Summary The Health Technician works as a member of the Primary Care Service (PACT), under the guidance of the PACT/CBOC Clinical Nurse Manager. PACT provides comprehensive outpatient services to eligible veterans. The Health Technician assists medical and nursing staff through technical, specialized or support services for the diagnosing or treatment of patient illnesses or medical conditions. The incumbent adheres to all Joint Commission and facility regulations, policies and procedures. Responsibilities Major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to the following: The Health Technician performs a variety of clinical, laboratory, and administrative work in support of outpatient services. . Monitors patient for adverse reactions, recognizes abnormalities and brings them to the attention of the appropriate medical health care professionals. Records results and ensures that they are made a part of the EMR. Maintains rapport with other clinical staff and participates in clinical staff communication and training efforts. Participates in ongoing clinical education and training as directed by the Clinical Nurse Manager. May be required to travel to Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC) to support PACT. Independently performs direct patient care activities including intake, obtaining vital signs, ECGs, clinical reminders, and medication reconciliation. Correctly documents all findings in the electronic health record. Reports deviations to the nurse or provider. Adheres to safety and infection control procedures. Identifies and reports data relative to more complex, non-routine patient situations including subtle changes in patient's behavior or condition or variations related to neurological signs, vital signs, or other parameters. Recognizes signs and symptoms that may require nursing intervention and reports these signs and symptoms promptly to nurse or provider for possible intervention. Receives requests or instructions for procedures and interprets requests or instructions for medical or health care personnel. Responds to emergencies by assisting in the performance of resuscitation measures. Assist medical personnel in emergent situations as well as performing occasional minor to moderate de-escalation of agitated Veterans. Responds to medical urgencies/emergencies, initiates BLS and activates emergency medical system. Positions patient for procedures by explaining procedures, secures patients confidence and cooperation during procedures. Performs sterile field set up and assist provider with procedures. Transports patients via wheelchair and/or accompanies ambulatory patients in need of assistance to various areas within the facility. Performs patient care procedures such as collection of specimens, applying dressings, adjusting simple supportive equipment. Performs direct patient support work to include collecting information from patients, providing personal patient care, and educating patients on pre-testing and post procedure activities. Performs test on patients such as Snellen and Ishihara's Color Deficiency. Takes tissue cultures or specimen samples. Fits patients for medical devices such as compression hose, blood pressure machines and braces/splints. Receives and directs patients, answers routine inquiries (via telephone, fax, or secure messages) and makes referrals. Assists patients in contacting other departments or services as needed. Receives and responds to numerous unclear inquiries from patients concerning a variety of medical, personnel and administrative questions. Orders and maintains specialized supplies pertaining to instruments used for procedures in the clinic. Provides orientation/training to staff regarding equipment or instruments used by position. Performs administrative tasks such as maintaining control records for specimens and tests and documenting measurements taken. Test patients, takes measurements, collects, and organizes data from follow up visits, reports result to provider. Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 08:00 am- 04:30pm. Position Description/PD#: Health Technician/PD93071A Physical Requirements: This position requires visual acuity, keen hearing, clear distinctive speech, and manual dexterity. This position requires an ongoing mix of potentially long-periods of continued walking, standing, stooping, sitting, bending, pulling, pushing, and reaching over head. All patient care activities require PC keyboard and mouse use for data entry in the electronic patient record. Occasional heavy lifting will be required, particularly for patient transfers. The incumbent may be exposed to infected patients and contaminated materials and may be required to don protective clothing in isolation situations or operative/invasive procedures. The incumbent may occasionally be exposed to patient who are combative. In some instances, interaction with patients, caregivers, and staff can become intense, and the employee may be placed in a position of stress. The incumbent must be a mature, flexible, sensible individual capable of working effectively in stressful situations, able to shift priorities based on patient needs. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this job Subject to a background/suitability investigation Designated and/or random drug testing may be required Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 A complete application package; including Resume, Transcripts, etc. is required 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job. Resumes should include information relevant to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of the position to which you are applying. VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed. Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. English Language Proficiency Requirement: 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. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to perform the duties of this position. ~AND~ In addition to the English language proficiency requirement, in order to qualify for this position at the GS-6 level, you must meet one of the following minimum qualifications: Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: Skill and precision in using phlebotomy needles, tools, materials, and equipment; Performing diagnostic support duties such as taking, recording, and reporting vital sign deviations to provider; Obtaining specimens and labeling specimens for the laboratory; making gross visual observations and identifying subtle changes regarding patient's condition, documenting observations and communicating to practitioners; Using hot and cold packs, changing sterile dressings, caring for patients and giving treatments that require auxiliary equipment; Performing a variety of specialized tests and procedures such as monofilament testing, and doppler exam of the extremity artery, Gathering diagnostic information using specialized equipment such as pulse oximetry, bladder scanner and ECG Machine. This experience must be detailed in your resume to receive credit. ~OR~ Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-06 level. Education: Half a year of graduate education (usually 9 semester hours) that is directly related to the work of this position. One full year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent one year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the one year of full-time study requirement. Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. Transcripts required. ~OR~ Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-06 level. Combination of Education and Experience: An equivalent combination of specialized experience and graduate education as described that demonstrates your ability to perform the duties of this position. Transcripts required, and experience must be detailed in your resume to receive credit. To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-XX. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Clerical - Knowledge of filing, typing, entering data, maintaining records, taking shorthand, and using and completing forms. Patient Care - Knowledge of direct patient care techniques, including activities of daily living (ADLs), ambulating patients, infection control, and emergency response; uses appropriate safety precautions. Clinical Data Collection/Documentation - Gathers/documents essential and accurate information about patients such as medical history, vital signs, chief complaints, allergies, pertinent health problems, current medications. Diagnostic Medical Testing - Uses proper clinical procedures to perform medical tests (electrocardiography, pulmonary function testing, urinalysis, hematology, chemistry, immunology, microbiology, etc.); measures and records vital statistics or other health information; adheres to quality and infection control protocols. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. 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. 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 (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more information. Additional Information 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 (TJO). Please visit the Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP), va.gov/EMPLOYEE/docs/The-Fair-Chance-to-Compete-Act.pdf for more information. The following will be communicated to applicants for VA employment in a testing designated position and will also be included in all VA vacancy announcements for such positions: All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drugs use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be well-qualified, applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors if applicable, and must be proficient in most of the requirements of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website which can be found at https://www.opm.gov/. Receiving Service Credit for 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. 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. VA Healthcare System Serving Ohio, Indiana and Michigan (VISN 10) advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the @context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.
