Health Technician (Ophthalmology)

Summary

Ophthalmology Technicians in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) support Ophthalmologists in diagnosis, treatment, prevention, follow-up care and patient counseling. The Full Performance Health Technician (Ophthalmology) performs a range of standard, but complex, diagnostic procedures, assists during clinic-based surgical procedures, educates patients and legal representatives, and assists with the education of medical students and residents.

Learn more about this agency

Help

Overview

• Accepting applications

• Open & closing dates

07/02/2024 to 07/11/2024

• Salary

$54,292 - $70,578 per year

• Pay scale & grade

GS 8

• Help

Location

1 vacancy in the following location:

• Gainesville, FL 1 vacancy

• Remote job

No

• Telework eligible

Yes-as determined by the agency policy.

• Travel Required

Occasional travel

• Occasional travel required to Lake City and The Villages

• Relocation expenses reimbursed

No

• Appointment type

Permanent

• Work schedule

Full-time

• Service

Excepted

• Promotion potential

8

• Job family (Series)

0640 Health Aid And Technician

• Supervisory status

No

• Security clearance

Other

• Drug test

Yes

• Position sensitivity and risk

Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk

• Trust determination process

Credentialing

Suitability/Fitness

• Announcement number

CBTC-12463013-24-JA

• Control number

798178500

Help

This job is open to

• Federal employees

• Excepted service

Current excepted service federal employees.

• Internal to an agency

Current federal employees of this agency.

Clarification from the agency

This vacancy is open to current, permanent federal employees only. Non Federal employees should apply to vacancy 12463011.

Videos

Help

Duties

Duties and responsibilities include, but not limited to:

• Checks and performs calibration of technical ophthalmology screening instruments.

• Obtains patient physical history, to include chief complaint; reason for visit; pertinent signs and symptoms; current medication allergies; past ocular and general medical history both ocular and general; family history both ocular and general; social history; and review of medications and allergies, including current ocular prescription and non-prescription medications.

• Accurately tests visual acuity at distance and near, with and without correction or with and without a pinhole.

• Measures eyeglass prescription using manual or automated lensometer, recording sphere, cylinder, axis, and prism in both plus and minus cylinder.

• Performs pupil evaluation recording pupil size, shape, symmetry, reaction to light and accommodation. Performs swinging flashlight test to detect a relative afferent pupillary defect.

• Performs basic refractometry utilizing an auto refraction or habitual glass prescription in the phoropter.

• Instills eye medications (drops or ointments, including anesthetic, dye, dilating drops, cycloplegic drops , or antibiotics).

• Measures intraocular pressure with standard techniques, including Goldmann applanation tonometry.

• Performs pachymetry to determine corneal thickness and manual keratometry or automated topography to determine corneal curvature.

• Performs intra-ocular lens calculations using an IOL Master or equivalent device.

• Performs automated visual field testing using various perimetry machines.

• Performs external photographs and fundus photography.

• Performs optical coherence tomography (OCT) of the anterior segment, retina and optic nerve.

• Performs patient screening and triage of potentially urgent ocular conditions.

• Assists during clinic-based ophthalmic surgery, including revision of wounds, biopsies of the eyelid lesions, cultures of conjunctiva, or cornea; reformation of anterior chamber, evacuation of hyphema, repositioning of corneal endothelial grafts, intra-vitreous injections, and laser surgical procedures.

• Educates patients and legal authorized representatives in eye care, including preoperative and postoperative instructions.

• Assists in the education and training of medical students, residents and fellows in those facilities with medical school affiliations.

• Ensures proper cleaning and disinfection; calibration, maintenance, backup, annual inventory and ordering of instruments, supplies and equipment; obtains quotes as needed; and reports needed repairs to biomedical engineering.

Work Schedule: 8:00 am

• 4:30 pm Monday

• Friday

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Help

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this 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

• You may be required to serve a probationary period

• Subject to a background/security investigation

• Must be proficient in written and spoken English

• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process

• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

• Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Personnel

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy.

• English Language Proficiency: Must be proficient in written and spoken English.

• Experience and Education

(1) Experience. One year of experience in a health care field, such as but not limited to nursing, medical assistant, or health technician.

OR

(2) Education. Two years above high school with a minimum of six semester hours directly related to a health care field or associate's degree in a health care related degree.

OR

(3) Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. Examples are listed below:

(a) Six months of experience in the health care field; and one year above high school; or(b) Six months of experience in the health care field and successful completion of a course for health care technicians, hospital corpsmen, medical service specialists, or ophthalmology technicians given by the U.S. Armed Forces; or(c) Six months of experience in the health care field and completion of an independent study course in Ophthalmic Medical Assisting.

Certification. All applicants must be certified as a Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA), at the minimum, with the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO). The COA certification is JCAHPO's entry-level certification examination for a Health Technician (Ophthalmology). Higher ophthalmic technician certifications encouraged (ex. COT, COMT).

Creditable Experience

(1) Knowledge of Current Health Technician (Ophthalmology) Practice. To be creditable, the experience must have demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with a health care field or knowledge, skills, and abilities related to the current occupation. Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid or non-paid employment in the health care field.

(2) Quality of Experience. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to Health Technician (Ophthalmology) experience at the next lower grade level of the position being filled. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time.

(3) Part-time Experience. Part time experience as a Health Technician (Ophthalmology) is creditable according to its relationship to the full time work week. For example, a Health Technician (Ophthalmology) employed 20 hours per week, or on a ½ time basis, would receive one full-time work week credit for each two weeks of service.

Grade Determinations. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

GS-8 (Full Performance Level)

Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level.

In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

1.Ability to perform advanced tonometry and pupil evaluation;

2.Ability to perform calculations for selection of intraocular lens;

3.Knowledge of clinic based ophthalmic surgical assisting;

4.Knowledge of eye anatomy and physiology;

5.Knowledge of medication effects and proper instillation in the eye;

6.Knowledge of optics; and

7.Knowledge of proper cleaning and maintenance of clinic equipment.

Preferred Experience: COA (Certified Ophthalmic Technician), COT (Certified Ophthalmic Technician), or COMT (Certified Ophthalmic Medical Technologist) experience

References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/98 FEBRUARY 7, 2018 PART II APPENDIX G52The full performance level of this vacancy is G-8. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-5 to GS-08.

Physical Requirements: The work requires some physical exertion such as prolonged periods of standing, bending, reaching, crouching, stooping, stretching, and lifting moderately heavy items such as manuals, record boxes, equipment or assisting patients. The work requires above average agility and dexterity.

Education

IMPORTANT: 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Additional information

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

This position is in the bargaining unit.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

Read more

• Benefits

Help

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new window

Learn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.