This position is located in the Audiology Service at VA Caribbean HealthCare System in Mayaguez Satellite Clinic. The duties and responsibilities are to be carried out in all clinical and other patient care areas involved with the Audiology service. The Incumbent must be willing to travel ( May me required to cover POPC health technician ( when on ML or AL) and ( San Juan to take hearing aid government trainings or to cover HT when needed)

Duties

Major duties: Incumbent troubleshooting and repair; performing visual and auditory checks of hearing aids and hearing assistive technology-including all hearing aid accessories as well as alerting devices (troubleshoots performance);fabricating earmold impressions with proper (non-diagnostic) otoscopy; ordering earmolds based on plan of care through prosthetics or DLC and fitting and modifying earmolds, if necessary; providing basic hearing aid information for patients and caregivers consistent with the audiologist's treatment plan, including but not limited to, realistic expectations, communication strategies, and/or aural rehabilitation Supporting diagnostic and treatment procedures, patient charting and patient education, which do not require a full professional audiology education or knowledge and skills represented by audiology licensure. Support functions include both direct patient care and administrative duties. Assisting in set up and delivery of face-to-face and telehealth visits by preparing the equipment for patient evaluation and other audiology procedures including, but not limited to daily biologic listening calibration of audiometric equipment and calibration of real-ear equipment. Assisting patients with hearing aid connectivity including, but not limited to downloading applications (or apps), pairing devices in the app, Bluetooth pairing, and pairing hearing aid accessories. The incumbent is responsible for ensuring timely and accurate documentation of all interactions in the medical records and that all encounters are correctly documented using electronic medical record and computerized tracking and ordering functions via ROES. Completing documentation per medical center policy for timeliness for each episode of care and codes procedures as appropriate in the patient record in preparation for co-signature by the audiologist. Maintaining comprehensive supply and equipment tracking systems to include monitoring stock of RME and consumable items; ensuring proper inventory levels to FS#: 61331F BUS Code: 1272 FLSA: Exempt Confidential Financial Disclosure Position: No LEAF #: 11036 complete the daily tasks; prioritizing the acquisition of all supplies and equipment regarding date of expiration and may maintain a loaner hearing aid inventory. Assists patients through triaging phone calls and audiology requests with regards to priority and urgency, following the audiologist's plan of care. Work Schedule: Monday to Friday-7:30am-4:00pm Compressed/Flexible:Not Available Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 00000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. 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. Experience and Education.(1) Experience. Completion of the Department of Labor Apprenticeship Program for Hearing Aid Specialists; OR(2) Education. Successful completion of two academic years above high school that includes coursework related to the field: hearing science, human anatomy and physiology, hearing instrument science, gerontology, psychology or other general healthcare areas. NOTE: There is no combination of education and experience which can be substituted for the basic requirements. Licensure or Registration. Individuals must hold a full, current and unrestricted license or registration to practice as a HIS in a state, territory, commonwealth or the District of Columbia.(1) Loss of Licensure or Registration. A Health Technician (HIS) who fails to maintain the required licensure or registration must be removed from the occupation, which may also result in termination of employment. Board Certification. Individuals must hold active board certification from the National Board for Certification in Hearing Instrument Sciences (NBC-HIS).e. Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials. Physical Requirements. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements. English Language Proficiency. Health Technician (HIS) candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403(f). Grade Determination GS-5: None beyond the basic requirements. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of basic anatomy of the head and neck. (b) Knowledge of basic infection control procedures and guidelines. (c) Skill in using basic computer software to complete tasks such as using email, creating spreadsheets and word processing. (d) Ability to communicate orally and in writing. (e) Ability to follow verbal and written instructions. (f) Ability to maintain stock and supply level inventories. Grade Determination GS-6: You must possess at least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-5) for this GS-6 grade level. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of normal and abnormal ear anatomy. (b) Knowledge of hearing aids, hearing assistive technology, hearing aid manufacturers and manufacturer software. (c) Skill in documenting patient procedures and patient devices. (d) Skill in providing patient education for hearing aid use, to include assisting patient with hearing aid insertion, removal and hygiene (cleaning and disinfection). (e) Ability to provide patient education and training regarding hearing loss and communication strategies for various listening situations. (f) Ability to solve problems or make decisions regarding hearing aids, hearing assistive technology and patient care that is consistent with the documented and co-signed plan of care under the supervision of an audiologist. (g) Ability to prepare patient, equipment, and/or environment for audiology procedures. (h) Ability to provide triage of patient telephone calls or audiology requests. Employees at this grade level serve as a full performance level (FPL) HTA. Examples of qualifying experience include but are not limited to: Work independently under the direction of a licensed audiologist. Assignments associated with this position include but are not limited to: completing visual and auditory checks of hearing aids and hearing assistive technology; repairing or returning hearing aids to the factory; restoring hearing aid or hearing assistive technology settings after repair or replacement; and ordering, registering, certifying, issuing and tracking prosthetic devices. The health technician assists in setting up and delivering face to face and telehealth visits by preparing the equipment for patient evaluation and other audiology procedures. The health technician provides clinical procedures consistent with the documented and co-signed plan of care which may include non-diagnostic otoscopy, cerumen management, foreign body removal and ear mold impressions and without interpretation, immittance screening and hearing screening. The health technician educates patients, family and staff on topics including but not limited to hearing aid and hearing assistive technology care, maintenance, use and operation, hearing conservation and realistic expectations for hearing aid use. The health technician completes documentation for each episode of care and codes procedures as appropriate in the patient record in preparation for co-signature by the audiologist May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Selective Placement Factor: Must be proficient in written and spoken Spanish language. References: VA Handbook 5005/149 March 18, 2022 Part II Appendix G73 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-5 to GS-6. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Service for requirements.

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.

Contacts

• Address San Juan VA Medical Center 10 Calle Casia San Juan, PR 00921 US
• Name: Mireya Rodriguez-Perez
• Phone: 787-221-2542
• Email: [email protected]