Health Technician

Not Required

Duties

The incumbent directs patient flow through the clinic, from check in to check out. The purpose of the work is to prepare for and provide patient care, including personal care, diagnostic support activities, treatment procedures, patient documentation, and patient-driven plan for life in order to assure continuity of care and provide customer and patient satisfaction. The HT directs patient flow through the clinic, from checking in through checking out. The incumbent actively participates as a member of the healthcare team. Performs a range of direct care duties that include but not limited to performing temperature, blood pressure, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation measurements, measuring height and weight, patient transfers, glucometer testing, collecting specimens, and phlebotomy by venipuncture. Processes requests following established laboratory procedures and protocols. Conducts quality control procedures on equipment, reagents, and products and evaluates laboratory specimens to determine suitability for analysis and ensuring physiological state -of the properties are maintained. Prepares and advises patients for collection of timed blood, urine, and stool specimens. Prepares specimens to submit to reference laboratories for analysis. Follows-up on delinquent test results via on-site printer, FAX, and reports results. Assumes responsibility for checking all instruments and equipment for needed repairs, maintenance and replacement. Possesses knowledge of proper handling and pre-cleaning of reusable medical equipment. Assists with minor procedures, including obtaining and arranging necessary equipment, positioning patient, ensuring comfort and privacy. Monitors patient during the procedure. Supports patient-driven care in a safe, efficient and cost-effective manner, using evidence-based principles. Adherence to principles of infection control, safety, and universal precautions. Participates in performance improvement initiatives and strives to elevate the practice standards in the clinic. Adjusts own assignment to assist in emergencies or unusual, unplanned situations. Demonstrates appropriate behavior (i.e., respect, civility, ability to accept constructive criticism), effective communication and interpersonal skills. Maintains a work environment that honors diversity. Maintains confidentiality of electronic, written, and/or verbal patient information. Supports tele-health clinics and processes. Other duties may be assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Technician/PD80157A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized

Requirements

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. English Language Proficiency: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. Individual Occupational Requirement: An IOR is a basic requirement that must be met in order to qualify for the 0640 occupational series. Applicants must meet one of the following requirements: Specialized Experience: Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. OR Education and Training: For GS 5- Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the position. In addition to the English Language Proficiency and IOR, applicants must also meet the minimum qualifications for the GS-5 grade level. GS 5 Minimum Qualifications: Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-4grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes but is not limited to: Experienced in phlebotomy and familiar with, and capable of a wide variety of intravenous devices, e.g. syringe technique, use of butterflies and vacutainers. Knowledge of principles of infection control and principles of safety. Recognizes urgent/emergent situations and follows Primary Care communication guidelines and emergency preparedness plan. Manages scheduling, medical data, patient movement and ensures that all medical information from telephone calls is communicated to appropriate team member and entered into the computerized patient record system. Greets patients, checks patients in for appointments and provides needed information to patients, their families and the public. Provides administrative and technical support to the core and expanded teams. Knowledge of patient admission and outpatient processing eligibility and procedures. OR, Education (Transcripts Required): Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a bachelor's degree or four (4) years of education above the high school level with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. One year of full-time undergraduate study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business or technical school. OR, Combination (Transcripts Required): Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an equivalent combination of successfully completed post-high school education (beyond the second year) and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total qualification requirements for this grade level. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-5. Preferred Experience: Experience in Patient Aligned Care Team model of care and Cerner Millennium electronic health record. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Other Information

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.