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Summary

Ophthalmology Technicians in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) perform functions such as technical clinical care to patients who have received care provided by Ophthalmologists for diagnosis - treatment - prevention - follow-up care and patient counseling. The Ophthalmology Technician performs screening procedures such as patient history - pupil responses - visual acuity - and color vision testing.

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:

• 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: Experience: 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's degree in a health care related degree
• OR Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying
• Examples are listed below: 2 (a) Six months of experience in the health care field
• and one year above high school
• or (b) 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 (c) 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)
• Grade Determinations: GS-5 (Entry Level): Experience or Education: None beyond the basic requirements
• GS-6 (Developmental Level 1): Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSAs): In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following 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 (Developmental Level 2): Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-6 grade level
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSA): In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following 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 (Full Performance Level): Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSA): In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following 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
• Knowledge of proper cleaning and maintenance of clinic equipment
• Preferred Experience: At least one year of experience working in an Eye Clinic
• Experience using ophthalmology diagnostic and imaging equipment
• Experience fitting - dispensing - and adjusting eyeglasses
• COA (Certified Ophthalmic Assistant) certification by the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology is preferred
• Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• 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 5 to 8
• Physical Requirements: See VA Handbook 5019 for physical requirements.

Duties

• Total-Rewards-of-an-Allied-Health-VA-Career-Brochure.pdf Duties and skills needed to be successful in this position include - but are not limited to: Checks calibration of screening instruments
• Obtains patient physical history - to include chief complaint
• reason for visit
• pertinent signs/symptoms
• past history both ocular and general
• family history both ocular and general
• social history
• and review of medications and allergies - including current ocular prescription and non-prescription medications
• Accurately tests visual acuity at distance and near - with and without correction or with and without a pinhole
• Measures eyeglass prescription using manual or automated lensometer - recording sphere - cylinder - axis - and prism in both plus and minus cylinder
• Performs pupil evaluation recording pupil size - shape - symmetry - reaction to light and accommodation - and any abnormalities - including relative afferent pupillary defect
• Performs basic refractometry utilizing an auto refraction or habitual glass prescription in the phoropter
• Instills eye medications (i.e. - drop or ointments - including anesthetic - dye - dilation - cycloplegic - or antibiotics.) Measures intraocular pressure of the eye utilizing techniques - including Goldman applanation tonometry
• Performs pachymetry to determine corneal thickness and manual keratometry or automated topography to detinning corneal curvature
• Performs intra-ocular lens calculations using the IOL Master
• Performs automated visual field testing using various perimetry machines
• Performs external photographs and fundus photography
• · Performs optical coherence tomography (OCT) of the anterior segment - retina - and optic nerve
• Performs patient screening and triage of potentially urgent ocular conditions
• Assists during clinic-based ophthalmic surge1y - including revision of wounds - biopsies of the eyelid lesions - cultures of conjunctiva - or cornea
• reformation of anterior chamber - evacuation of hyphema - repositioning of corneal endothelial grafts - intra-vitreous injections
• and laser surgical procedures
• Educates patients and legal authorized representatives in eye care - including preoperative and postoperative instructions
• Assists in the education and training of medical students - residents - and fellows in those facilities with medical school affiliations
• Ensures proper cleaning and disinfection
• calibration - maintenance - backup - annual inventory and ordering of instruments - supplies and equipment
• obtains quotes as needed
• and reports needed repairs to biomedical engineering
• Work Schedule: 8:00am-4:30pm Monday-Friday Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• When setting pay - a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade)
• Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave - 13 days of sick leave - 11 paid Federal holidays per year)
• Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment - up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth - adoption - or foster care placement of a child
• Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment - full time employees with a total family income below $144 -000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 51477-A - 51478-A - 51479-A - 51480-A