Summary The Health Technician is responsible for receiving and processing specimens including computerized accessioning, centrifugation, aliquoting, determining specimen acceptability, and delivery to the point of analysis or, if analysis is to be delayed, ensuring proper storage conditions are utilized to preserve specimen integrity. Additionally, they check-in/accession patients and collect specimens through phlebotomy procedures. Responsibilities Major Duties: Incumbent will perform a variety of duties including but not limited to the following: Clerical Assignments: - Serves as key contact for Veterans and beneficiaries seeking Diagnostic services, experiencing problems, and/or requesting information. - Operate standard office equipment, such as multiline phone, copier, scanner, fax, page printers, label printers, etc. - Answer and route telephone calls to the appropriate technical area of P&LMS. - Verifies patient information and tests ordered in the computer system. - Prints patient order labels for sample collection and at leisure tests (urine, stool, 24-hour urine, etc.). - Answers basic technical laboratory questions or following up with appropriate section. Specimen Receipt: - Provides customer relation services when receiving laboratory specimens from patients and other services within the VA North Texas Healthcare System. Serves as a subject matter expert for other healthcare professionals on the collection and processing of all laboratory testing. - Reviews and accepts test request orders for samples submitted for testing. This includes accessioning samples into the laboratory. - Evaluates the suitability of specimens for analysis, requesting new specimens if determined to be unusable. Prepares specimens for analysis, ensuring that the physiologic state of the specimen properties is maintained. Follows established protocol for handling of mislabeled/unlabeled specimens. Specimen and Send-Out Processing: - Performs the processing of all clinical laboratory specimens and is responsible for the timely and proper distribution of specimens to the technical areas of the PLMS laboratory and the reference laboratories to assure specimen integrity. - Uses laboratory equipment such as centrifuges, refrigerators, and freezers, in addition to consumables such as transfer pipettes, laboratory pour-off tubes and reference laboratory specimen containers. - Communicates with the reference laboratories to research the requirements on new tests that are not identified in the reference laboratory directories. - Operates and performs periodic reviews on equipment including checking temperatures of laboratory refrigerators and freezers, etc. Responsible for monitoring technical equipment, performing maintenance, and quality assurance on instrumentation (centrifuge). - Responsible for proper disposition of laboratory waste. - Requires the knowledge and training to package specimens with various temperature requirements and meet the federal DOT and IATA regulations guidelines for shipping diagnostic specimens and biohazardous materials. - Processes samples as required for reference laboratory testing. - Prepares shipping manifest as required for reference laboratory testing. Venipuncture collection: - Demonstrates knowledge of principles, techniques, and practices of phlebotomy, hemostasis, and requirement of blood collection for the various tests performed in the laboratory. - Obtains timely and appropriate blood samples as ordered per PLMS policies and procedures for both inpatient and outpatient orders. - Must understand isolation precautions and the proper personal protective equipment necessary to perform phlebotomy procedures. - Identifies tests that require special handling conditions and appropriately performs proper specimen collection. - Initiates emergency care procedures in the event a patient has reaction to blood collection procedures including fainting, hematoma, and anxiety. Verifies the patient as the individual denoted on the request and labels all tubes with the patient's name, social security number, and/or date of birth to ensure proper identification. All tubes drawn must be marked with the time and date of collection and the initials of the individual who drew them. - Adheres to safety, infection control, and universal precautions while drawing blood. This includes such things as wearing gloves and using needle protection devices. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 0700-1630 or 0800-1630 Rotating weekends and Holidays. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Technician/PD00802A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements 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 background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/05/2025. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Individual Occupational Requirement: Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-04 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: set-up and use of designed MRI equipment; uses personal computer systems and software packages: maintain accurate records related to patients, supplies, equipment, and clinical activities; monitors scheduled appointments; and preparing patient for diagnostic imaging procedures. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successful completion of a four (4) year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED). OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements. Two full academic years of study, or 60 semester hours, beyond the second year is equivalent to l year of specialized experience. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Specimen Collection Computer Skills Customer Service Patient Care Quality Assurance 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Physical Requirements: Work is performed in a laboratory atmosphere and requires regular physical exertion such as walking, bending, recurrent standing and moderate lifting. The work requires specific physical characteristics, abilities, and dexterity to perform intricate and technical procedures. Entering patient information, test orders, and data in a computer may result in physical problems from the effects of repetitive motion and eyestrain. The position may also require assisting geriatric and/or disabled patients. The incumbent must have normal color vision. Employee must be able to defend self or others from a physical outburst from patients. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Education 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Note: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application 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. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. 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. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.