Clarification from the agency

This is a Public Notice hiring path. NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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*Staffing Shortage Statement (FY26)*
Due to an identified staffing shortage within the 0640 Occupational Series, the OCHCO has approved recruitment efforts to support mission-critical healthcare operations for FY26. Filling these positions is essential to maintain timely and high-quality care for Veterans.

Major Duties:

Advanced Telehealth Operations & Training
- Competency Training: Delivers established, standardized competency-based training for clinicians and staff on advanced telehealth technologies and interactive simulations.
- Programmatic Support: Participates in the development and advanced support of facility-wide telehealth programs, focusing on improving the efficiency of patient processes.
- Performance Improvement: Identifies and analyzes inherent weaknesses in telehealth procedures by developing reporting procedures and sampling techniques.
- Technical Guidance: Provides guidance to less experienced staff members and assists in the strategic planning and outcome management of the telehealth program.
Clinical & Patient Support
- Telepresenting: Serves as a telepresenter within the scope of practice, establishing video connections and facilitating effective clinical encounters between patients and providers.
- Imaging & Data Management: Functions as an imager for Store and Forward Telehealth (SFT), capturing and transmitting clinical images and data for electronic review.
- Patient Education: Provides established patient education using approved materials and assists Veterans in completing satisfaction surveys.
- Clinical Environment: Prepares the clinical environment and telecommunications equipment for examinations while following strict patient safety and cleaning protocols.
Technical & Administrative Management
- Equipment Maintenance: Coordinates the installation, configuration, and troubleshooting of telehealth hardware and software in collaboration with IT and Biomed.
- Inventory Management: Manages the inventory of telehealth technologies, ensuring equipment is secured, accounted for, and ready for use.
- Scheduling: Manages complex intra-facility and inter-facility telehealth appointments using electronic resource-based scheduling systems.
- Workload Capture: Monitors workload capture and coordinates clinic set-up for assigned provider clinics to ensure efficient operations.
Compliance & Communication
- Privacy & Security: Ensures patient privacy by complying with all information security regulations and protecting sensitive electronic files.
- Professionalism: Incorporates VA "ICARE" core values (Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, and Excellence) in all interactions with patients and staff.
- Emergency Planning: Maintains resources for local and remote providers to ensure the effective execution of contingency and emergency plans.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm
ADHOC ELIGIBLE
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 20568F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

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. 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.

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/Education Combination. 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.

Certification. None

Grandfathering Provision. All Health Technicians (Telehealth Clinical) employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series, and grade held. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply:(1) 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 journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.(2) Employees who are 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.(3) If an employee who was retained (grandfathered) under this provision leaves that occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation.

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

Health Technician (Telehealth Clinical), GS-7 (Advanced)

Experience. One full year of Telehealth Clinical experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-6) level as a Telehealth Clinical Health Technician.
Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs.
(a) Ability to use independent technical judgment to analyze, evaluate and resolve problems.
(b) Knowledge of quality control and assurance procedures and principles of performance improvement.
(c) Ability to function effectively between competing priorities.
(d) Knowledge of proper maintenance and troubleshooting of telehealth equipment.
(e) Ability to work with a team to provide technical guidance, plan, organize and coordinate activities of a health technician in order to effectively complete job duties of assignment such as distributing workload, monitoring the status and progress of work, monitoring accuracy of work.
(f) Ability to assist in Health Technician (Telehealth Clinical) development, outcome management and strategic planning.
(g) Ability to perform successful knowledge transfer regarding the use of telehealth technologies.

Preferred Experience:
1. Direct patient care experience at the level of health technician or
above;
2. User level experience with technology, to include basic setup and
troubleshooting of computers, webcams, monitors, speakers and
applicable connectors;
3. Use of videoconferencing programs and equipment, especially VA
Video Connect and/or Webex;
4. Experienced and proficient with Microsoft apps, including MS Teams,
Outlook, Word, Excel and Powerpoint and VA programs such as CPRS,
VistA, Virtual Care Manager (VCM) and VA Video Connect (VVC);
5. Effective problem-solving, information management, critical thinking
and communication skills (verbal and written) with Veterans, providers
and staff.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS07.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

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.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.