This position is located in Audiology/Speech Service (ASPS) at Palm Desert Community Based Outpatient Clinic within the VA Loma Linda Health Care System. VA Loma Linda Health Care System is a size 1A complex medical facility. The duties and responsibilities are carried out in all clinical areas involved with ASPS. The health technician supports the function of the clinical programs in Audiology. The incumbent is under the supervision of a GS-12 audiologist or above.

Duties

Duties include but not limited to: Provides patient care, supporting diagnostic and treatment procedures, patient charting and patient education, including hearing conservation. Greets and escorts patients. Triages patients to audiologist based on complexity of the procedures being completed. Assists with patient set up for procedures (e.g., vestibular, neurodiagnostic procedures). Provides patients with instructions and counseling on hearing loss, hearing protection, or hearing aids either on an individual basis or in a group setting. Manages biologic checks and calibration of audiometric instrumentation. Conduct employee hearing conservation education and training. Assists in hearing conservation program requirements to manage records and files. Performs otoscopic screening and pure-tone air conduction threshold testing for the purpose of hearing conservation. Provides Basic counseling of employees concerning test results and criteria for employee referral to hearing conservation program. Performs Otoscopy and pure tone air conduction testing without interpretation for established patients in regular VA clinic. Ensures 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. Manages office supplies and tracking loaner stock hearing aid inventory. Responds to routine inquiries from patients, including determining nature of hearing aid inquiry and responding to administrative questions. Cleans and disinfects, instrumentation, equipment and work surfaces in the audiology clinic. Reprocesses reusable medical equipment based on facility policy according to Medical Center infection control procedures and reusable medical equipment policies. Coordinates and works with others as necessary. Communicates and treats customers in a courteous, tactful, and respectful manner. Handles conflict and problems in dealing with the customer constructively and appropriately. Meets the needs of customers while supporting VA missions. Protects printed and electronic files containing sensitive data in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974 and other applicable laws, Federal regulations, VA statutes and policy, and VHA policy. Protects the data from unauthorized release or from loss, alteration, or unauthorized deletion. Orders hearing aids and assistive devices, submits repairs. Receives and processes incoming new orders, certifies new devices and repairs, documents in patient chart actions taken on devices. Schedules return to clinic orders for appropriate patient return dates, monitor and resolve pending hearing aids orders and repairs. Work Schedule: Full-Time, Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:00pm 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

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. Must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403 (f). Experience and Education: 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, 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, 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 They may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance 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. If an HTA 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. Temporary appointments may not be extended. The HTA may not be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. If additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard is obtained it must be maintained as a condition of employment in the occupation. Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Health Technician (Audiology) (HTA) GS-7 Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to mentor and train new HTAs. Ability to prepare patients for advanced testing procedures performed by the audiologist, such as evoked potentials. Ability to develop and implement the technician role for a program in a focused area of audiology. Assignment. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. The HTA at this level works under supervision and direction of a licensed audiologist. Assignments associated with this position include, but are not limited to: completing adjustments to hearing aid settings as outlined in the audiologist's plan of care, preparing patients for advanced diagnostic procedures such as evoked potentials and collaborating with audiology team to develop training programs for patients and staff. Health Technician (Audiology) (HTA) GS-08 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. Certification. CAOHC certification as a COHC is required for this assignment. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to conduct employee hearing conservation education and training. Knowledge of the hearing conservation program requirements to manage records and files. Ability to perform pure tone air conduction testing. Ability to provide audiologic technical support to the employee hearing conservation program. Ability to identify a threshold shift and make appropriate referrals for further testing when indicated. Assignment. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher-level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity and range of variety as described in this standard at the specified grade level and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. The health technician works under the direction of a licensed audiologist. Assignments associated with this position include, but are not limited to completing adjustments to hearing aid settings as outlined in the audiologist's plan of care, preparing patients for advanced diagnostic procedures such as evoked potentials and collaborating with team to develop training programs for patients and staff. The health technician may perform pure tone air conduction threshold testing for established patients and employees, without interpretation. The health technician may provide employee hearing conservation education and training, basic counselling of employees concerning test results and criteria for employee referral. This health technician collaborates with the Hearing Conservation Program Manager and manages records associated with the hearing conservation program. Preferred Experience: The position requires the incumbent to possess or develop an understanding of the specific needs of patients in the age ranges of 18 years to 65+ years. Sensitivity to the special needs of all patients in respect to age, developmental requirements, and culturally related factors must be consistently achieved. References: VA Handbook 5005/143 PART II APPENDIX G70. HEALTH TECHNICIAN (AUDIOLOGY) Physical Requirements: Light lifting (under 15 pounds); light carrying (under 15 pounds); walking (2 hours); standing (2 hours); repeated bending (2 hours); near vision corrected to 13" to 16"; far vision correctable in on eye to 20/20 and 20/40 in the other; and hearing (aid permitted).

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 Jerry L Pettis Memorial Veterans Hospital 11201 Benton Street Loma Linda, CA 92357 US
• Name: Christina Rigole
• Phone: (909)583-6505
• Email: [email protected]