Summary Serves as a Health Technician in Diagnostics Services at the Richland Community Based Outpatient Clinic. The Health Technician serves in a multi-faceted capacity to provide medical and administrative support to promote timely and efficient patient care. Responsibilities Serves as key contact for veterans and beneficiaries seeking Diagnostic services, experiencing problems, and/or requesting information. Personally greets veterans requesting assistance, determines nature of diagnostic needs, questions or complaints, answers questions, provides information, gives guidance, and initiates action as appropriate. Acts as an administrative assistant to professional staff, ensuring clinical staff are relieved of clerical/ administrative duties, providing full, complete, technical advice, administrative support, training, guidance, problem solving/resolution for efficient coordination of diagnostic services. Serves as liaison and resource person between supportive staff, clinicians, veterans, families, law enforcement, medical or public agencies, utilizing independent judgment as interpreted from guidelines for decisions. Interprets providers' orders, requests for laboratory testing, follow-up paperwork, paperwork for fee of contractual agreement with appointment notifications to veteran/clinical staff. Schedules examinations and laboratory tests coordinating date and time. Performs specimen collection where needed in the emergency room, hospital rooms, extended care rooms and out-patient specimen collection area. Identifies tests that require special handling conditions and appropriately performs proper specimen collection. lnitiate emergency care procedures in the event a patient has a reaction to blood collection procedures including fainting, hematoma, and anxiety. Maintains an adequate supply of phlebotomy supplies, and reports shortages to logistics staff or the supervisor for resolution. Ensures that only in-date supplies are used, rotates supplies appropriately to minimize waste and discards expired supplies appropriately (biohazard, sharps, or routine waste containers.) Other duties may be assigned. Work Schedule: Intermittent, varies Position Description Title/PD#: Health Technician/PD80397A and PD80399A Physical Requirements: The work involves various physical demands requiring the employee to be versatile in the many functions performed. These include sedentary work performed at a desk with intermittent standing, walking, bending, lifting, stooping, and stretching. When transferring patients, providing patient care, the employee must practice good body mechanics to prevent injury to self and others. The demands may be unpredictable requiring the incumbent to adjust accordingly. Requires the ability to work under pressure, make sound decisions, and maintain composure in different situations if necessary. Work is performed at a fast pace. In many situations the duration of the activity (such as most of a workday) contributes to the arduous nature of the job. Position requires occasional lifting of reagent and supply containers weighing up to 20 pounds. Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement. To qualify you must meet both the Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR) and the minimum qualifications for the grade level(s) based on your experience and/or education as described below: Individual Occupational Requirement: Specialized Experience: 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. Education and Training: For GS 5- Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the position. GS 5 Minimum Qualifications: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-4 in the federal service that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Provides clinical support under direct supervision of the Clinical Staff by performing Knowledge of medical terminology, especially laboratory test names and specimen requirements based on tests ordered; Knowledge of human anatomy as it relates to phlebotomy and impact on laboratory testing; Knowledge of impact of drawing above or below an IV, mastectomy or fistula site; Knowledge of vein selection for optimal results. OR, Education (Transcripts Required): Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a bachelor's degree or four (4) years of education above the high school level with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. One year of full-time undergraduate study is defined as 30 semester hours, 45 quarter hours, or the equivalent in a college or university or at least 20 hours of classroom instruction per week for approximately 36 weeks in a business or technical school. OR, Combination (Transcripts Required): Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an equivalent combination of successfully completed post-high school education (beyond the second year) and specialized experience, as described above, which meet the total qualification requirements for this grade level. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. GS 6 Minimum Qualifications: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-5 in the federal service that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Phlebotomy techniques such as capillary collection, blood culture collection, and venipuncture utilizing a syringe, butterfly, or vacutainer collection system. Receiving and following through on patient requests for service, obtaining and reviewing patient medical records regarding clinic appointments, scheduling patient appointments, and determining eligibility for clinic appointments. Recognizing and properly processing specimens using equipment and supplies in a variety of diagnostic procedures for the purpose of carrying out specimen collection, processing, or testing. Evaluates operations, analyzes, and provides problem trend data, solutions, offers recommendations to all levels of management. Must be adept at combining knowledge and use resourcefulness, initiative, and judgment in following standard operating procedures and resolving problems. Knowledge of electronic medical records and hospital/laboratory computer systems is needed to promptly access correct lab orders, build lists, cancel tests, and add tests. OR Education (Transcripts Required): Education at the GS-5 level or above is generally not applicable unless directly related. Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify using education for this level you must have successfully completed 9 semester credits of graduate education. If using education to qualify for the GS-06 grade, such education must include courses directly related to the work of the position. NOTE: If using education or a combination of education and specialized experience transcripts must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Preferred Experience: The preferred applicant will have experience in lab processing and phlebotomy skills. 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. 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.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 (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more information. Additional Information 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 (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more information. The following will be communicated to applicants for VA employment in a testing designated position and will also be included in all VA vacancy announcements for such positions: All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drugs use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/. Receiving Service Credit for 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. 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. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.