Health Technician (Ophthalmology)

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: 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. Health Technicians (Ophthalmology) must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) and 38 U.S.C. 7407(d) Experience and Education. One year of experience in a health care field, such as but not limited to nursing, medical assistant, or health technician; OR 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 Equivalent combinations of experience and education listed above. Examples are listed below: 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. 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). Exception. Non-certified applicants who otherwise meet the minimum qualification requirements may be appointed as a graduate Health Technician (Ophthalmology) under the authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405(c)(2)(B). The appointing official may waive the requirement of certification for a period not to exceed two years for a Health Technician (Ophthalmology) that provides care under the supervision of an Ophthalmologist. The exception only applies below the full performance level. For grade levels at or above the full performance level the candidate must be certified. Failure to obtain COA certification during that period is justification for termination of the temporary appointment and may result in termination of employment. Failure to Obtain Certification. In all cases, the Health Technician (Ophthalmology) must actively pursue meeting certification requirements starting from the date of appointment. At the time of appointment, the supervisor will provide the uncertified Health Technician (Ophthalmology) with the written requirement to obtain certification, the date by which the certification must be acquired, and the consequences for not becoming certified by the deadline. Failure to become certified within two years from date of appointment will result in removal from the Health Technician (Ophthalmology), GS-0640 series and may result in termination of employment. Loss of Credentials. A Health Technician (Ophthalmology) who fails to maintain the required certification must be removed from the occupation, which may also result in termination of employment. Grade Determinations: GS-5: None beyond the basic requirements. GS-6: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs): Knowledge of general outpatient clinical policies and procedures in a healthcare environment; Ability to obtain, document and record demographic and medical information from patients in order to develop an accurate medical record; Ability to use basic ophthalmic equipment; and Knowledge of basic disinfection of non-critical reusable medical equipment. GS-7: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-6 grade level. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs): Knowledge of anatomy and function of the eye and basic ocular pharmacology. Knowledge of outpatient eye care policies and procedures in a health care environment. Ability to use basic ophthalmic diagnostic equipment to perform preliminary ocular testing. Ability to perform minor extraocular surgical assisting Ability to provide eye care patient education. GS-8: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs): Ability to perform advanced tonometry and pupil evaluation. Ability to perform calculations for selection of intraocular lens. Knowledge of clinic based ophthalmic surgical assisting. Knowledge of eye anatomy and physiology. Knowledge of medication effects and proper instillation in the eye. Knowledge of optics; and Knowledge of proper cleaning and maintenance of clinic equipment. References: See VA Handbook 5005/98, PART II APPENDIX G52 Health Technician (Ophthalmology) Qualification Standard. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-08. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-05 to GS-08.
The incumbent provides care within the Ophthalmology within VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS). The incumbent performs technical work, medical in nature, under the guidance of the Section Chiefs of Ophthalmology and Optometry and attending ophthalmologists and optometrists.