Ophthalmology Technicians in the Veterans Health Administration support Optometrist and Ophthalmologists in diagnosis, treatment, prevention, follow-up care and patient counseling. The Health Technician (Ophthalmologist) performs a range of standard, but complex, diagnostic procedures, assists during clinic-based surgical procedures, educates patients and legal representatives, and assists with the education of medical students and residents.
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. English Language Proficiency: Health Technicians (Ophthalmology) must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) and 38 U.S.C. 7407(d). Experience and Education: Experience: One year of experience in a health care field, such as but not limited to nursing, medical assistant, or health technician. OR Education: Two years above high school with a minimum of six semester hours directly related to a health care field or associate's degree in a health care related degree. OR Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. Examples are listed below: Six months of experience in the health care field; and one year above high school; or Six months of experience in the health care field and successful completion of a course for health care technicians, hospital corpsmen, medical service specialists, or ophthalmology technicians given by the U.S. Armed Forces; or Six months of experience in the health care field and completion of an independent study course in Ophthalmic Medical Assisting. Certification: All applicants must be certified as a Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA) with the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO). The COA certification is JCAHPO's entry-level certification examination for a Health Technician (Ophthalmology). Exception: Non-certified applicants who otherwise meet the minimum qualification requirements may be appointed as a graduate Health Technician (Ophthalmology) under the authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405(c)(2)(B). The appointing official may waive the requirement of certification for a period not to exceed two years for a Health Technician (Ophthalmology) that provides care under the supervision of an Ophthalmologist. The exception only applies below the full performance level. For grade levels at or above the full performance level the candidate must be certified. Failure to obtain COA certification during that period is justification for termination of the temporary appointment and may result in termination of employment. 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). Grade Determinations: Health Technician (Ophthalmology), GS-5 (Entry Level): Experience or Education: None beyond the basic requirements. Health Technician (Ophthalmology), GS-6 (Developmental Level 1): Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of general outpatient clinical policies and procedures in a healthcare environment; Ability to obtain, document and record demographic and medical information from patients in order to develop an accurate medical record; Ability to use basic ophthalmic equipment; and Knowledge of basic disinfection of non-critical reusable medical equipment. Health Technician (Ophthalmology), GS-7 (Developmental Level 2): Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-6 grade level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of anatomy and function of the eye and basic ocular pharmacology; Knowledge of outpatient eye care policies and procedures in a health care environment; Ability to use basic ophthalmic diagnostic equipment to perform preliminary ocular testing; Ability to perform minor extraocular surgical assisting; and Ability to provide eye care patient education. Health Technician (Ophthalmology), GS-8 (Full Performance Level): Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Ability to perform advanced tonometry and pupil evaluation; Ability to perform calculations for selection of intraocular lens; Knowledge of clinic based ophthalmic surgical assisting; Knowledge of eye anatomy and physiology; Knowledge of medication effects and proper instillation in the eye; Knowledge of optics; and Knowledge of proper cleaning and maintenance of clinic equipment. All qualifying experience you possess must be clearly described in your application package. We will not make assumptions when reviewing applications. Failure to demonstrate your experience in your resume may result in disqualification. It is strongly recommended that you write to each KSA in your application package. 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. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-5 to GS-8. Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.
Major duties at the Entry Level include, but are not limited to the following: Clinical responsibilities include obtaining an accurate medical and ophthalmic history by following a template. Expected to complete all necessary ancillary testing as part of ophthalmic exam, including measure and record visual acuity, administer anesthetic eye drops, perform basic tonometry, automated lensometry, and all other appropriate testing. Participates in performance of quality assurance activities such as attending staff meetings, mandatory educational in-services, generating quality control reports, engaging in systems redesign, and contributing to team and morale improvement efforts. Major duties at the Full Performance Level include but are not limited to the following: The technician has the ability to perform advanced tonometry and pupil evaluation, the ability to calculate the selection of intraocular lenses, and the ability to efficiently and accurately perform patient work-ups while remotely supervised by an eye provider. Additional required knowledge includes clinic-based ophthalmic surgical assisting, eye anatomy and physiology, medication effects and proper instillation in the eye, optics, and proper cleaning and maintenance of clinic equipment. Clinical responsibilities include performing a range of standard but complex diagnostic procedures. These responsibilities involve checking and performing calibration of technical ophthalmology screening instruments, obtaining detailed patient histories, accurately testing visual acuity at distance and near, measuring eyeglass prescriptions using manual or automated lensometers, and performing pupil evaluations. The role also includes performing basic refractometry, instilling eye medications as directed, measuring intraocular pressure, conducting corneal pachymetry, manual keratometry, automated topography, and intraocular lens calculations, and administering automated visual field testing. Additionally, the role involves performing external and fundus photography, optical coherence tomography (OCT) of the anterior segment, retina, and optic nerve, patient screening and triage of potentially urgent ocular conditions, and assisting during clinic-based ophthalmic surgeries. Educating patients and their legal authorized representatives in eye care, including preoperative and postoperative instructions, assisting in the education and training of medical students, residents, and fellows, and ensuring the proper cleaning and disinfection, calibration, maintenance, backup, annual inventory, and ordering of instruments, supplies, and equipment are also critical parts of the role. The position requires obtaining quotes for necessary items and reporting needed repairs to biomedical engineering. Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: 63 hours/pay period. Week 1: Tuesday-Friday 7:30am-4:30pm, Week 2: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 7:30am-4:30pm 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) 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 Eligible Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorize