The Health Technician - Orthopedic Fitter is assigned to Prosthetics and Sensory Aids Service at the Southern Arizona VA Healthcare System. The incumbent will perform the repair, fabrication, fitting, and dispensing of orthotic appliances.

Duties

Duties are included but are not limited to: Applies, adjusts, and removes casts, assembles traction apparatus, and fits strappings and splints for orthopedic patients. Perform proper application of aseptic techniques in dressing changes and setting up surgical fields. Assists Orthopedic Surgeons in reduction of fractures, trims plaster, removes whole and broken casts and alters position of cast to change setting of patients' limb or body part. Rigs pulleys, ropes, and frames to assemble fracture beds. Attaches traction supports to patient's limb and adjusts support to specified tension. Applies casts to patients with fractured bones of the muscular skeletal system and extremities, i.e. the neck, shoulder, back, hip, knee, ankle and hand. Attaching walking heels or other types of reinforcements to casts. Determining whether patients require cast alterations, removals and reapplications at regular cast appointments or while rounding on the wards. Assisting in the application, removal and reapplication of immediate post-surgery prosthesis, either above or below the knee, which enables the patient to ambulate. Assisting the podiatrist in the care of the emergency podiatry patient. Assisting in the manufacturing of various shoe inserts that must be cut, trimmed and fitted to the patient's particular needs. Specifically trained allied health care individual who assists the orthopedic surgeon in the practice of medicine. 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: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Tech (Ortho Fitter)/PD10147O and PD02202A 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, 12/19/2023. 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-5 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-4, for a GS-6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5 and for a GS-7 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-6. 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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-05: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-04 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: assisting medical staff in various patient care procedures such as completing routine fittings; obtaining patient medical histories, etc.; scheduling patient appointments; and maintaining clinic supplies and stock items. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed a full four (4) year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the Health Technician - Orthotics position. 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 beyond the second year and specialized experience, as listed above, may be used to meet total experience requirements. The education portion must include courses directly related to the work of this position. GS-06: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: basic understanding of human anatomy; assisting medical staff in various patient care procedures such as assists with making and repairing of orthotics and adjusting orthopedic devices; applying orthopedic supports, splinting, etc.; completing fittings; obtaining patient medical histories, etc.; knowledge of basic hand and machine tools for measuring and cutting; scheduling patient appointments; and maintaining clinic supplies and stock items. Makes entries to patient chart to record provision of orthotic devices to patient and assists in the education of patient in use of device. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed one half year of graduate education (9 semester hours or equivalent) with a major that included courses directly related to the work of this position. Such graduate education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level. The education portion must include graduate courses directly related to the work of the position. GS-07: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: a working knowledge of human anatomy and application of correlating orthopedic supports, splinting, or other treatments related to injury of the human musculoskeletal system. Knowledgeable in the use of hand tools and machine tools including measurement and cutting instruments, drills, grinders, and sanders. Fabricates and repairs orthotics and adjusts orthopedic devices. Makes entries to patient chart to record provision of orthotic devices to patient and assists in the education of patient in use of device. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed one (1) year of graduate level education (or 18 semester hours) that is directly related to the work of the position to be filled. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have equivalent combinations of specialized experience and successfully completed graduate education as described above to meet the total experience requirements to qualify at this grade level. The education portion must include graduate courses directly related to the work of this position. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Interpersonal SkillsManages ResourcesMedical InformationQuality AssuranceTechnical 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: Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must clearly indicate the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Note: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. Education cannot be credited without documentation. 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: The work requires some physical exertion such as prolonged periods of standing, bending, reaching, crouching, stooping, stretching, and lifting moderately heavy items such as manuals and record boxes. Long periods of standing and long-distance walking may be required. 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

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 Tucson VA Medical Center 3601 South Sixth Avenue Tucson, AZ 85723 US
• Name: Edgar Uriarte
• Phone: 5628268000 X6892
• Email: [email protected]