This position is in the Audiology Service at the VA Clinic in Toledo, OH. The duties and responsibilities are carried out in all clinical and other patient care areas involved with the Audiology Service. The Health Technician supports the function of the clinical programs in Audiology. The incumbent is a Health Technician (Audiology) under the supervision and direction of a licensed audiologist

Duties

Primary responsibility is for patient care, supporting diagnostic and treatment procedures, patient charting and patient education, which do not require a full professional audiology education or knowledge and skills represented by audiology licensure. Support functions include both direct patient care and administrative duties. In addition, the incumbent must be able to mentor and train new health technicians (Audiology). Direct patient care duties may include, but not limited to the following: Greeting and escorting patients; Triaging patients to an audiologist based on complexity of the procedures being completed; Patient set up for procedures (e.g., vestibular, neurodiagnostic procedures); Patient instruction and counseling on hearing loss or hearing aids either on an individual basis or in a group setting; Conducting hearing pass/fail screenings without interpretation; Non-diagnostic otoscopy; Cerumen management; Taking earmold impressions; Hearing aid troubleshooting and repair; Providing basic hearing aid information for patients and caregivers; Performing listening checks on hearing aids; Electroacoustic analysis of devices; Pairing hearing aids and accessories via Bluetooth technology; Programming previously stored settings into hearing aids; Activating remote controls. The incumbent at this level is required to have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to develop and implement the technician role for a program in a focused area of audiology. The incumbent spends a minimum of 25% of duty time executing the following duties: Triaging patients to an audiologist based on complexity of the procedures being completed; Patient instruction and counseling on hearing loss or hearing aids either on an individual basis or in a group setting; Cerumen management; Taking earmold impressions; Providing basic hearing aid information for patients and caregivers; Completing adjustments to hearing aid settings as outlined in the audiologist's plan of care; Collaborating with audiology team to develop training programs for patients and staff. 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. Administrative duties include, but may not be limited to the following: Managing office supplies; Tracking loaner stock hearing aid inventory; Electronic ordering, verifying orders upon arrival to ensure components are present and working correctly; Scheduling appointments; Packaging and mailing hearing aids and accessories; Processing ROES transactions (e.g. certifying and issuing hearing aids, entering orders and repairs); Responding to routine inquiries from patients, including determining nature of hearing aid inquiry and responding to administrative questions; assisting patients, visitors, and others requesting information; Management of infection control, patient safety, and clinical supplies for the audiology clinic; Maintenance of clean, disinfected instrumentation, equipment, and work surfaces in the audiology clinic, Reprocessing reusable medical equipment based on facility policy according to Medical Center infection control procedures and reusable medical equipment policies.??????? The incumbent is under the supervision of the Section Chief, Audiology. Program goals and objectives are provided. The employee is responsible for planning and carrying out the assignment, resolving most of the conflicts that arise, coordinating the work with others as necessary and interpreting policy on own initiative in terms of established objectives. The employee is responsible for carrying out the assignment under the direct supervision of the supervising audiologist. Health Technicians at the Packard Road VA Clinic perform direct patient care duties under the supervision of an audiologist. Completed work is reviewed by the supervising audiologist. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #:92831-0 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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. (1) 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 (2) 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. OR (3) 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. c. Certification. Certification by the Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation (CAOHC) as a Certified Occupational Hearing Conservationist (COHC) is required for the HTA, GS-08 assignment only. d. Loss of Credential. An employee in this occupation who fails to maintain the required certification identified for the HTA, GS-08 position must be removed from the assignment, which may also result in termination of employment e. 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: (1) 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 journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. (2) If an HTA, HTSLP or HTASLP who was retained under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee will lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation. (3) HTAs, HTSLPs or HTASLPs 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. (4) Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. 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). f. Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs. g. Physical Requirements. This position frequently requires light to moderate lifting. Normally such lifting will involve, but not be limited to, boxes/packages of hearing aids, and hearing equipment for patients. The majority of this position will involve sedentary work involving computers and communications. h. English Language Proficiency. HTA, HTSLP or HTASLP candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403 (f). Grade Determinations: GS-7 (1) Experience. Completion of one year of progressive experience and/or experience equivalent to the next lower grade level directly related to the position being filled. (2) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:(a) Ability to mentor and train new HTAs.(b) Ability to prepare patients for advanced testing procedures performed by the audiologist, such as evoked potentials.(c) Ability to develop and implement the technician role for a program in a focused area of audiology. References: VA Handbook 5005/143 Part II Appendix G70 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-7.

Education

There is no educational substitution for this grade level.

Contacts

• Address Ann Arbor VA Medical Center 2215 Fuller Road Ann Arbor, MI 48105 US
• Name: Lori Banks
• Phone: 989-497-2500 X13077
• Email: [email protected]