Health Technician

Summary

You will serve as Health Technician with Diagnostics Services at the Richland Community Based Outpatient Clinic.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement - 06/15/2026. This occupational series (0809) has an Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR). An IOR is a basic requirement that must be met in order to qualify for the Construction Control Technician occupational series. All applicants - regardless of grade level must meet minimum specialized experience requirements. Applicants must meet the following requirements. Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists - speech pathologists - medical officers - and optometrists. Therefore - technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge - methods - and techniques of the position to be filled. OR Education for GS-5: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree - with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the position. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Time in Grade requirements: Applicants who are current Federal employees must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. To be eligible for the GS-06 position applicants who are current Federal employees must have held a GS-05 grade any time in the past 52 weeks. To be eligible for the GS-05 position applicants who are current Federal employees must have held a GS-04 grade at any time in the past 52 weeks. The grade may have been in any occupation but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year - it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade - as required by the announcement. In this instance - you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: For GS-05 level: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-04 level or pay band in the Federal service that includes performing the following duties: clinical support under direct supervision of the Clinical Staff; knowledge of medical terminology - especially laboratory test names and specimen requirements based on tests ordered; knowledge of human anatomy as it relates to phlebotomy and impact on laboratory testing; knowledge of impact of drawing above or below an IV - mastectomy or fistula site - and knowledge of vein selection for optimal results. OR - EDUCATION (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED): Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree - with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school - junior college - college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. OR - COMBINATION: EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION: (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED): Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have successfully completed post-high school education (beyond the second year) and specialized experience - as described above - which meet the total qualification requirements for this grade level. This education must have been obtained at an accredited business - secretarial or technical school - junior college - college - or university. For GS-06 level: SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05 level or pay band in the Federal service that includes performing the following duties: phlebotomy techniques such as capillary collection - blood culture collection - and venipuncture utilizing a syringe - butterfly - or vacutainer collection system; receiving and following through on patient requests for service - obtaining and reviewing patient medical records regarding clinic appointments - scheduling patient appointments - and determining eligibility for clinic appointments; recognizing and properly processing specimens using equipment and supplies in a variety of diagnostic procedures for the purpose of carrying out specimen collection - processing - or testing; evaluates operations - analyzes - and provides problem trend data - solutions - offers recommendations to all levels of management; adept at combining knowledge and use resourcefulness - initiative - and judgment in following standard operating procedures and resolving problems - and knowledge of electronic medical records and hospital/laboratory computer systems is needed to promptly access correct lab orders - build lists - cancel tests - and add tests. OR - EDUCATION (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED): As a general rule - education is not creditable above GS-5 for most positions covered by this standard; however - graduate education may be credited in those few instances where the graduate education is directly related to the work of the position. Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully nine (9) credit hours of graduate education that is directly related to the duties of the position. The preferred selection will have multiple years of experience in performing phlebotomy work and using the Cerner Millennium electronic health record program. 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/.

Duties

• Serve as a key contact for Veterans and beneficiaries seeking Diagnostic services - experiencing problems - and/or requesting information
• Greet and welcome Veterans requesting assistance - determining nature of diagnostic needs - questions or complaints - answers questions - provides information - gives guidance - and initiates action as appropriate
• As the administrative assistant to professional staff - ensure clinical staff are relieved of clerical/ administrative duties - and provide full - complete - technical advice - administrative support - training - guidance - problem solving/resolution for efficient coordination of diagnostic services
• Serve as liaison and resource person between supportive staff - clinicians - veterans - families - law enforcement - medical or public agencies - utilizing independent judgment as interpreted from guidelines for decisions
• Interpret providers' orders - requests for laboratory testing - follow-up paperwork - paperwork for fee of contractual agreement with appointment notifications to veteran/clinical staff
• Schedules examinations and laboratory tests coordinating date and time
• Collect specimens when needed in the emergency room - hospital rooms - extended care rooms and out-patient specimen collection area
• Identify tests that require special handling conditions and appropriately perform proper specimen collection
• Perform emergency care procedures in the event a patient has a reaction to blood collection procedures - including fainting - hematoma - and anxiety
• Maintain an adequate supply of phlebotomy supplies and reports shortages to logistics staff or the supervisor for resolution
• Ensure that only in-date supplies are used - rotate supplies appropriately to minimize waste and discard expired supplies appropriately (biohazard - sharps - or routine waste containers.) Perform other duties as assigned
• Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory - qualification - and performance requirements are met
• Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level
• Work Schedule: Monday through Friday - 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM PDT
• Telework: This is not a telework position
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Position Description/PD#: Health Technician/PD80397A and PD80399A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
• Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not authorized
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized
• Physical Requirements: The work involves various physical demands requiring the employee to be versatile in the many functions performed
• These include sedentary work performed at a desk with intermittent standing - walking - bending - lifting - stooping - and stretching
• When transferring patients - providing patient care - the employee must practice good body mechanics to prevent injury to self and others
• The demands may be unpredictable requiring the incumbent to adjust accordingly
• Requires the ability to work under pressure - make sound decisions - and maintain composure in different situations if necessary
• Work is performed at a fast pace
• In many situations the duration of the activity (such as most of a workday) contributes to the arduous nature of the job
• Position requires occasional lifting of reagent and supply containers weighing up to 20 pounds
• Work Conditions: Work is performed in inpatient - outpatient - intensive care - and extended care areas of the hospital
• The areas are typically well lit - ventilated and air conditioned
• Outside noise interference is reduced to a minimum
• Work is performed within full view and hearing of patients and the public
• There are moderate risks which require safety precautions: These may involve stress - verbal or physical abuse caused by disturbed or agitated patients or family
• The employee is subject to exposure to communicable diseases
• Contact with patients Increases significant chances of needle sticks
• The use of protective equipment - such as - but not limited to - gloves and protective clothing is required
• The technician is regularly exposed to bio-hazardous material encountered in a clinical laboratory
• This includes daily exposure to potentially infectious patients or materials - and occasional exposure to hazardous chemicals
• The incumbent works days - evening or weekend shifts as mission requires to provide quality patient care.