This position is located in the Audiology Department at Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center (FHCC) in North Chicago, Illinois. The incumbent is a staff health technician (Audiology) under the supervision of the Department Head of Audiology/Speech Pathology Service..

Duties

Major duties and responsibilities will include: Assists patients through triaging phone calls and audiology requests with regards to priority and urgency following the audiologist's plan of care. Completes walk-in or car side repair appointments on incoming devices from veterans with complaints about their hearing aids or assistive listening devices. Checks malfunctioning hearing aids to determine if problems can be corrected in the clinic or whether the instrument must be returned to the manufacturer or the VA Denver Logistics Center (DLC) for repair. Completes visual and auditory checks with listening stethoscope of hearing aids prior to and following repair of device (troubleshoots performance Adheres to the audiology clinic policy and standard operating procedures for infection control and cleaning, sterilization, and disposition of reusable medical equipment (RME). Provides basic hearing aid information for patients and caregivers. Greeting and escorting patients; Provides patient instruction and counseling on hearing loss, hearing aids or other assistive listening devices either on an individual basis or in a group setting 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. Maintains a comprehensive supply and equipment tracking systems Maintains proper levels of mailing/shipping supplies; Registering, certifying and tracking prosthetic devices Scheduling appointments; Packaging and mailing hearing aids and accessories; Processing ROES transactions Assisting patients, visitors, and others requesting information Completes documentation per FHCC 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. Assists with set up and delivery of face-to-face and telehealth visits by preparing the equipment for patient evaluation and other audiology procedures. Provides counseling including, but not limited to realistic expectations, communication strategies and/or aural rehab. Assists patients through triaging phone calls and audiology requests with regards to priority and urgency following the audiologist's plan of care. 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. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Work Schedule: 7:30am-4pm M-F Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Technician (Audiology)/PD000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

Basic Requirements: The following are the basic requirements and qualifications for appointment as a Health Technician (Audiology) in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). English Language Proficiency Requirement - Per VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Chapter 3, Section A, Paragraph 3j: No person will be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C., chapter 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English. Experience or Education Requirement - Experience. Six months of experience comparable to the next lower level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled. OR Education. Successful completion of two academic years above high school leading to an associate degree or a bachelor's degree with at least 12 semester hours in courses related to the position. Transcripts Required OR Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. An example of a combination of experience/education is three months of experience comparable to the next lower level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled and one year above high school with a minimum of 6 semester hours related to the health care industry. Transcripts Required In addition to meeting the basic requirements as stated above, you must have the following experience to qualify for this Health Technician (Audiology) position: Experience GS-4 Grade Level: None beyond the basic requirements. Experience GS-5 Grade Level: Experience. One year of experience comparable to the next lower level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled. OR Education. Successful completion of four academic years above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with at least 24 semester hours in courses related to the position or a bachelor's degree in a major field of study appropriate to the functions of the occupation. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, Abilities. In addition to meeting the experience or educational requirements for this grade level, the candidate must fully demonstrate the following KSAs: (a) Knowledge of anatomy of the head and neck. (b) Ability to communicate clearly orally and in writing. (c) Knowledge of basic hearing assistive technologies. (d) Knowledge of basic infection control procedures and guidelines. (e) Ability to maintain stock and supply level inventories. (f) Skill in using basic computer software such as email, spreadsheet and word processing. Experience GS-6 Grade Level: Completion of one year of progressive experience and/or experience equivalent to the next lower grade level directly related to the position being filled. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. 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 physiology and function to educate patients and families. (c) Knowledge of hearing aids, hearing assistive technology, hearing aid manufacturers and manufacturer software. (d) Ability to solve problems or make decisions regarding hearing aid, hearing assistive technology and patient care, consistent with the documented and co-signed plan of care under the supervision of an audiologist. (e) Ability to prepare patients for testing procedures. (f) Ability to document and code patient procedures. References: VA Handbook 5005/143, Part II, Appendix G70, Health Technician (Audiology), dated 05/13/2021. Note: Evidence of experience, must be supported by detailed documentation of duties performed in positions held. Please provide such documentation on your application or resume. Also, please provide work experience information such as hours per week and starting/ending dates of employment (month and year format) to establish one (1) full year of experience. The requirement for this proof is specified in the "How to Apply" section of this announcement. To be credible, experience must be documented in the application and verifiable through employment references and/or other means. *Your resume/application does not support your questionnaire answer; we will not allow credit for your response(s). Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019, Employee Occupational Health Services.

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 Captain James A Lovell Federal Health Care Center 3001 Green Bay Road North Chicago, IL 60064 US
• Name: Jaredd Blount
• Phone: (404) 219-8687
• Email: [email protected]