Summary Ophthalmology Technicians in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) support Ophthalmologists in diagnosis, treatment, prevention, follow-up care and patient counseling. Responsibilities Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional The Health Technician (Ophthalmology) performs a range of standard, but complex diagnostic procedures. The technician plans and carries outexaminations in line with training and accepted practices, and makes recommendations about clinical situations, procedures, or changes to procedures in some situations.Duties include, but are not limited to: Accurately tests visual acuity at distance and near, with and without correction or with andwithout a pinhole; Interviews and screens patients; Operates sophisticated eye equipment; Assists Ophthalmologists with clinic and operating room procedures; Performs A-scans to calculate intraocular lens power and visual field testing; Performs intraocular tests associated with pre-operative cataract assessment; Uses lensometer to obtain spectacle data and determine treatment; Records patient data and test results; Maintains and performs minor repairs on eye clinic equipment; Performs pachymetry to determine corneal thickness and manual keratometry or automatedtopography to determine corneal curvature; Instills eye medications (drops or ointments, including anesthetic, dye, dilating drops,cycloplegic drops, or antibiotics). Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 4:30 pm, subject to change based on needs of the facility. Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized 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) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience. 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 #: 02059F, 02060F, 02061F, 02062F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a trial period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). 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. Experience and Education: (1) One year of experience in a health care field, such as but not limited to nursing, medical assistant, or health technician. OR (2) 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 (3) Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. Examples are listed below: (a) Six months of experience in a 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: Candidates 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. Foreign Graduates: To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs. English Language Proficiency: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), no person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. Health Technicians (Ophthalmology) must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d). 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: In-addition to meeting the basic requirements previously stated, applicants must also meet the grade requirements. GS-05 Health Technician (Ophthalmology) (Entry Level). Experience or Education: None beyond the basic requirements. GS-06 (Developmental Level 1) Health Technician (Ophthalmology) Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA's): 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; Knowledge of basic disinfection of non-critical reusable medical equipment. GS-07 (Developmental Level 2) Health Technician (Ophthalmology) Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-06). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSA's: 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 equipment to perform preliminary ocular testing. Ability to perform minor extraocular surgical assisting. Ability to provide eye care patient education. GS-08 (Full Performance Level) Health Technician (Ophthalmology) Experience: Must have 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-07), In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSA's: 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 7. Knowledge of proper cleaning and maintenance of clinic equipment. References: VA Handbook 5005/98 Part II Appendix G52, dated February 7, 2018. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-8. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-05 to GS-08. Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation, see Duties section for essential job duties of the position. May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, puling, and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment. Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations. Preferred Experience: Experience performing a variety of ophthalmic diagnostic tests/procedures on patients' vision. Education 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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.
