OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise - "To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow, and his orphan" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate care to Veterans.

Duties

Responsible for all types of clinical laboratory specimens during the entire pre-analytical phase, the most critical phase and most prone to error Properly processes all incoming laboratory specimens. Ensures all specimens are collected correctly, at the correct times, in proper containers, with correct preservative and anticoagulants, at the correct temperatures and from a properly prepared patient. Ensures all specimens are properly labeled and identified throughout the entire specimen procurement process to maintain specimen integrity. Responsible for properly processing, ordering, packaging and shipping specimens submitted for testing at reference laboratories. Ensures all reference laboratory specimens are collected properly, processed and packaged and shipped correctly in accordance with reference laboratory specifications. Comply with safety, infection control and universal precaution guidelines for handling specimens. Package specimens for transport in accordance with all applicable Federal, state, and local standards. Accurately enter laboratory test orders into the Laboratory information system and correctly fill out reference laboratory test request forms. Meet deadlines for specimen shipments dictated by the arrival of the courier and specimen viability factors. Provide information, guidance, and technical advice to physicians and clinic personnel on specimen collection and submission. Transcribe completed laboratory reports received from reference laboratories into Vista. The incumbent is responsible for receiving and stocking supplies with monitoring inventory of regent supply in the P&LM Service (clinical pathology and anatomic pathology). Assists in receipt, unpacking and putting away shipments of reagents, supplies that come to P&LM Service. Keeps track of received supplies and the inventory. Manages flammable room inventory and chemical waste. Assists with dumping of surgical specimens; follows procedures for neutralization of used formalin in accordance with standard operating procedure. Manually enters test results into VistA performed at reference laboratories. Helps with filing blood tubes; helps filing retention records, and assists with clerical tasks that are needed for smooth operation of clinical laboratory. Participate in evaluation of water quality in as described in procedures manual following CAP/JC/NCCLS guidelines. Maintains and monitors eyewashes in laboratory in accordance with required practice. Answers telephones as needed, provides the information or directs calls to appropriate staff members. Performs other duties as assigned Work Schedule: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. with rotating weekends and holidays. Compressed/Flexible:Not available. Telework: Not available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized. Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized. Financial Disclosure Report: Not required. Physical Requirements: The population of male and female Veterans served ranges from the adult, age 18, to the elderly adult, age 65 and over. This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires potentially long periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, and pushing. Transferring patients and objects may be required. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations or operative/invasive procedures. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are combative secondary to delirium, dementia, or psychiatric disorders. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs.

Requirements

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. Experience and/or Education Experience. One year of experience as a health technician or assistant in the health care field demonstrating the applicant's ability to perform the work or by demonstrating a basic understanding of work in the health care field; OR Education. Successful completion of two academic years above high school with a minimum of 12 semester hours related to health technician/assistant or health technician/assistant or associate degree, or completion of an independent study course in an optometry related technician or assistant field; OR Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. English Language Proficiency. Health Technician (Optometry) candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. ? 7403(f). 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).Grandfathering Provision. All individuals employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of the qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held including positive education and licensure/trademark/registration/certification. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: They may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. Health Technicians who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation. Grade Determinations: Health Technician, GS-05 Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade AND Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of specimen collection requirements Ability to operate computer terminals utilize the data; ability to work with numbers and recognize transcription errors (such as transposition of digits). Thorough knowledge of the VistA computer system, CPRS, LEDI software, and the commercial laboratory computer system Knowledge of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine policies and procedures as related to the overall operation of the laboratory. This knowledge includes laboratory procedures for receiving and following through on patient requests for testing: obtaining and reviewing request forms; and giving preparatory instructions to costumers for a variety of medical procedures. Knowledge of CMC VAMC Philadelphia regulations governing release of medical information Knowledge of collection, processing, and storage requirements and procedures for laboratory specimens Knowledge of specimen requirements, test ordering procedures, specimen processing guidelines, and specimen packaging requirements for the commercial reference laboratories. Knowledge and technical skill to perform patient testing verify the accuracy of the test results and report the test results through VistA. Knowledge of infection control, safety, and universal precaution procedures The skill and ability to effectively communicate both verbally and in writing. The incumbent must be able to expresses information in an organized manner to all levels of the organization and VA patients. The ability to listen to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately. Interpersonal ability to provide assistants and to individuals and groups, and adjusts approaches to suit different people and situations. The incumbent develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult and hostile. Relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; is sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences. References: VA Handbook 5005/142 Part II Appendix G68. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-5.

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 Corporal Michael J Crescenz Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 3900 Woodland Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19104 US
• Name: Lisa Clinton
• Phone: 302-668-4371
• Email: [email protected]