The Organizational Location of the position is Texas Valley Coastal Bend Health Care System in Harlingen TX with the Surgery Service. Responsible for all health technician duties necessary to provide clinical care to the ophthalmology patient as well as clinical duties essential to the normal function of a clinic providing patient care.

Duties

Duties include, but are not limited to: Provision of Care Performing a range of standard, but complex, diagnostic procedures with responsibility for checking calibration of instruments prior to the procedure Responsible for obtaining patient physical history, to include chief complaint; reason for visit; pertinent signs/symptoms; past history both ocular and general; family history both ocular and general; social history and reviewing medications and allergies, including current ocular prescription and non-prescription medications Accurately testing visual acuity at distance and near, with and without correction or with and without a pinhole Measuring eyeglass prescription using manual or automated lensometer, recording sphere, cylinder, axis and prism in both plus and minus cylinder Performing pupil evaluation recording pupil size, shape, symmetry, reaction to light and accommodation and any abnormalities, including relative afferent pupillary defect Performing basic refractometry utilizing an auto refraction or habitual glass prescription in the phoropter Responsible for measuring intraocular pressure of the eye utilizing techniques, including Goldmann applanation tonometry Performing pachymetry to determine corneal thickness and manual keratometry or automated topography to determine corneal curvature Educating patients and legal authorized representatives in eye care, including preoperative and postoperative instructions Assisting in the education and training of medical students, residents and fellows in those facilities with medical school affiliations Ensuring proper cleaning and disinfection; calibration, maintenance, backup, annual inventory and ordering of instruments, supplies and equipment; obtaining quotes as needed Reporting needed repairs to biomedical engineering Telephone Communicating with patients regarding care and medications as well as appointment reminders may be required for appropriate administration of care and services Reusable Medical Equipment Knowledge of processing for Reusable Medical Equipment (RME) as required by this position Required to maintain current knowledge of the Standard Operating Procedures which document the processes and procedures for cleaning, disinfection, sterilization and preparation of RME appropriate to this position Work Schedule: Fulltime, Monday thru Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 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 Bargaining Unit position

Requirements

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. 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. Experience and Education: Experience. One year of experience in a health care field, such as but not limited to nursing, medical assistant, or health technician. OR Education. Two years above high school with a minimum of six semester hours directly related to a health care field or associate's degree in a health care related degree. OR Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. Examples are listed below: Six months of experience in the health care field; and one year above high school; Six months of experience in the health care field and successful completion of a course for health care technicians, hospital corpsmen, medical service specialists, or ophthalmology technicians given by the U.S. Armed Forces; or Six months of experience in the health care field and completion of an independent study course in Ophthalmic Medical Assisting. Certification: All applicants must be certified as a Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA) with the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO). The COA certification is JCAHPO's entry-level certification examination for a Health Technician (Ophthalmology). Exception. Non-certified applicants who otherwise meet the minimum qualification requirements may be appointed as a graduate Health Technician (Ophthalmology) under the authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405(c)(2)(B). The appointing official may waive the requirement of certification for a period not to exceed two years for a Health Technician (Ophthalmology) that provides care under the supervision of an Ophthalmologist. The exception only applies below the full performance level. For grade levels at or above the full performance level the candidate must be certified. Failure to obtain COA certification during that period is justification for termination of the temporary appointment and may result in termination of employment. Failure to Obtain Certification. In all cases, the Health Technician (Ophthalmology) must actively pursue meeting certification requirements starting from the date of appointment. At the time of appointment, the supervisor will provide the uncertified Health Technician (Ophthalmology) with the written requirement to obtain certification, the date by which the certification must be acquired, and the consequences for not becoming certified by the deadline. Failure to become certified within two years from date of appointment will result in removal from the Health Technician (Ophthalmology), GS-0640 series and may result in termination of employment. Loss of Credentials. A Health Technician (Ophthalmology) who fails to maintain the required certification must be removed from the occupation, which may also result in termination of employment. 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. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. English Language Proficiency:. Health Technicians (Ophthalmology) must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) and 38 U.S.C. 7407(d). 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). Grade Determinations: GS-05 Experience or Education. None beyond the basic requirements. GS-06 Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of general outpatient clinical policies and procedures in a healthcare environment Ability to obtain, document and record demographic and medical information from patients in order to develop an accurate medical record Ability to use basic ophthalmic equipment Knowledge of basic disinfection of non-critical reusable medical equipment. GS-07 Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-6 grade level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of anatomy and function of the eye and basic ocular pharmacology Knowledge of outpatient eye care policies and procedures in a health care environment Ability to use basic ophthalmic diagnostic equipment to perform preliminary ocular testing Ability to perform minor extraocular surgical assisting Ability to provide eye care patient education. GS-08 Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to perform advanced tonometry and pupil evaluation Ability to perform calculations for selection of intraocular lens Knowledge of clinic based ophthalmic surgical assisting Knowledge of eye anatomy and physiology Knowledge of medication effects and proper instillation in the eye Knowledge of optics Knowledge of proper cleaning and maintenance of clinic equipment. Preferred Experience: Demonstrated ability to obtain vital signs, as well as being able to report current lab tests from the patient record One year experience working in an eye clinic, with Veteran's Administration eye clinic experience preferred Ability to perform functions expected of Health Technician (Ophthalmology) GS-7 (Developmental Level 2) to include ability to triage patient phone calls or requests; to ensure exam rooms are stocked with adequate supplies and instruct patients with post-operative instructions References: VA Handbook 5005/98 Part II Appendix G52 Health Technician (Ophthalmology) Qualification Standard GS-0640 Veterans Health Administration February 7, 2018. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-08. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-05 to GS-08. Physical Requirements: The work is sedentary. Some work may require movement between offices, hospitals, warehouses, and similar areas for meetings and to conduct work. Work may also require walking/standing, in conjunctions with travel to and attendance at meetings and/or conferences away from the work site. Incumbent may carry and lift light items weighing less than 15 pounds.

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.

NOTE: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application.

Contacts

• Address VA TX Valley Coastal Bend HCS 2601 Veterans Drive Harlingen, TX 78550 US
• Name: VISN 17 SSU USAS Group
• Email: [email protected]