This position is located in the Prosthetic-Orthotic Laboratory, within the Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Department, at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Martinsburg, WV. The personnel in the Lab design, fabricate, repair, modify and fit a wide range of custom, non-custom prosthetic-orthotic devices prescribed by physicians.

Duties

This position is located in the Prosthetic-Orthotic Laboratory, within the Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Department, at the Veterans' Affairs Medical Center in Martinsburg, WV. In this position Lab personnel fabricate, repair, modify and fit a wide range of custom, non-custom prosthetic-orthotic devices prescribed by physicians. This position has a high degree of direct patient care contact with the veteran population, many of whom are severely disabled. The health technician should be highly motivated to seek ways to expedite patient processing, accomplish the VA mission, and adapt to the ever-changing world of health care. The health technician (orthotic fitter) works under the guidance of the prosthetist/orthotist, fits clients with devices prescribed by physicians. The following tasks are performed on a daily basis: Provide patient education; instruct patient and family/caregivers on appliance use and recommended care. Enter data in database to close orthotic work orders and patient charting electronic consult/progress notes. Verify patient entitlement and eligibility for appliances and services Interpret prescriptions written by clinical personnel for orthotic/prosthetic devices. Fit clients with orthotic/prosthetic devices prescribed by clinical personnel using standard techniques. Assist in assembly of components of custom orthotic/prosthetic devices. This is not an inclusive list of the duties and tasks of the health technician (orthotic fitter). DESIGNATED DRUG-TESTING POSITION: 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. Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test result is received. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 8:00am - 4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: May be available Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Technician (Fitter)/PD08404A 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 by the closing date of this announcement, 09/07/2023. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS 07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS 06. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. Individual Occupational Requirement: 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. In addition to the Individual Occupational Requirement, you must meet the following to qualify at the GS-07 level: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS 06 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: provide information and instruction to the patient, problem solving, rule making, inventory management operations, interpreting policy, computer skills, customer service. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have one year of graduate level education directly related to the position of health technician. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond a bachelor's degree. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Applies Technology to TasksComputer SkillsCustomer Service (Clerical/Technical)Medical InformationTechnical Competence 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. 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

One full year of graduate education where it meets the specialized experience requirements of the position is acceptable for the GS-7 grade level.

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 Martinsburg VA Medical Center 510 Butler Avenue Martinsburg, WV 25405 US
• Name: Jennifer Donnellan
• Phone: 304-623-3461 X3097
• Email: [email protected]