Health Technician - Audiology

This position is located in the Audiology Service at the VA outpatient clinic at Washington DC Veteran Affairs Medical Center. The duties and responsibilities are carried out in all clinical and other patient care areas involved with the Audiology service. The health technician supports the function of the clinical programs in Audiology and Speech Pathology Service. The incumbent is a staff health technician (Audiology) under the supervision of a GS-12 audiologist or above.

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

English Language Proficiency:
Health Technician (Audiology) (HTA), Health Technician (Speech-Language Pathology) (HTSLP) and Health Technician (Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology) (HTASLP) candidates 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 (HTA GS 06) 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 and 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.

Grandfathering Provision:
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). 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 (journey) 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, HTSLP or HTASLP 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.
• HTAs, HTSLPs or HTASLPs who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
• Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.

GRADE DETERMINATION

Health Technician - Audiology (HTA) GS-06

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.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of normal and abnormal ear anatomy.
• Knowledge of hearing physiology and function to educate patients and families.
• Knowledge of hearing aids, hearing assistive technology, hearing aid manufacturers and manufacturer software.
• Ability to solve problems or make decisions regarding hearing aid, hearing assistive technology and patient care, consistent with the documented and co-signed plan of care under the supervision of an audiologist.
• Ability to prepare patients for testing procedures.
• Ability to document and code patient procedures

Assignment:
Employees at this grade level serve as a full performance level HTA. The HTA at this level works independently under the direction of a licensed audiologist. Assignments associated with this position include, but are not limited to: completing visual and auditory checks of hearing aids 9 and hearing assistive technology; repairing or returning hearing aids to the factory; restoring hearing aid or hearing assistive technology settings after repair or replacement; and ordering, registering, certifying, issuing and tracking prosthetic devices. The health technician assists in setting up and delivering face to face and telehealth visits by preparing the equipment for patient evaluation and other audiology procedures. The health technician provides clinical procedures consistent with the documented and co-signed plan of care which may include non-diagnostic otoscopy, cerumen management, foreign body removal and ear mold impressions and without interpretation, immittance screening and hearing screening. The health technician educates patients, family and staff on topics including but not limited to hearing aid and hearing assistive technology care, maintenance, use and operation, hearing conservation and realistic expectations for hearing aid use. The health technician completes documentation for each episode of care and codes procedures as appropriate in the patient record in preparation for co-signature by the audiologist.


Health Technician - Audiology (HTA) GS-07

Experience:
Completion of one year of progressive experience and/or experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (HTA GS 06) directly related to the position being filled.

AND

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs):
In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate 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 12 collaborating with audiology team to develop training programs for patients and staff


Preferred Experience: Audiology Health Technician Experience

Reference:
For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

This position is above full performance level.

Physical Requirements:
Must possess the mental, emotional, and physical ability to satisfactorily perform the duties of the proposed assignment and to pass the requisite laboratory and other screening as required by Federal regulatory agencies

Responsibilities:

Primary responsibility is for patient care, supporting diagnostic and treatment procedures, patient charting and patient education, which do not require a full professional audiology education or knowledge and skills represented by audiology licensure. Support functions include both direct patient care and administrative duties. In addition, the incumbent must be able to mentor and train new health technicians (Audiology).

Direct patient care duties may include, but not limited to the following:

• Greeting and escorting patients.
• Triaging patients to an audiologist based on complexity of the procedures being completed.
• Patient set up for procedures (e.g., vestibular, neurodiagnostic procedures); Patient instruction and counseling on hearing loss or hearing aids either on an individual basis or in a family / group setting.
• Conducting hearing pass/fail screenings without interpretation; Non-diagnostic otoscopy.
• Cerumen management.
• Making earmold impressions.
• Hearing aid troubleshooting and repair.
• Providing basic hearing aid information for patients and caregivers.
• Performing listening checks on hearing aids.
• Electroacoustic analysis of devices.
• Pairing hearing aids and accessories via Bluetooth technology.
• Programming previously stored settings into hearing aids.
• Activating remote controls or other hearing aid accessories.
• Ensuring 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.

Administrative duties include. but may not be limited to the following:

• Managing office supplies.
• Tracking loaner stock hearing aid inventory.
• Electronic ordering, verifying orders upon arrival to ensure components are present and working correctly.
• Scheduling appointments.
• Packaging and mailing hearing aids and accessories.
• Processing ROES transactions (e.g. certifying and issuing hearing aids, entering orders and repairs).
• Responding to routine inquiries from patients, including determining nature of hearing aid inquiry and responding to administrative questions.
• Assisting patients, visitors, and others requesting information.
• Management of infection control, patient safety, and clinical supplies for the audiology clinic.
• Maintenance of clean, disinfected instrumentation, equipment, and work surfaces in the audiology clinic.
• Reprocessing reusable medical equipment based on facility policy according to Medical Center infection control procedures and reusable medical equipment policies.
• Other duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 7:30 am to 4:00 pm
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 688-26957-F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Salary : $57,736