Health Technician (Optometry)

This Health Technician (Optometry) position is in the Surgical Care services at the Togus VA Medical Center providing care at the Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOCs) located at the Bangor, Maine or Lewiston, Maine locations. This position is intermittent at part-time hours per week.
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.
• English Language Proficiency : Must be proficient in both spoken and written English.
• Experience : One year of experience as a health technician or assistant in the health care field demonstrating the applicant's ability to perform the work or by demonstrating a basic understanding of work in the health care field; OR
• Education. Successful completion of two academic years above high school with a minimum of 12 semester hours related to health technician/assistant or health technician (optometry)/assistant or associate degree, or completion of an independent study course in an optometry related technician or assistant field; OR
• Experience/Education Combination . Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. Examples are listed below:
  • (a) Six months of experience comparable to the next lower level which demonstrates the knowledge of optometry assistant theory and practices and general understanding of the health technician/assistant duties and one year above high school with a minimum of six semester hours of health technician/assistant or health technician (optometry)/assistant related courses.
  • (b) Successful completion of a course for health care technicians or assistants, hospital corpsmen, medical service specialists, or hospital training in a program given by the U.S. Armed Forces, the U.S. Maritime Service, or the U.S. Public Health Service, may be substituted on a month-for-month basis.

May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Grade Determinations :

GS-04:
Experience. None beyond the basic requirements.

Assignment. Employees at this grade level serve in a health technician (optometry) entry level position. More experienced staff members guide and provide daily direct supervision for the health technicians (optometry).

GS-05:
Experience . One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade GS-04.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs) . In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

• Knowledge of basic eye anatomy and function.
• Ability to obtain, document and record ophthalmic and medical information from patients in order to develop an accurate electronic progress note.
• Ability to practice basic hygiene and infection control in a patient care setting.
• Ability to follow eye clinic and patient care medical policies and procedures.
• Ability to perform minor eyeglasses repairs, such as replacing nose pads and screws.

Assignment. Employees at this grade level serve as developmental level 1 health technicians (optometry). It is expected they receive guidance from more experienced staff members for patient issues and require daily and direct contact with senior optometry personnel at the work site.

GS-06:
Experience . One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade GS-05.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs:

• Ability to provide patient education for eye health and/or vision conditions, to include assisting with patient contact lens insertion, removal and hygiene (cleaning and disinfection) care.
• Ability to accurately enter into a phoropter the autorefractometry or habitual refractive prescription (i.e., eyeglasses prescription) or lensometer findings, including sphere, cylinder and axis.
• Ability to perform patient spectacle fitting and dispensing, including selection of appropriate frame, ophthalmic lenses, interpupillary measurements (distance and near) and proper segment height determination, as well as the ability to transpose sphere, cylinder and axis.
• Ability to provide basic triage of patient telephone calls or optometry requests.
• Knowledge of ophthalmic medications and supplies needed in the process of restocking the eye clinic exam rooms.

Assignment: Employees at this grade level serve as developmental level 2 health technicians (optometry). The technicians operate and monitor commonly used equipment performing basic screening procedures. The health technicians (optometry) understand basic hygiene, cleaning and disinfection of reusable medical equipment (RME) instruments and ophthalmic equipment. At this level, the technicians assist optometry staff by obtaining an accurate medical/ophthalmic history, as well as coding and entering eye testing performed on the encounter form. Deviations from regular procedures, unanticipated problems and unfamiliar situations are referred to the supervisor for a decision or assistance. Assignments at this level involve procedures performed under supervision from senior optometry personnel.

GS-07:
Experience. One year of experience comparable to the next lower level GS-06.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to meeting the experience or educational requirements for this grade level, the candidate must fully demonstrate the following KSAs:

• Ability to determine preliminary objective estimate and/or refinement of the optical status of the eye, not to include the patient's final subjective refraction.
• Ability to triage and manage eyeglasses issues (e.g., measurement of vertex distance, base curve, prism correction, center thickness, slab off, Fresnel prism, decentration, etc.).
• Ability to perform accurate assessment of accommodation, near point of convergence and ocular alignment (far and near).
• Ability to assist the eye care provider (optometrist or ophthalmologist) with ophthalmic procedures.
• Ability to assist with obtaining accurate ocular cultures and smears.
• Knowledge and ability to provide advanced patient education for eye health and/or vision conditions.

Assignment. Employee at this grade level serves as a full performance level health technician (optometry). The technicians perform duties such as measuring and recording visual acuity (with use of pinhole testing as indicated), obtaining accurate potential acuity meter, laser interferometry, contrast sensitivity or other specialized visual acuity measurements.

GS-08:
Experience. One year of experience comparable to the next lower level GS-07.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities. In addition to meeting the experience or educational requirements for this grade level, the candidate must fully demonstrate the following KSAs:

• Ability to provide patient education and training to manage complex eye and vision conditions.
• Knowledge of advanced triage of patients depending upon level of urgency or optometry needs.
• Knowledge of complex, non-standard treatment and/or complex examinations and techniques.
• Knowledge of ocular pharmacology and systemic medications with ocular side effects.

Preferred Experience:

• Optometry Health Tech Experience

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit .The full performance level of this vacancy is 8. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of 4 to 8.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019. 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: . 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: .