Summary

This position is within the Ophthalmology department at the San Francisco Veteran's Affairs Medical Center or a community-based outpatient clinic (CBOC). The Ophthalmology Health Technician plays a crucial role within the eye care team - overseeing and coordinating patient flow. Key responsibilities include training team members - effectively communicating with Optometrist/Ophthalmologist - ensuring compliance with best practices and protocols - and promoting a collaborative work atmosphere.

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:

• a
• Citizenship
• Citizen of the United States
• b
• 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
• c
• 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)
• 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-5 (Entry Level) Experience or Education
• None beyond the basic requirements
• Health Technician (Ophthalmology) - GS-6 (Developmental Level 1) Experience
• One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSAs)
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 1
• Knowledge of general outpatient clinical policies and procedures in a healthcare environment
• 2
• Ability to obtain - document and record demographic and medical information from patients in order to develop an accurate medical record
• 3
• Ability to use basic ophthalmic equipment
• and 4
• Knowledge of basic disinfection of non-critical reusable medical equipment
• Health Technician (Ophthalmology) - GS-7 (Developmental Level 2) Experience
• One year of experience equivalent to the GS-6 grade level
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSA)
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: 1
• Knowledge of anatomy and function of the eye and basic ocular pharmacology
• 2
• Knowledge of outpatient eye care policies and procedures in a health care environment
• 3
• Ability to use basic ophthalmic diagnostic equipment to perform preliminary ocular testing
• 4
• Ability to perform minor extraocular surgical assisting
• and 5
• Ability to provide eye care patient education
• 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: 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
• 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 full performance level of this vacancy is GS-8. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-5 to GS-8. Physical Requirements: The Health Technician-Ophthalmology should be able to lift and/or carry up to 45 pounds (intermittently)
• They will also straight pull/push up to 45 pounds (intermittently)
• They will stoop - squat and kneel (occasionally)
• The incumbent will have overhead work (intermittently)
• Position requires prolonged walking and standing (up to 4 hours per day) and sitting (up to 2 hours per day).

Duties

• - Conduct comprehensive initial interviews with patients to gather detailed medical and ocular histories - including current symptoms - previous treatments - family ocular history and medication currently prescribed
• Identify possible unconventional problems areas that maybe affecting the patient's overall well-being
• The information gathered is used for assessing - planning - implementing and evaluating patient condition and care for patients ranging from 18 to geriatric
• - Measure and record both corrected and uncorrected visual acuities - as well as the specifications of the patient's spectacles using a lensometer
• Assess whether vision can be enhanced through minor adjustments to the lenses or the use of a pinhole device
• - Evaluate and document the optical power of spectacles - including detailed assessments of contact lens parameters such as base curve - overall diameter - power - and tint specifications
• - Measure and record the range of accommodation power
• conduct refractometry using an automated objective refractometer
• and perform tests for contrast sensitivity - color vision - ETDRS acuity - stereo acuity - glare sensitivity - and pupillometry
• Conduct glare testing to evaluate visual acuity in cataract patients
• Perform basic ocular motility assessments and administers cycloplegic and mydriatic agents for fundus examinations
• - Assist physicians in conducting specialized procedures - including Visual Field Tests (VFT) - corneal topography - optical coherence tomography (OCT) - slit lamp photography - fundus photography - biometry - ultrasound A/B scans - ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) - fluorescein angiography - and both automated and manual keratometry readings - as well as intraocular pressure checks through tonometry
• - Prepare and stock examining rooms to meet the providers' needs for patient care
• Ensure that all materials - products - ocular drops - and ointments are current and not expired
• Restock post-operative documents required for patient education
• Select and prepare the appropriate equipment for specific minor procedures to be performed in the clinic
• Organize instruments - supplies - and equipment systematically - and verify that all equipment is functioning properly
• - Maintain a sterile environment throughout the procedure - Facilitate patient movement within the clinic to minimize delays and reduce duplication of efforts - thereby decreasing patient wait times
• - Distribute and balance workload among staff technicians based on established workflows and job specializations
• - Maintain awareness of the status and progress of tasks - making daily adjustments as needed according to priority - and seek assistance from supervisors for any issues that may arise - such as backlogs that cannot be resolved promptly
• - Retrieve relevant clinical documents and images for the following day's clinic
• - Provide training to less experienced staff technicians and stays updated on procedures - policies - and directives to answer any questions that arise
• - By staying current with advancements in ophthalmic technology and practices - the senior technician enhances the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the department - ultimately improving patient care and outcome
• - Seek necessary information or decisions from lead/supervisor when problems occur
• - Additionally - complete other duties related to health technician responsibilities as assigned
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm (or as determined by supervisor depending on needs of the service) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 08385-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized