition shaped by board eligibility, licensure, and specialty fit. For this role category, candidates are often compared on clinical experience, communication skills, and readiness to work within team-based care. The job requirements and benefits on this platform are AI-summarized from the original job description, saving candidates research time. Review the CPT and BLS requirements carefully and confirm your experience aligns with the listed laboratory and acute-care expectations before applying.