Health Technician (Audiology)

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. Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.). Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with 38 U.S.C. § 7407(a). English Language Proficiency. HTA, HTSLP or HTASLP candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C. § 7403 (f). Experience and Education. Experience: Completion of the Department of Labor Apprenticeship Program for Hearing Aid Specialists; OR Education: Successful completion of two academic years above high school that includes coursework related to the field: hearing science, human anatomy and physiology, hearing instrument science, gerontology, psychology or other general healthcare areas. OR, Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. An example of a combination of experience/education is three months of experience comparable to the next lower level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled and one year above high school with a minimum of 6 semester hours related to the health care industry. Grade Determinations. In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates. Health Technician (HTA), GS-07: Experience: Completion of one year of progressive experience and/or experience equivalent to the next lower grade level directly related to the position being filled. This experience may include but is not limited to; completing visual and auditory checks of hearing aids 8 and hearing assistive technology; repairing or returning hearing aids to the factory; restoring hearing aid or hearing assistive technology settings after repair or replacement; and ordering, registering, certifying, issuing and tracking prosthetic devices. The health technician assists in setting up and delivering face to face and telehealth visits by preparing the equipment for patient evaluation and other audiology procedures. The health technician provides clinical procedures consistent with the documented and co-signed plan of care which may include non-diagnostic otoscopy, cerumen management, foreign body removal and ear mold impressions and without interpretation, immittance screening and hearing screening. The health technician educates patients, family and staff on topics including but not limited to hearing aid and hearing assistive technology care, maintenance, use and operation, hearing conservation and realistic expectations for hearing aid use. The health technician completes documentation for each episode of care and codes procedures as appropriate in the patient record in preparation for co-signature by the audiologist. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to mentor and train new HTAs. Ability to prepare patients for advanced testing procedures performed by the audiologist, such as evoked potentials. Ability to develop and implement the technician role for a program in a focused area of audiology. References: VA Handbook 5005/143 PART II APPENDIX G70 Physical Requirements: The duties of the position require periods of sitting, standing, and walking. Working with patients in the clinic and on the wards requires regular sitting, bending, and standing. Patient transport occasional requires the pushing of wheelchairs. Work in front of a computer several hours per day is required. Some stressful situations may occur when communicating with patients and their families who may have multiple physical, mental and/or psychosocial problems and needs. See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.
This position is located in the Audiology and Speech Pathology Section of the Geriatrics and Extended Care Service at the John D. Dingell Veterans Administration Medical Center (JDDVAMC) in Detroit, Michigan. The duties and responsibilities are carried out throughout the facility, including all Community Based Outpatient Clinics, and all clinical and other patient care areas involved with the Audiology service. The health technician supports the function of the clinical programs in Audiology.