Summary

This position is located in the Department of Veterans Affairs - Veterans Health Administration - Mid-Atlantic Health Care Network - Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN 6) - Durham VA Medical Center - Greenville Health Care Center - Surgery Department - Greenville - NC. The primary duties of the position are to assist the ophthalmologist (eye doctor) by performing delegable tasks - collecting data - administering treatment ordered by an ophthalmologist and supervising patients.

Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

• Citizenship: Citizen of the United States
• (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified candidates in accordance with chapter 3 - section A - paragraph 3g - this part
• 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)
• Experience and Education: (1) Experience
• One year of experience in a health care field - such as but not limited to nursing - medical assistant - or health technician
• OR (2) 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 3) 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)
• The COA certification is JCAHPO's entry-level certification examination for a Health Technician (Ophthalmology)
• 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
• Foreign Education: To be creditable - education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs
• Grade Determinations: Health Technician (Ophthalmology) - GS-8 (Full Performance Level) Experience: Must have 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: 1
• Ability to perform advanced tonometry and pupil evaluation
• 2
• Ability to perform calculations for selection of intraocular lens
• 3
• Knowledge of clinic based ophthalmic surgical assisting
• 4
• Knowledge of eye anatomy and physiology
• 5
• Knowledge of medication effects and proper instillation in the eye
• 6
• Knowledge of optics
• and 7
• Knowledge of proper cleaning and maintenance of clinic equipment
• Preferred Experience: Experience in an ocular disease heavy optometry or ophthalmology practice and past assistance with eye surgeries/procedure
• Physical Requirements: This position requires visual acuity - adequate auditory perception - clear distinctive speech - and manual dexterity
• This position requires potentially extended periods of computer use - virtual care equipment use - sitting and/or standing
• The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patients who are verbally combative secondary to delirium - dementia - or psychiatric disorders
• The incumbent must be a mature - flexible - sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations and able to shift priorities based on patient needs
• Must meet Employee Health mandates as a condition of employment
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Duties

• Opthalmic Technologist: Responsible for obtaining the patient's physical history to include chief complaint - present illness - past history (both ocular and general) - family history (both ocular and general) - and current eye medications
• Obtain spectacle data - including measurement of sphere - cylinder and axis by lensometry
• whether single vision - progressive add - bifocal or trifocal
• whether glass or plastic lenses
• amount and base direction of prism power and orientation
• Perform optical measurements and refraction leading to the determination of the patient's refractive error (including prism measurements)
• Perform tonometry - extraocular motility testing and papillary function - Humphrey and tangent screen visual field testing - exopthalmometry - keratometry (manual and/or automated) - B scan ultrasonography - A scan ultrasonography with IOL calculation - Schirmer testing for quantitative tear production - Stereopsis testing using Titmus or fly tester - color vision measurement using pseudoischromatic plates - Amsler grid testing to evaluate each eye separately for distortion - metamorphopsia - micropsia - and scotomas
• Prepare surgical instruments for sterilization - setting up the minor procedure room for in clinic procedures - assisting the physician with these procedures - cleaning up after the procedure
• Turn on laser machines in preparation for physician use - assisting physician in performing laser treatments as needed
• Set up the procedure room for eye surgery - assisting the physician with surgical cases in the procedure room - cleaning up after eye procedures in the procedure room
• Schedule surgical procedures - call patients regarding surgical appointments - fill out paperwork related to surgical cases performed in the procedure room
• Do follow up calls as needed
• Ophthalmic Imager: The employee performs sequential diagnostic fluorescein angiography using a specialized high-speed fundus camera
• The employee independently processes and evaluates all finished photographic material and continually strives to improve technique and equipment uses to maintain the highest quality images
• Independently records clinical photographs of the ocular fundus using a highspeed fundus camera for diagnostic purposes and documentation of ocular pathology
• The employee must be able to access new photographic materials and equipment for potential use and advise in the upgrading and maintenance of the fundus camera equipment
• Performs medical observation and identification of the side effects of fluorescein angiography and other photographic procedures and has the ability to clinically resolve any difficulties that the patient may experience
• Reusable Medical Equipment: Reusable Medical Equipment (RME) is any medical equipment designed by the manufacturer to be reused for multiple patients
• All personnel who are involved with the reprocessing of RME are responsible for knowing what reusable instruments - equipment - medical devices or supplies are used (inventory) in their clinical area
• All personnel who are involved with the use of RME must be familiar with which items are reprocessed locally (on unit) and/or which items are sent to sterile processing and/or SPD for reprocessing and/or sterilization
• If items are to be transported for reprocessing - personnel must be aware of the initial decontamination steps that must be taken prior to transport of item and the appropriate method of transport
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 8:00am to 4:30pm
• Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• 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 Authorized
• Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 00000