The Lead Health Technician (Telehealth Clinical) provides direct leadership to a team of Telehealth Clinical Technicians as well as leading initiatives designed to improve the delivery of care to Veterans using telehealth, providing high level support, training, and advanced management of telehealth operations and is typically stationed at a clinical care delivery site (VA Medical Center, CBOC, VA Outreach Clinic, etc.).
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/Education: Experience: One year of experience in a health care field that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work such as but not limited to a medical or clinical assistant (or technician) or health technician. OR Education: Four academic years above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation. OR Experience and Education: Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable. Examples are listed below: Six months of experience in the health care field and two years of education above high school that included at least six semester hours in health care related courses such as, biological science, surgical technician courses, nursing assistant or other courses related to the position; or an associate's degree in a health care related field; or Six months of experience in the health care field and successful completion of a course for health care technicians, hospital corpsmen, or medical service specialists given by the U.S. Armed Forces. English Language Proficiency: A candidate will not be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C. chapters 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English. See chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part. 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). Lead Health Technician (Telehealth Clinical), GS-8 Grade Determinations: (1) Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level, GS-7. (2) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs. (a) Ability to work with a team to provide technical guidance, plan, organize and coordinate activities of a Health Technician (Telehealth Clinical) in order to effectively complete job duties of assignment such as distributing workload, monitoring the status and progress of work, monitoring accuracy of work. (b) Skill in leadership and interpersonal relations and conflict resolution to deal with employees, team leaders, providers, and managers. (c) Ability to communicate effectively in order to meet program objectives. This may include preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various organizational levels. (d) Knowledge of quality control and assurance procedures and principles of performance improvement. (e) Skill in the assessment and resolution of complex workload capture issues using multiple data sources. (f) Ability to develop and compose complex written instructions. (g) Knowledge of analytical and evaluative processes to independently resolve complex issues. (3) Assignment: The Lead Health Technician (Telehealth Clinical) provides an array of complex and specialized duties related to leadership, staff education, technology management, as well as project and program management related duties for all dimensions of virtual care and telehealth initiatives. Duties include: serves as an official team lead for telehealth staff; monitors and reports on the status of work to ensure that the supervisor's instructions on work priorities, methods, deadlines and quality have been met; works with the supervisor to develop assignments for team members and distributes workload and tasks among employees in accordance with established workflows and specialized requirements, and provides information to the supervisor regarding all conduct and performance related achievements or concerns. The Lead Telehealth Clinical Technician is responsible for independently reviewing performance metrics to ensure telehealth operations are timely, effective and efficient. This includes the assessment and analysis of the impact, demand and utilization of telehealth services, the coordination of establishing telehealth clinics according to the Decision Support System and VHA guidelines, the monitoring of workload credit for interfacility workload credit and specialized encounters; responsible for the development or revision of diverse and complex standard operating procedures, and assisting stakeholders to develop new telehealth programs based on patient needs; serves in an official capacity as a telehealth preceptor and provides standardized training related to patient care, telehealth technology and quality assurance. This includes the facilitation of interactive simulations and referential documents, the assessment of competency of all clinical staff participating in telehealth programs and maintaining compliance with national VA standards established by the Office of Connected Care regarding training and operations. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety and be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time. Preferred Experience: Connected care including telehealth or virtual health technologies. Strong computer and technology skills, including troubleshooting and providing technical support for virtual health tools to staff and/or patients. Plan and coordinate connected care education, training, and outreach events. Provide guidance, leadership, and support to Virtual Health Resource Center staff and volunteers. Proficiency with My HealtheVet (MHV), VA Video Connect, VA Mobile Apps (ie: Annie Health Subscriptions and Mental Health Applications). Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-8.
Major duties and responsibilities will include: Leads a team of telehealth staff by providing guidance and technical direction relating to the telehealth program. Works with the supervisor to develop assignments for team members in order to meet routine and unusual deadlines and priorities. Distributes and balances workload and tasks among employees in accordance with established workflow and/or job specialization and required rotations. Serves as the work leader, monitors the status and progress of team members' work and makes day-to-day adjustments in accordance with established priorities. Gives on-the-job training to new employees (local and at the CBOC sites). Instructing employees in specific tasks and job techniques, making available written instructions and reference materials for use by team members in the accomplishment of tasks or projects. Monitors and reports on the status and progress of work to ensure that the supervisor's instructions on work priorities, methods, deadlines, and quality have been met. Provides information to the supervisor concerning promotions, reassignment, recognition of outstanding performance, and personnel needs. Reports to the supervisor on training needs of employees and conduct or performance issues. Resolves simple, informal complaints of employees and referring others, such as formal grievances and appeals to the supervisor or an appropriate management official. Prepares the clinical environment, which may include preparing medical and telecommunications equipment to be used for clinical examination and treatment. Serves as an imager and data manager for store and forward telehealth (SFT) clinical encounters including tasks such as capturing images, collecting data, and transmitting them electronically for clinical review in accordance with VHA national guidelines. Monitors and maintain schedules of rooms, patients, technologies, clinical providers, and presenters as needed to ensure efficient telehealth operations. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 7:00AM to 3:30PM. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized. Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized. Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child. Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66. Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not Available. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.