What are the responsibilities and job description for the Health Technician (Ophthalmology) position at SD Department of Veterans Affairs?
Health Technicians (Ophthalmology) in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) perform functions such as technical clinical care to patients who have received care provided by Ophthalmologists for diagnosis, treatment, prevention, follow-up care and patient counseling. This position is part of the Surgical Services and is located at Newington, CT.
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:
Health Technician (Ophthalmology), GS-8 (Full Performance Level)
Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.
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: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/.Employment Type: OTHER
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 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. Examples are:
- Six months of experience in the health care field; and one year above high school; OR
- 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
- 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) that provides care under the supervision of an Ophthalmologist. The exception only applies below the full performance level.
- English Language Proficiency: Health Technicians (Ophthalmology) must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) and 38 U.S.C. 7407(d).
Health Technician (Ophthalmology), GS-8 (Full Performance Level)
- Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level.
- Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
- Ability to perform advanced tonometry and pupil evaluation;
- Ability to perform Calculations for selection of intraocular lens;
- Knowledge of clinic based ophthalmic surgical assisting;
- Knowledge of eye anatomy and physiology;
- Knowledge of medication effects and proper instillation in the eye;
- Knowledge of optics; and
- Knowledge of proper cleaning and maintenance of clinic equipment
Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.
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: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/.Employment Type: OTHER
Salary : $63,052