Summary

Health Technician (Ophthalmology) Advance Level support Optometrists in diagnosis - treatment - prevention - follow-up care - and patient counseling. At the advanced level - performs difficult ophthalmic technical duties with considerable latitude for the exercise of independent judgement and range of variety as described in this standard and to be performed by the incumbent at least 25% of the time.

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:

• Citizenship: Citizen of the United States
• Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• English Language Proficiency
• Histopathology Technologists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. § 7403(f)
• Experience and Education-Transcript submitted 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 degree in a health care related degree
• OR Experience/Education Combination
• Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying
• Six months of experience in the health care field
• and one year above high school
• or 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 Six months of experience in the health care field and completion of an independent study course in Ophthalmic Medical Assisting Certification:-Documentation Submitted 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 Determination: Health Technician (Ophthalmology) - GS-9 (Advanced Level) In addition to the basic requirements for employment - the following criteria must be met: (a) Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-8 grade level
• (b) Assignment: (c) Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSA)
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs: Knowledge of advanced clinical optics - advanced ocular motility - advanced diagnostic testing - and microbiology testing
• Knowledge of ophthalmic surgical instruments
• Knowledge of appropriate preparatory cleaning of reusable medical equipment
• and Ability to assist in ophthalmic surgical procedures performed in the main operation room
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is 09
• Physical Requirements: Work is sedentary but also demands standing - walking - bending - twisting - and carrying light items
• See VA Directive and Handbook 5019 for additional information.

Duties

• The health technician (ophthalmology) at the advanced level performs difficult ophthalmic technical duties with considerable latitude of the exercise of independent judgement
• In addition to the duties expected of the GS-08 level - the following clinical duties and responsibilities are expected at the GS-09 advanced technician assignment: Refractometry utilizing retinoscopy to determine spectacle prescription
• Kinetic visual field testing (Goldman)
• lntraocular pressure measurements by applanation tonometry and other current methods
• Pupil evaluation recording pupil size - shape - symmetry - reaction to light and accommodation - and any abnormalities - including relative afferent pupillary defect
• Basic slit lamp biomicroscope evaluation to check for abnormalities prior to dilation - i.e. - anterior chamber depth - iris anomalies - etc
• May perform advanced color vision testing of the entire visual spectrum to detect complex color vision defects such as monochromats - dichromats - and anomalous trichromats
• Measures eye glass prescriptions using manual lensometer - recording sphere - cylinder - axis and prism in both plus and minus cylinder
• Performs A-scan ultrasonography - including intra-ocular lens calculations - using immersion A-scan on eyes with complex pathology such as corneal scarring - irregular and/or high astigmatism - zonular weakness - high refractive error that requires multiple alternative calculating formulas
• Performs 8-scan ultrasonography to identify intraocular masses or abnormalities
• Determines the corneal curvature by either manual keratometry or automated topography
• Performs fluorescein or indocyanine green (ICG) angiography - with diagnostic photography of retinal vessels
• Performs slit lamp photography
• May perform anterior segment OCT - confocal microscopy - electroretinography - electrooculography - and visual evoked potential
• Assists in minor clinical surgical procedures - including laser surgery and intravitreal injections
• May assist as a scrub technician in the main operating room for surgical procedures - set up of sterile fields - operation and maintenance of phacoemulsification and vitrectomy units - cryosurgery - endolaser units - all of which require a thorough under­standing of complex instrumentation and the ability to troubleshoot problems quickly and efficiently during surgical procedures and care of instruments
• Assists with the microbiology testing of patients with sight­ threatening ocular infections - preparing instrumentation and media for intraocular biopsy and/or culture
• Performs thorough preparatory cleaning of critical reusable medical equipment used in surgical procedures
• Responsible for the training of other health technicians ( ophthalmology) This position is within our Technology Based Eye Services (TECS) program
• The health technician will alternate between the Lake Baldwin TECS clinic and being stationed on our Mobile Medical Unit - which rotates through Lake Nona - Deltona - Kissimmee - and Clermont CBOCS - with potential expansion
• Compensatory travel time is available for any locations greater than 50 miles from duty station of Lake Baldwin
• Work Schedule: 7:30am-4:00pm - compressed tour may be available Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 82705F