Summary

Ophthalmology Technicians in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) support Ophthalmologists in diagnosis - treatment - prevention - follow-up care - and patient counseling. At the Advanced Level - the Health Technician (Ophthalmology) performs complex ophthalmic technical duties with considerable latitude for the exercise of independent judgment. The higher-level duties consist of significant scope - administrative independence - complexity (difficulty) - and range of variety.

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 listed below: (a) Six months of experience in the health care field - and one year above high school
• or (b) 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 (c) 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)
• 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: 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
• Health Technician (Ophthalmology) - GS-9 (Advanced Level) Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-8 grade level
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all the following GS-09 KSAs: Knowledge of advanced clinical optics - advanced ocular motility - advanced diagnostic testing - and microbiology testing
• Knowledge of ophthalmic surgical instruments
• Knowledge of appropriate preparatory cleaning of reusable medical equipment
• Ability to assist in ophthalmic surgical procedures performed in the main operation room
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is at the GS-09 level
• Physical Requirements: Have the mental - emotional - and physical ability to perform the duties of the proposed assignment satisfactorily and to pass the requisite laboratory and other screening as required by Federal regulatory agencies

Duties

• The GS-09 Health Technician (Ophthalmology) at the advanced level performs difficult ophthalmic technical duties with considerable latitude for the exercise of independent judgment
• Duties include - but are not limited to: Refractometry utilizing retinoscopy to determine spectacle prescription
• Kinetic visual field testing (Goldmann)
• Intraocular pressure measurements by applanation tonometry and other current methods
• Pupil evaluation recording pupil size - shape - symmetry - reaction to light - and accommodation - and any abnormalities - including relative afferent pupillary defect
• Basic slit lamp biomicroscopy evaluation to check for abnormalities prior to dilation (i.e.: anterior chamber depth/iris anomalies)
• May perform advanced color vision testing of the entire visual spectrum to detect complex color vision defects such as monochromats - dichromats - and anomalous trichromats
• Measures eyeglass prescriptions using a manual lensometer - recording sphere - cylinder - axis - and prism in both plus and minus cylinder
• Performs A-scan ultrasonography - including intra-ocular lens calculations - using immersion A-scan on eyes with complex pathology such as corneal scarring - irregular and/or high astigmatism - zonular weakness - high refractive error that requires multiple alternative calculating formulas
• Performs B-scan ultrasonography to identify intraocular masses or abnormalities
• Determines the corneal curvature by either manual keratometry or automated topography
• Performs fluorescein or indocyanine green (icg) angiography - with diagnostic photography of retinal vessels
• Performs slit lamp photography
• May perform anterior segment OCT - confocal microscopy - electroretinography - electrooculography - and visual evoked potential
• Assists in minor clinical surgical procedures - including laser surgery and intravitreal injections
• Scrub technician assists in main OR surgical procedures - set up of sterile fields - operation and maintenance of phacoemulsification and vitrectomy units - cryosurgery - endolaser units - all of which require a thorough understanding of complex instrumentation and the ability to troubleshoot problems quickly and efficiently during surgical procedures and care of instruments
• Assists with the microbiology testing of patients with sight-threatening ocular infections - preparing instrumentation and media for intraocular biopsy and/or culture
• Performs thorough preparatory cleaning of critical reusable medical equipment in the operating room
• Responsible for training other health technicians (ophthalmology)
• Other duties as assigned
• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional Work Schedule: 7:00 AM - 3:30 PM - Monday - Friday Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade)
• 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) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual - based on prior [work experience] or military service experience
• 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 #: 688-25185-F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized