Skip to main content
U.S. flag

HEALTH TECHNICIAN (OPHTHALMOLO

Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Health Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Health Technicians (Ophthalmology) in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) perform functions such as technical clinical care to patients who have received care provided by Ophthalmologists for diagnosis, treatment, prevention, follow-up care and patient counseling. This position is part of the Surgical Services and is located at Newington, CT.

Overview

Help
Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
10/08/2021 to 10/29/2021
Salary
$54,027 to - $70,238 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 8
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Newington, CT
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
8
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
CBTD-11252444-21-MAW
Control number
616936900

This job is open to

Help

Clarification from the agency

This vacancy announcement is open to all U.S. Citizens. Current, permanent nationwide VA employees should apply through vacancy ID number 11252445.

Videos

Duties

Help

Duties include but are not limited to:

  • Checks calibration of screening instruments.
  • Obtains patient physical history, to include chief complaint; reason for visit; pertinent signs/symptoms; past history both ocular and general; family history both ocular and general; social history; and review of medications and allergies, including current ocular prescription and non-prescription medications.
  • Accurately tests visual acuity at distance and near, with and without correction or with and without a pinhole.
  • Measures eyeglass prescription using manual or automated lensometer, recording sphere, cylinder, axis, and prism in both plus and minus cylinder.
  • Performs pupil evaluation recording pupil size, shape, symmetry, reaction to light and accommodation, and any abnormalities, including relative afferent pupillary defect.
  • Performs 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.
  • Measures intraocular pressure of the eye utilizing techniques, including Goldmann applanation tonometry.
  • Performs pachymetry to determine corneal thickness and manual keratometry or automated topography to determine corneal curvature.
  • Performs intra-ocular lens calculations using the IOL Master.
  • Performs automated visual field testing using various perimetry machines.
  • Performs external photographs and fundus photography.
  • Performs optical coherence tomography (OCT) of the anterior segment, retina and optic nerve.
  • Performs patient screening and triage of potentially urgent ocular conditions.
  • Assists 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.
  • Educates patients and legal authorized representatives in eye care, including preoperative and postoperative instructions.
  • Assists in the education and training of medical students, residents and fellows in those facilities with medical school affiliations.
Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm
Telework: N/A
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Position Title/Functional Statement #:HEALTH TECHNICIAN (OPHTHALMOLO/PD000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: N/A
Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Help

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
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period
  • Subject to a background/security investigation
  • Must be proficient in written and spoken English
  • Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process
  • Participation in the seasonal influenza and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccination programs are requirements for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

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; 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).
    • 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.
  • 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).
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-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.

References: VA Handbook 5005/98, Part II, Appendix G52

This vacancy is at the full performance level.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Additional information


Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

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

This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.

VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

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.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.

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, résumé, 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.

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.