Health Technician (Ophthalmology)

Description:

Ophthalmology Technicians in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) support Ophthalmologists in diagnosis, treatment, prevention, follow-up care and patient counseling. The Health Technician (Ophthalmology) performs a range of standard, but complex, diagnostic procedures, assists during clinic-based surgical procedures, educates patients and legal representatives, assists with the education of medical students and residents.

Requirements:

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: Must be proficient in written and spoken English.

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).

• NOTE: You MUST submit documentation with your application package.

Creditable Experience

• Knowledge of Current Health Technician (Ophthalmology) Practice . To be creditable, the experience must have demonstrated the knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with a health care field or knowledge, skills, and abilities related to the current occupation. Experience satisfying this requirement may be paid or non-paid employment in the health care field.
• Quality of Experience. Qualifying experience must be at a level comparable to Health Technician (Ophthalmology) experience at the next lower grade level of the position being filled. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher level duties must consist of significant scope, administrative independence, complexity (difficulty) 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.
• Part-time Experience. Part time experience as a Health Technician (Ophthalmology) is creditable according to its relationship to the full time work week. For example, a Health Technician (Ophthalmology) employed 20 hours per week, or on a ½ time basis, would receive one full-time work week credit for each two weeks of service.

Grandfathering Provision. All persons employed in VHA as a Health Technician (Ophthalmology) on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including certification requirements. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:

• Such employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journeyman) 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.
• Health Technicians (Ophthalmology) who were 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 certification that meet all the basic requirements of the qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation.
• Health Technicians (Ophthalmology) who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation.

Grade Determinations. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates.

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.
  • 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-06 grade level.
• Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA). 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.
  • 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 (KSA). 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.

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-08. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-05 to GS-08.


Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.