This Health Technician position is located in the Podiatry Clinic within the Surgical Service at the VA Manchester Healthcare System location. This position is full-time at 40 hours per week.
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/29/2025. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Individualized Occupational Requirement (IOR): Specialized Experience (for positions as GS-04 and above): IOR are requirements, e.g., experience or education, for particular occupational series or positions within a series and are used in conjunction with a group coverage standard and must be met in addition to the minimum qualification standards. 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 require application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. ~OR~ Education and Training (GS-05): 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. Basic Minimum Requirements: Experience and Education Requirements: Specialized Experience GS-5: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-4) in the Federal service. Specialized experience is experience where you applied knowledge of performing phlebotomies on human patients, receiving, accessioning and specimen processing. As well as, collecting chain of custody drug screens, reference laboratory specimen processing, clerical functions and patient testing. ~OR~ EDUCATION: Successful completion of a full four (4) year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, with a major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to this position (i.e. biology, chemistry, biochemistry, anatomy & physiology, medical practices, biological or medical research, physics, mathematics, etc.). 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. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. ~OR~ COMBINATION: Equivalent combination of successfully completed post-high school education (beyond the second year) and specialized experience, as listed above. The education portion must include courses directly related to the work of the position (i.e. biology, chemistry, biochemistry, anatomy & physiology, medical practices, biological or medical research, physics, mathematics, etc.). This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Note: Experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hour worked per week. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: PD02536A 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; religions; 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. 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. Physical Requirements: Work is performed in a laboratory atmosphere and requires regular and physical exertion such as walking, bending, recurrent standing and moderate lifting. The work requires specific physical characteristics and abilities and dexterity needed to perform intricate analytical and technical procedures. The position may also require assisting geriatric and/or disabled patients. The incumbent must have normal color vision, pass mask fit testing, and complete Heartsavers/BLS training. 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/.
The incumbent works under the general supervision of the Chief, Podiatry Section, which has in-excess of 12,000 patient encounters per year, to include direct and indirect support. Incumbent is delegated authority to provide patient care and support to routine cases and for a variety of specialized procedures for a staff of three Podiatrists. Incumbent receives guidance or direction from practitioners directly in unique cases. Performs a wide range of podiatric treatment procedures and related technician tasks in support of Podiatrists and their assigned functions. Some of the duties of this position will include: Performs a variety of standardized and routine foot care procedures on low risk patients including, but not limited to, nail reduction, debridement of fungal nails, corns and calluses. Provides prophylactic instruction on nail and blister care. Fits multiple types of orthoses and impression casts feet for orthoses. Develops a variety of accommodative devices to correct or alleviate injury or pathologic foot conditions. Performs prep and variety of ankle/foot tapings in treatment for injuries. Writes history, findings, and treatments in outpatient records in the appropriate format. Assists podiatrists in arranging for and obtaining results of x-rays, labs, wound cultures and other diagnostic studies. Assists podiatrists in obtaining pathology specimens and pathology reports. Receives and prepares patient for examination and treatment. Prepares treatment room for appropriate foot procedures, ensures necessary supplies, instruments and materials are present, establishes required instrument field and assists as the podiatrist as directed. Sets up instrument trays, finalizes preparation of sterile field, skin prep and draping of patients. Instructs patients in self-care specific to treatment involved. Assures proper stock levels and care of all instruments used in the Podiatry clinic. Ensures proper cleanup and disposal after contaminated procedures. Performs various routine and general clinic administrative functions including ordering and stocking of supply items and ensuring quality control stock rotation. Makes regular inventory and revision of stock to insure current stocking of high demand and readily required items. Coordinates communication/correspondent interaction between patient, provider and other medical and non-medical professionals. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. (Eastern Standard Time) Compressed/Flexible: Not Authorized Telework: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required Position Description/PD#: Health Technician/PD02536A Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not approved NOTES: This position is a NAGE Bargaining Unit position. Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. This position is in the Competitive Service. This position is covered by locality-based comparability pay. Veterans' preference in hiring does not apply when selecting individuals under VA's Direct Hire Authority. When hiring under Direct Hire Authority, the law allows selecting officials to hire applicants without regard to 5 U.S.C. 3309-3318, which eliminates the requirement for applying Veterans' preference. VA HR Offices may assess and select any qualified applicant in the order applicants are received