Ophthalmology Technicians in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) support Ophthalmologists in diagnosis, treatment, prevention, follow-up care and patient counseling

Duties

The Lead Health Technician (Ophthalmology) carries additional responsibilities that involve the oversight of specific services within the ophthalmology clinic. Major Duties: Ability to work with a team to provide technical guidance, plan, organize, and coordinate activities of a Health Technician (Ophthalmology) to effectively complete job duties of assignment such as distributing workload, monitoring the status and progress of work, monitoring accuracy of work, etc.; Ability to communicate effectively in order to meet program objectives. This may include preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various organizational levels; Ability to assist in Health Technician (Ophthalmology) development, outcome management, and strategic planning, and customer service. Ability to do advanced work ups of complex patients Ability to act as liaison between Health Technicians (Ophthalmology) to resolve informal employee complaints and concerns. The Lead Health Technician (Ophthalmology) performs difficult ophthalmic technical duties with considerable latitude for the exercise of independent judgment. In addition to the duties expected of the GS-8 level, the GS-9 Lead Technician carries additional responsibilities that involve the oversight of specific services within the ophthalmology clinic including: Making work assignments for health technicians under the guidance of the Supervisor. Monitoring work flow and addressing real time schedule changes. Help with performance improvement plans and education, Create new Standard Operative Procedures, participate in project improvement plans Help with RME protocols, competencies and procedures. Resolving daily workplace issues, and maintaining efficient flow of patient care. May provide training to eye care staff, students and/or trainees; Help with technician student training and schedules8. Help with message manager and My Healthy Vet Secure messages Coordinates with HAS to help with scheduling and reviewing schedule changes or clinic cancellations The GS-9 Lead Ophthalmology Technician will respond to the needs of the staff ophthalmologists, the supervisory technician or other designated administrative supervisor who will maintain daily supervision and guidance. Independent work is an integral part of the position. The technician plans and carries out examinations in line with training and accepted practices, and independently makes recommendations about clinical situations, procedures or changes to procedures in some situations. The providers must be able to accept the technician's assessment without rechecking the work. The technician uses methods, recognizes conditions that cause erroneous results or creates dangerous situations, and may independently troubleshoot clinic problems and complex instruments. The technician resolves most differences that arise with patients, coordinates work with others as necessary and interprets policy such as eligibility for prosthetic devices. The lead ophthalmology technician assists with maintaining an efficient flow of patient care. The lead ophthalmology technician is ultimately responsible to the Supervisory Ophthalmology Technician (if present), the Ophthalmology Program Coordinator (if present) and the Chief of Ophthalmology. Work Schedule: TBD by the needs of the service. Compressed/Flexible:N/A Telework: N/A Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: N/A 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: Citizenship: Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified candidates in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.) Experience and Education: 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. Creditable Experience: Knowledge of Current Health Technician (Ophthalmology) Practice. To be creditable, the experience must have demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with a health care field or knowledge, skills, and abilities related to the current occupation. Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid or non-paid employment in the health care field. Quality of Experience. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to Health Technician (Ophthalmology) experience at the GS-8 level. Part-time Experience. Part time experience as a Health Technician (Ophthalmology) is creditable according to its relationship to the full-time work week. COA is required, COT or COMT Is preferred. 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. Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA as a Health Technician Ophthalmology) on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including certification requirements. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements 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. Such employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journeyman) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the full performance (journeyman) level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. 2. Health Technicians (Ophthalmology) who were 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. 3. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or certification that meet all the basic requirements of the qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. 4. Health Technicians (Ophthalmology) who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. 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. Grade Determinations: Must have 52 weeks in GS-8. References: See VA Handbook 5005 /98, Part II, Appendix G52 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-9.

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 Edward Hines Junior Hospital 5000 South 5th Avenue Hines, IL 60141 US
• Name: Kiphanie Moore
• Phone: 414-712-8177
• Email: [email protected]