Health Technician (Ophthalmology)

Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional

In addition to the duties expected of the GS-7 level the following clinical duties and responsibilities are expected at the GS-8 assignment:

i. Checks and performs calibration of technical ophthalmology screening instruments.
ii. Obtains patient physical history to include chief complaint; reason for visit; pertinent signs and symptoms; current medication allergies; past ocular and general medical 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.
iii. Accurately tests visual acuity at distance and near with and without correction or with and without a pinhole.
iv. Measures eyeglass prescription using manual or automated lensometer recording sphere cylinder axis and prism in both plus and minus cylinder.
v. Performs pupil evaluation recording pupil size shape symmetry reaction to light and accommodation. Performs swinging flashlight test to detect a relative afferent pupillary defect.
vi. Performs basic refractometry utilizing an auto refraction or habitual glass prescription in the phoropter.
vii. Instills eye medications (drops or ointments including anesthetic dye dilating drops cycloplegic drops or antibiotics).
viii. Measures intraocular pressure with standard techniques including Goldmann applanation tonometry.
ix. Performs pachymetry to determine corneal thickness and manual keratometry or automated topography to determine corneal curvature.
x. Performs intra-ocular lens calculations using an IOL Master or equivalent device.
xi. Performs automated visual field testing using various perimetry machines.
xii. Performs external photographs and fundus photography.
xiii. Performs optical coherence tomography (OCT) of the anterior segment retina and optic nerve.
xiv. Performs patient screening and triage of potentially urgent ocular conditions.
xv. Assists during clinic-based ophthalmic surgery 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.
xvi. Educates patients and legal authorized representatives in eye care including preoperative and postoperative instructions.
xvii. Assists in the education and training of medical students residents and fellows in those facilities with medical school affiliations.
xviii. 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: Monday-Friday
Tour of Duty: 9:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
Recruitment/Relocation Incentives (Sign-on Bonus): Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (Relocation Assistance): Not Authorized
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 $144000 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: No
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 58627F
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized
PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

• 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.
• 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 ( Effective May 7 2025 drivers licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the Required Documents section of this announcement.
• MUST HAVE CURRENT COA (Certified Ophthalmic Assistant) Certification through JCAHPO

• 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.

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.

1. They may be reassigned promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level or changed to lower grade within the occupation but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions.
2. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed on a temporary or permanent basis until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard.
3. Health Technicians (Optometry) who are converted to title 38 hybrid status under this provision and subsequently leave the occupation lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation

• Six months of experience comparable to the next lower level which demonstrates the knowledge of optometry assistant theory and practices and general understanding of the health technician/assistant duties and one year above high school with a minimum of six semester hours of health technician/assistant or health technician (ophthalmolgy)/assistant related courses.
• Successful completion of a course for health care technicians or assistants hospital corpsmen medical service specialists or hospital training in a program given by the U.S. Armed Forces the U.S. Maritime Service or the U.S. Public Health Service may be substituted on a month-for-month basis