This Health Technician position functions primarily in the role of optometric medical personnel in the Eye Clinic. The incumbent is responsible for assisting the Ophthalmology and Optometry staff/resident physicians in the care of patients requiring optometric preliminary diagnostic tests and procedures in the eye clinic.

Duties

The Health Technician (Optometry) is a key member of the Eye Care treatment team and is responsible for assisting the Ophthalmology and Optometry staff/resident physicians in all aspects of patient care.These duties include, but may not be limited to: Obtains a detailed history from each patient; Reviews patient medical record for appropriateness of follow-up appointment; Maintains supplies and ophthalmic pharmaceuticals needed in the exam room; Demonstrates familiarity with routine clinic and departmental procedures and performs general clinic duties, including filing, answering phones, scheduling of appointments and patient check-in, check-out. Performs fundus and slit lamp (external) photography. Sets up and performs external ocular photography. Performs visual field testing in the evaluation of patients with glaucoma, neurological disorders, retinal diseases and other ocular disorders. Performs auto refraction and lensometer measurements. Assists with reading patient's spectacle prescription with the lensometer. Completes lensometry testing (a) to measure and record distance and near vision with and without glasses or contact lenses, and (b) to assess color vision. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 21028F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

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. English Language Proficiency. Health Technician (Optometry) candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Experience and Education(1) Experience. One year of experience as a health technician or assistant in the health care field demonstrating the applicant's ability to perform the work or by demonstrating a basic understanding of work in the health care field; OR (2) Education. Successful completion of two academic years above high school with a minimum of 12 semester hours related to health technician/assistant or health technician (optometry)/assistant or associate degree, or completion of an independent study course in an optometry related technician or assistant field; OR (3) Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. Examples are listed below:(a) Six months of experience comparable to the next lower level which demonstrates the knowledge of optometry assistant theory and practices and general understanding of the health technician/assistant duties and one year above high school with a minimum of six semester hours of health technician/assistant or health technician (optometry)/assistant related courses.(b) Successful completion of a course for health care technicians or assistants, hospital corpsmen, medical service specialists, or hospital training in a program given by the U.S. Armed Forces, the U.S. Maritime Service, or the U.S. Public Health Service, may be substituted on a month-for-month basis. Licensure/Certification/Registration. None. 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 journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.(2) Employees 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. 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. Physical demands are in relation to helping handicapped patients coming to the clinic, otherwise the routine demands of a hospital environment such as bending, extending arms to take measurements, lifting light weights, walking short distances to call patients, etc. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. English Language Proficiency. Health Technician (Optometry) candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f). Grade Determination: Health Technician (Optometry), GS-04 Experience: None beyond the basic requirements. Health Technician (Optometry), GS-05 Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: - Knowledge of basic eye anatomy and function. - Ability to obtain, document and record ophthalmic and medical information from patients in order to develop an accurate electronic progress note. - Ability to practice basic hygiene and infection control in a patient care setting. - Ability to follow eye clinic and patient care medical policies and procedures. - Ability to perform minor eyeglasses repairs, such as replacing nose pads and screws. Health Technician (Optometry), GS-06 Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: - Ability to provide patient education for eye health and/or vision conditions, to include assisting with patient contact lens insertion, removal and hygiene (cleaning and disinfection) care. - Ability to accurately enter into a phoropter the autorefractometry or habitual refractive prescription (i.e., eyeglasses prescription) or lensometer findings, including sphere, cylinder and axis. - Ability to perform patient spectacle fitting and dispensing, including selection of appropriate frame, ophthalmic lenses, interpupillary measurements (distance and near) and proper segment height determination, as well as the ability to transpose sphere, cylinder and axis. - Ability to provide basic triage of patient telephone calls or optometry requests. - Knowledge of ophthalmic medications and supplies needed in the process of restocking the eye clinic exam rooms. Health Technician (Optometry), GS-07 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. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to meeting the experience or educational requirements for this grade level, the candidate must fully demonstrate the following KSAs: - Ability to determine preliminary objective estimate and/or refinement of the optical status of the eye, not to include the patient's final subjective refraction. - Ability to triage and manage eyeglasses issues (e.g., measurement of vertex distance, base curve, prism correction, center thickness, slab off, Fresnel prism, decentration, etc.). - Ability to perform accurate assessment of accommodation, near point of convergence and ocular alignment (far and near). - Ability to assist the eye care provider (optometrist or ophthalmologist) with ophthalmic procedures. - Ability to assist with obtaining accurate ocular cultures and smears. - Knowledge and ability to provide advanced patient education for eye health and/or vision conditions. Preferred Experience: The ideal candidate will have knowledge in working with legally blinded patients in Low Vision clinic, specialty visual acuity testing such as Low Vision History, ETDRS and Feinbloom (including knowledge of M notion), training in the use of Low Vision Devices, including hand magnifiers such as CCTV, and testing patients with Traumatic Brain Injury. References: VA Handbook 5005, Part II, Appendix G68 Health Technician (Optometry) Qualification Standard GS-640 VHA. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-7. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is a GS-7.

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Contacts

• Address CW Bill Young Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 10000 Bay Pines Boulevard Bay Pines, FL 33744 US
• Name: Tamar Matthews
• Phone: (478) 484-0092
• Email: [email protected]