Clarification from the agency

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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Duties Include but not limited to:

• Preparing work assignments
• Monitoring clinical performances of Health Technician (Ophthalmology) staff
• Conducting performance appraisals, and other clinical and administrative responsibilities to ensure that the mission of the service and the medical center has been satisfied.
• Assures compliance with accrediting agency and regulatory requirements
• Establishes and monitors the quality of the pre-analytical processes as part of the overall Health Technician (Ophthalmology) service quality management program, and assures corrective action is initiated as needed.
• Assures orientation and competency assessment of assigned staff, and supervises interactions of Health Technicians (Ophthalmology) with affiliate ophthalmology residents.
• Develops policies and procedures, manages document control, develops performance standards, position descriptions and functional statements, and is responsible for professional and administrative management of an assigned area to include budget execution.
• Maintains interdepartmental relations with other services to accomplish medical center goals.
• May have overall responsibility for planning, assessing, and evaluating programs to ensure proper coordination between care delivered by the program and overall delivery of healthcare within the facility, or coordination of non-VA care as appropriate

Work Schedule: Full-Time, As discussed with Supervisor
Telework: This is not a telework position unless it meets the needs of the Surgical Service Department.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000

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 identification 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.
• 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. (Transcripts Required).
• OR Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. Examples are:
• 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).

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).

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

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).

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:

(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 journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.

(2) 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.

(3) 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.

(4) 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: Supervisory Health Technician (Ophthalmology), GS-9(a)

Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-8 grade level.

Specialized Experience Includes: Performing a range of standard, but complex, diagnostic procedures with responsibility for checking calibration of instruments prior to the procedure. Responsible for obtaining patient physical history. Accurately testing visual acuity at distance and near, with and without correction or with and without a pinhole. Measuring eyeglass prescription using manual or automated lensometer, recording sphere, cylinder, axis, and prism in both plus and minus cylinder. Performing pupil evaluation recording pupil size, shape, etcetera. Performing basic refractometry utilizing an auto refraction or habitual glass prescription in the phoropter. Instills eye medications (i.e., drops or ointments, including anesthetic, dye, dilation, cycloplegic, or antibiotics. Responsible for measuring intraocular pressure of the eye utilizing techniques, including Goldmann applanation tonometry. Performing pachymetry to determine corneal thickness and manual keratometry or automated topography to determine corneal curvature. Performing intra-ocular lens calculations using the IOL Master. Performing automated visual field testing using various perimetry machines. Performing external photographs and fundus photography. Performing optical coherence tomography (OCT) of the anterior segment, retina and optic nerve. Performing patient screening and triage emergencies identifying ocular emergencies. Performing patient screening and telephone triage for immediate care. Assisting during clinic-based ophthalmic surgery, including revision of wounds, biopsies of the eyelid lesions, cultures of conjunctiva, or cornea; reformation of anterior chamber, evacuation of hyphema, repositioning of corneal endothelial grafts, intra-vitreous injections, and laser surgical procedures. Educating patients and legal authorized representatives in eye care, including preoperative and postoperative instructions. Assisting in the education and training of medical students, residents and fellows in those facilities with medical school affiliations. Ensuring proper cleaning and disinfection; calibration, maintenance, backup, annual inventory and ordering of instruments, supplies and equipment; obtains quotes as needed; and reports needed repairs to biomedical engineering.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• Demonstrated leadership and managerial skills, and skills in interpersonal relations and conflict resolution to deal with employees, team leaders, providers, and managers
• Ability to perform the full range of supervisory duties, which includes responsibility for assignment of work to be performed; performance evaluations; selection of qualified staff; and recommendation of awards, advancements, and, when appropriate, disciplinary actions
• Ability to plan, organize, coordinate clinical work flow, set short and/or long-term goals for the section, and conduct studies on technical and administrative problems, including personnel shortages, organizational structure, and new technology.

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-09. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-09.

Physical Requirements: The administrative work is primarily sedentary but there is also standing, walking bending, reaching, lifting and carrying light objects such as files. The clinical tasks require fine motor skills and dexterity for working with ophthalmic equipment. Operation of several different devices under dim illumination for the examination of patients. Various equipment items and some heavy objects must be moved or relocated, e.g., visual field machine.

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.