The Telehealth Clinical Technician (TCT) serves a generalist role, providing technical and administrative support for telehealth programs as an imager and presenter to support video conferencing, staff training, telehealth clinical encounters from patient and provider locations, and technology support for real time telehealth events including patient education activities, technical support, training, help desk, scheduling support, and other program support duties as needed.

Duties

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) expands the provision of patient care to various institutional and non-institutional settings, such as the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers (VAMCs), Community-Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs), State Veteran Homes, Vet Centers, homeless shelters, Indian Health Services (IHS), Department of Defense (DOD), and other affiliated organizations by utilizing innovative telecommunication technologies to enhance care coordination, access to care, and to routinely and proactively manage diseases to prevent healthcare crises. These programs may include Video Conferencing, Talent Management System (TMS), My VA Health, Home Telehealth (HT), Clinical Video Telehealth (CVT), VA Video Connect (VVC), and Store and Forward Telehealth (SFT) technologies. The major duties include Tele-presenter, Telehealth lmager, and Telehealth Ancillary Duties. Tele-presenter: Serve as a site coordinator for technology and training aspects. Facilitate scheduling and technical aspects for real-time telehealth applications, video conferencing, training, TMS, My VA Health, and open training and/or telehealth patient room. Create the appropriate clinical or training environment. Prepare equipment for training, education, access, and exams. Establish online video conference or other connections necessary for the visit, training, or instruction. Orient the patient, staff, and provider to the environment, room, equipment, and process. Answer questions while providing instruction and assistance. Identify the staff, patient, or provider for the presenter. Provide hands on assistance as needed. Document and close encounters, answer questions, and perform other duties as needed to ensure a beneficial visit or online activity. Schedule follow up visits, training, etc. Have regular contact with the facility care coordinator and HT care coordinators to work out any issues, equipment needs, problems, data collection, or any other logistical issue. Telehealth Imager: Perform telehealth imaging using approved telehealth imaging devices, including teleretinal screening, teledermatology and telewound care as identified and referred by the provider. Collect appropriate patient demographics and pertinent historical information to populate the imager template. Exercise timely and appropriate action based on the consult report from the readers. Serve as a liaison between image readers, primary care providers, specialty care providers, patients, and other VA personnel. Guided by local policy or standing orders, initiate consultations and appropriately appoint patients on behalf of the primary care provider, who retains responsibility for patient care. Provide basic information and patient education regarding the imaging process. Upload images and clinical information in the patient's electronic medical record via Millennium. Assist the care manager with the patient's clinical reminders related to the imaging process and take necessary action based on the reader's recommendations and provide health promotion advice and care management as necessary. Schedule or refer patients for comprehensive assessment who cannot be adequately imaged. Initiate any indicated follow-up based upon findings of the reader, including scheduling patient with clinics. Telehealth Ancillary Duties: Assist in patient care under the direct supervision of a licensed healthcare provider. Conduct quality control procedures on equipment and products and maintain proper records for quality control reports and workload reporting. Facilitate process analysis to alleviate problems. Responsible for day-to-day operation of video conferencing, training, TMS, VVC, My VA Health and Telehealth clinics. Request service as needed for all telehealth technology, ophthalmic, home telehealth technology and computer equipment. Utilize and submit requests for technical support to trouble-shoot and upgrade telehealth technologies. Set up and adjust specialized clinical computers and equipment with multiple features that require precise interaction and positioning to operate correctly. Select and set technical factors for invasive and interactive training or procedures. Develop and coordinate a wide variety of team policies and procedures with full and complete telehealth technical advice. Provide support to administer activities and continually adjust to effect necessary change, as needed. Review facility gains and losses sheet daily for admission of patients who are due for follow-up in the clinic. Organize and maintain a record keeping system for the program. Work Schedule: Mon - Fri, 8am to 4:30pm 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

Requirements

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. BASIC REQUIREMENTS Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. After a determination is made that it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens, non-citizen personnel may be appointed on a temporary basis under authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405, without regard to the citizenship requirements of 38 U.S.C. 7402 or any other law prohibiting the employment of or payment of compensation to a person who is not a citizen of the United States. Candidates must meet all other requirements for the grade and position concerned. Experience and Education. (1) Experience. One year of experience in a health care field that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work such as but not limited to a medical or clinical assistant (or technician) or health technician. OR (2) Education. Four academic years above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation. OR (3) Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable. Examples are listed below: (a) Six months of experience in the health care field and two years of education above high school that included at least six semester hours in health care related courses such as, biological science, surgical technician courses, nursing assistant or other courses related to the position; or an associate's degree in a health care related field. OR (b) Six months of experience in the health care field and successful completion of a course for health care technicians, hospital corpsmen, or medical service specialists given by the U.S. Armed Forces. Certification. None English Language Proficiency. A candidate will not be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C. chapters 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English. GRADE DETERMINATIONS In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Health Technician (Telehealth Clinical), GS-7 (Advanced) Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs. (a) Ability to use independent technical judgment to analyze, evaluate and resolve problems. (b) Knowledge of quality control and assurance procedures and principles of performance improvement. (c) Ability to function effectively between competing priorities. (d) Knowledge of proper maintenance and troubleshooting of telehealth equipment. (e) Ability to work with a team to provide technical guidance, plan, organize and coordinate activities of a health technician in order to effectively complete job duties of assignment such as distributing workload, monitoring the status and progress of work, monitoring accuracy of work. (f) Ability to assist in Health Technician (Telehealth Clinical) development, outcome management and strategic planning. (g) Ability to perform successful knowledge transfer regarding the use of telehealth technologies. References: VA Handbook 5005/96, Part II, Appendix G50, February 7, 2018. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-7. Physical Requirements: The work requires moderate lifting and carrying (15-44 pounds); reaching above shoulder; use of fingers, both hands are required, walking (up to 1 hour), standing (up to 1 hour), far vision correctable in one eye to 20/20 and 20/40 in the other, both eye; are required; the ability to distinguish basic colors; and hearing (aid may be permitted). Must be able to work closely with others and work alone.

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 Mann-Grandstaff Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 4815 North Assembly Street Spokane, WA 99205 US
• Name: Joe Julkowski
• Phone: 509-434-7382
• Email: [email protected]