The Long Beach VA Medical Center is currently recruiting for one (1) Health Technician to work in Prosthetics Services Long Beach, CA. The incumbent ensures the legal requirements governing eligibility and entitlement to prosthetic devices are met. Verifies legal requirements related to eligibility and entitlement for all prosthetic, orthotics, and sensory aids consults that are assigned to be processed.
To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 04/24/2025. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-05 position you must have served anytime at the GS-03 or GS-04. For a GS-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. For a GS-07 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-06. 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. Individual Occupation Requirement (Basic Requirement): For GS-05: You may qualify at the GS-05 grade based on experience or education as described below: Specialized Experience: 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. Education: 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. For GS-06 and GS-07: You may qualify at the GS-06 and GS-07 based on the experience described below: Specialized Experience: 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. In addition to meeting the IOR and time in grade, you must also meet the experience and/or education as described below to qualify: Minimum Qualifications: GS-05: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-04 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to Ability to interpret consults. Working knowledge of computers. Ability to instruct patients. Respond to inquiries. Conduct inventory and record keeping. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed four (4) years of education above high school. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business, secretarial or technical school, junior college, college or university. One year of full-time academic study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university, or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business, secretarial, or technical school. NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted if qualifying for the position using education. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond post-high school education to meet total experience requirements. (Only education more than the first 60 semester hours (i.e., beyond the second year) is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. One full academic year of study (30 semester hours) beyond the second year is equivalent to 6 months of specialized experience.) NOTE: Transcripts must be submitted if using any part of education to qualify for this position. GS-06: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Knowledge of rules and procedures and operations. Knowledge of computerized data entry and retrieval systems to analyze medical records. Maintain special registries. Perform quality assurance, compile statistical data, and release medical information. Collect and organize data for statistical reports, audits, and/or research projects. GS-07: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-06 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Knowledge of all types of disabilities and skill in the fabrications of devices. Skill with working with metals, leather, plastics, fabrics, and other materials. Ability to read and understand prescriptions and orthotic procedures to undertake the fitting of orthotic appliances. Knowledge of wide variety of standard and custom medical equipment, prosthetic and orthotic appliances. Basic knowledge for troubleshooting/repairing of medical equipment and prosthetic and orthotic appliances. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Attention to Detail Contracting/Procurement Manages and Organizes Information Production and Processing 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: The work is mainly sedentary, but may require walking, bending, standing, and/or carrying of light items such as files and manuals. The may require some physical exertion such as prolonged periods of standing, bending, reaching, crouching, stooping, stretching, and lifting moderately heavy items such as manuals and record boxes. 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/.
Major Duties include but are not limited to the following: Performs independently fitting of orthotic appliances. Application of 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. Assignments involve measuring, modifying and fitting patients with orthotic devices. Authorizes the purchase of a wide variety of prosthetic and orthotic devices, medical supplies and durable medical equipment. Administers small purchase orders that involve the use of instruments that are not firm fixed price (e.g., time and materials, labor hours, or other un-priced small purchase orders). Enters a record of the action taken on the consult in CPRS along with VistA suspense. Assist with management inventory for Prosthetics. Conducts routine physical inventory counts, updates inventory and keeps excess inventory to a minimum. Ensures inventory locations are kept clean and organized. Provides veteran centered patient care that follows the ICARE values. 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 to Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Technician/PD02202A, PD02200A, and PD02201A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized