Qualifications

Basic Requirements:

• Citizenship
• Citizen of the United States
• Experience and Education (1) Experience
• 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: Six months of experience in the health care field
• and one year above high school
• or 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 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)
• Failure to obtain certification and loss of credentials 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
• Failure to Obtain Certification
• In all cases, the Health Technician (Ophthalmology) must actively pursue meeting certification requirements starting from the date of appointment
• At the time of appointment, the supervisor will provide the uncertified Health Technician (Ophthalmology) with the written requirement to obtain certification, the date by which the certification must be acquired, and the consequences for not becoming certified by the deadline
• Failure to become certified within two years from date of appointment will result in removal from the Health Technician (Ophthalmology), GS-0640 series and may result in termination of employment
• Loss of Credentials
• A Health Technician (Ophthalmology) who fails to maintain the required certification must be removed from the occupation, which may also result in termination of employment
• Grandfathering Provision: All persons employed in VHA as a Health Technician (Ophthalmology) on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including certification requirements
• For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: Such employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journeyman) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions
• Health Technicians (Ophthalmology) who were 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
• Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or certification that meet all the basic requirements of the qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation
• Health Technicians (Ophthalmology) 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 reentry to the occupation
• Foreign Education
• 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
• Physical Requirements
• The Health Technician-Ophthalmology should be able to lift and/or carry up to 45 lbs
• (intermittently)
• She/He will also straight pull/push up to 45 lbs
• (intermittently)
• He/she will also stoop, squat and kneel (occasionally)
• The incumbent will have overhead work intermittently
• Position requires prolonged walking and standing (up to 4 hrs
• per day) and sitting (up to 2 hrs
• per day)
• See VA Directive and Handbook 5019
• 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) Grade Determinations
• In addition to the basic requirements for employment, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates
• (1) Health Technician (Ophthalmology), GS-5 (Entry Level) Experience or Education
• None beyond the basic requirements
• (2) Health Technician (Ophthalmology), 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
• (3) Health Technician (Ophthalmology), 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
• and Ability to provide eye care patient education
• (4) Health Technician (Ophthalmology), 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
• and Knowledge of proper cleaning and maintenance of clinic equipment.