Ophthalmology Technicians in the Veterans Health Administration support Ophthalmologists in diagnosis, treatment, prevention, follow-up care, and patient counseling. The GS-9 Lead Level, the Health Technician (Ophthalmology) performs difficult ophthalmic technical duties with considerable latitude for the exercise of independent judgment. The Lead Health Technician (Ophthalmology) carries additional responsibilities that involve the oversight of specific services within the ophthalmology clinic.

Duties

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: Work/collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to maintain, fix, and acquire new equipment for the Ophthalmology Service. This will be for all three locations: Palo Alto, Monterey, and Livermore clinics. Maintain accurate records of current inventory including but not limited to EE numbers, acquisition dates, useful life dates, current expiration dates for annual maintenance, excessed items, status of requested equipment, etc. Communicate effectively in order to meet program objectives. This may include preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various organizational levels. Assist in Health Technician (Ophthalmology) learning development in conjunction with equipment updates, new machines, and or new standard works. May provide training to new eye care staff and orientation to the clinic. Present updates on the current status of all equipment monthly or as needed to the nurse manager, Chief of Ophthalmology, or delegate. Participate in annual inventory and work closely with those departments involved. Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to maintain/fix existing equipment and acquire new equipment. Communicate effectively with multiple stakeholders, including VA clinical providers, administrative staff, patients, biomedical staff, warehouse, logistics, and IT Multi-task and manage a variable volume of duties. Maintain accurate records of current inventory including but not limited to EE numbers, acquisition dates, useful life dates, current expiration dates for annual maintenance, excessed items, the status of requested equipment, etc. Make recommendations to optimize quality, efficiency, performance, and productivity. Communicate effectively with patients and personnel. Present updates on the status of all equipment as needed to the Supervisory Health Technician, Chief of Ophthalmology, or delegate. Collaborate with other staff for cross-coverage to ensure clinical and administrative coverage during absences. Participate in annual inventory and work closely with those departments involved. The GS-9 Lead Ophthalmology Technician will respond to the needs of the staff ophthalmologists, the nurse manager, 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 and recognizes conditions that cause erroneous results or create dangerous situations, and may independently troubleshoot problems and complex instruments. The lead ophthalmology technician assists with maintaining an efficient flow of patient care. The lead ophthalmology technician is ultimately responsible to the Ophthalmology Supervisory Health Technician and the Chief of Ophthalmology. Other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: M-F 8:00 am - 4:30 pm or as determined by supervisor. Compressed/Flexible:This may be authorized at Supervisory discretion. Telework: Not eligible for telework. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement: 640 05474F 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. 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 healthcare field or associate's degree in a healthcare-related degree. OR Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. Examples are listed below: (a) Six months of experience in the health care field; and one year above high school; or (b) 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 (c) 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) who 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 the 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. 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: In addition to the basic requirements for employment. The following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Lead Health Technician (Ophthalmology), GS-9: Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-8 grade level. Assignment: For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty), 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 Lead Health Technician (Ophthalmology) carries additional responsibilities that involve the oversight of specific services within the ophthalmology clinic. The Lead Health Technician (Ophthalmology) may assist with technician oversight duties including: Making work assignments, monitoring workflow, providing input on performance, resolving daily workplace issues, and maintaining an efficient flow of patient care. They may provide training to eye care staff, students, and/or trainees; and may provide input into special advancements, promotions, and disciplinary actions. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to work with a team to provide technical guidance, plan, organize, and coordinate activities of a Health Technician (Ophthalmology) in order 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 Ability to act as the liaison between Health Technicians (Ophthalmology) to resolve informal employee complaints and concerns. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/98 Transmittal Sheet February 7, 2018. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-09. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-09. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

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 Palo Alto VA Medical Center 3801 Miranda Avenue Palo Alto, CA 94304 US
• Name: Leslie Doyle
• Phone: 9284454860 X6968
• Email: [email protected]