Job opening: Health Technician - Prosthetics/Orthotics
Salary: $55 836 - 72 588 per year
Published at: Aug 20 2024
Employment Type: Full-time
This position is located within the VISN 22 Prosthetic & Sensory Aids Service at the Oceanside VA Clinic in Oceanside, CA.
Duties
***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION***
Major Duties:
Receives consults (prescriptions) for prosthetic devices.
Performs repair, fabrication, fitting and dispensing of orthotic appliances.
Interprets consults as submitted by clinicians and contacts provider with any questions regarding requested item(s).
Provides appropriate orthotic appliances and instruct patients on correct use and care.
Applies prefabricated appliances such as, but not limited to, lumbo-sacral supports, prosthetic socks and sheaths, elbow and ankle supports, elastic support hose, hand splints, soft knee braces, neck collars, abdominal binders, trusses, and non-custom in-depth shoes.
Takes measurements of body and limb segments appropriate to the item being fitted and selects off-the-shelf item sized appropriately with appropriate model or design. Applies items to body and limb segments, adjusting as required.
Handles common orthotic/prosthetic repairs such as repairs to custom foot orthosis and shoes using a wide variety of materials.
Repairs leather, metal, plastic and fabric components to items such as orthotic soft goods, shoes, and shoe inserts.
Manages orthotic and prosthetic inventory. Conducts routine physical inventory counts, updating inventory and keeping excess inventory to a minimum. Ensures inventory locations are kept clean and organized.
Performs other related duties as assigned.
Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30am to 4:00pm
Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized
Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved
Qualifications
ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English.
In addition to the language proficiency requirement state above, the following experience and/or education is required:
GS-5 EXPERIENCE: One year of specialized experience that is equivalent to the GS-4 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized Experience: Technician experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled (Health Technician - Prosthetics/Orthotics). Examples of specialized experience include obtaining patient medical history, scheduling patient appointments, maintaining clinic supplies and stock items, assisting staff with various prosthetic and/or orthotic procedures such as making, repairing and adjusting orthopedic devices, completing routine fittings, etc. (This experience must be documented in your resume to receive credit.)
OR
GS-5 EDUCATION: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation (Prosthetics/Orthotics). OR
GS-5 COMBINATION: An equivalent combination of successfully completed education and specialized experience as described above for the GS-5 level to qualify for this position. Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements. One full academic year of study, or 30 semester hours, beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience.
GS-6 EXPERIENCE: One year of specialized experience that is equivalent to the GS-5 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized Experience: Technician experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled (Health Technician - Prosthetics/Orthotics). Examples of specialized experience include assisting staff with various prosthetic and/or orthotic procedures such as making, repairing and adjusting orthopedic devices, completing fittings, applying orthopedic supports, etc. (This experience must be documented in your resume to receive credit.)
OR
GS-6 EDUCATION: Successful completion of one half year of graduate education (9 semester hours or equivalent) that included courses directly related to the work of the position (Prosthetics/Orthotics). Such graduate education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.
OR
GS-6 COMBINATION: An equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience as described above for the GS-6 level to qualify for this position.
GS-7 EXPERIENCE: One year of specialized experience that is equivalent to the GS-6 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized Experience: Technician experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled (Health Technician - Prosthetics/Orthotics). Examples of specialized experience include designing, repairing, fabricating, fitting and/or dispensing orthotic and/or prosthetic devices; making entries in patient charts to record provision of orthotic and/or prosthetic devices to patient and assisting in the education of patient in use of device; and maintaining appropriate stock level of necessary medical items. (This experience must be documented in your resume to receive credit.)
OR
GS-7 EDUCATION: Successful completion of one year of graduate education (18 semester hours or equivalent) that included courses directly related to the work of the position (Prosthetics/Orthotics). Such graduate education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position.
OR
GS-7 COMBINATION: An equivalent combination of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience as described above for the GS-7 level to qualify for this position.
Preferred Qualifications:
Knowledge of anatomy and physiology medical terminology
Strong customer service skills
Experience interacting with patients
ABC/BOC Certified Orthotic Fitter
ABC Certified Therapeutic Shoe Fitter
Knowledge of orthotics and prosthetics
You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position:
Interpersonal SkillsManages ResourcesMedical InformationQuality AssuranceTechnical Competence
IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
Physical Requirements: ???????The work is mainly sedentary, but may require walking, bending, standing, and/or carrying light items such as files and manuals. The work does not require any special physical effort or ability.
For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.
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:
Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov).
Contacts
- Address San Diego VA Medical Center
3350 La Jolla Village Drive
San Diego, CA 92161
US
- Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
- Phone: (844)456-5208
- Email: [email protected]
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