Health Technician

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; New York (NY); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in New York seeks a Health Technician to support outpatient care across primary care, surgery, mental health and specialty clinics.

The incumbent assists licensed staff, handles routine diagnostic tasks, collects lab specimens, and supports crisis intervention and mental health care, while documenting care in the electronic health record. Responsibilities include preparing patients for evaluations, obtaining vital signs, assisting with procedures, scheduling

Qualifications

• One year of specialized experience in outpatient health technician duties or equivalent education.
• Experience with EHR documentation and scheduling in outpatient settings.
• Ability to assist licensed staff with examinations, procedures and minor surgical setups.

Responsibilities

• Assist outpatient licensed staff with preparing patients for evaluations and vital signs.
• Perform basic point-of-care testing and collect specimens under supervision.
• Support mental health observations and crisis intervention as needed.
• Document actions and patient responses in the electronic health record (EHR).
• Manage routine clerical duties including scheduling and appointment reminders.

Skills

Vital signs

Outpatient care

Crisis intervention

EHR documentation

Tools

12-lead EKG

Point-of-care testing

Telehealth equipment

CPRS/VISTA EHR

Job description

This Health Technician position serves in outpatient care settings like primary care - surgery - mental health - and specialty clinics. The incumbent performs ongoing patient care - assists licensed staff with complex clinical procedures and specialized medical equipment - collects lab specimens - and handles mental health support and crisis intervention. Duties also include electronic health record documentation and administrative operations such as patient scheduling and eligibility reviews.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position - applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement - 10/30/2026. Grade Determinations: You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: GS-06 Level: Health Technician Experience or Education: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include - but are not limited to: performing routine to moderately complex health technician and patient care duties in an outpatient or clinical care setting under standard supervision. I.E. obtaining patient health histories - vital signs - and diagnostic indicators (e.g. - 12-lead EKG - point-of-care testing); collecting and preparing laboratory specimens; assisting licensed healthcare providers with examinations - routine clinical procedures - and minor surgical setups; maintaining equipment and infection control precautions; and providing basic mental health observation or crisis intervention support. Additionally - experience involves performing medical administrative tasks such as outpatient appointment scheduling - entering clinical reminders and notes in electronic health record (EHR) systems (e.g. - CPRS - VISTA) - and communicating effectively with patients and multidisciplinary clinical staff. OR; Education: Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-06 level. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have at least 9 semester hours of graduate education - but only where it is directly related to the work of the position. OR; Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond the GS-05 requirement. GS-07 Level: Health Technician Experience or Education: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-05 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include - but are not limited to: performing advanced health technician duties with a high degree of independence in outpatient - specialty - or surgical care settings. Assisting licensed providers with complex procedures and specialized care; operating and troubleshooting specialized clinical equipment (e.g. - telehealth peripherals - digital stethoscopes - dermato-cameras); collecting and processing complex biological specimens; performing advanced wound care - catheter insertion - and suture removal per orders; responding to emergent situations using BLS/AED protocols; and executing behavioral observation and prevention techniques (PMDB) in psychiatric or crisis situations. Additionally - experience includes performing comprehensive administrative and clinical operations - such as managing complex scheduling - verifying treatment eligibility - documenting detailed procedural and progress notes in EHR systems - and assisting with training or precepting clinical staff. OR; Education: Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-07 level. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have at least one year (18 semester hours) of graduate education - where it is directly related to the work of the position. OR; Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond the GS-06 requirement. Preferred Experience: Experience with stress testing - Coumadin management - point-of-care (POC) testing - and Holter monitoring. Additionally - experience working with outpatient specialty services such as Cardiology - Gastroenterology - Hematology/Oncology - Endocrinology/Diabetes - Hypertension - Infectious Diseases - Pulmonary - and Rheumatology is highly preferred. 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/.

Duties

• Major duties include but are not limited to: GS-06 Level Assignment: Assists outpatient licensed staff with preparing patients for medical evaluations - performing vital signs - obtaining 12-lead EKGs - and conducting basic point-of-care testing (such as blood glucose and COVID antigen testing)
• Helps perform routine clinical procedures - applies basic wound care (bandaging and dressings) - and assists with specimen collection and labeling (blood - urine - and mucous) under supervision
• Participates in basic observation-based screenings - supports patients in outpatient mental health settings - and assists with communication and documentation templates under guidance
• Performs routine clerical operations - including patient registration - managing encounter forms - completing work orders - and handling outpatient appointments using scheduling software (such as VSE - CTM - and VISTA) under structured supervision
• Accurately documents actions - interventions - and patient responses in medical records using approved templates and clinical reminders
• Operates under continuing instructions where recurring tasks are handled independently - but deviations - unfamiliar clinical situations - and complex problem-solving are referred to the supervisor or licensed staff
• GS-07 Level Assignment: Assists with complex - specialized - and potentially life-threatening care situations - including surgical instrument setup (skin biopsies - cervical smears) - cryotherapy - incision and drainage - and Foley catheter insertion
• Recognizes life-threatening situations - initiates Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (BLS) and AED protocols - and continuously monitors patient status to report changes to licensed staff
• Provides one-to-one behavioral observations - applies Prevention and Management of Disruptive Behavior (PMDB) techniques - and assists with crisis intervention for aggressive or suicidal patients
• Operates - troubleshoots - and maintains complex technical equipment for virtual care (such as total exam cameras - dermatoscope - and digital stethoscopes) - and trains new staff on VA telehealth standards
• Reviews military and sharing documents to determine treatment and beneficiary travel eligibility - manages delinquent recall reminder lists - and utilizes specialized medical administration software (CPRS - VISTA - CAPRI - etc.) independently
• Performs the full range of advanced health technician duties with a high degree of independence - conducts or assists with formal staff preceptor and telehealth training - and participates in facility health-care screenings and committees
• Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory - qualification - and performance requirements are met
• Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 8AM - 4:30PM Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Position Description/PD#: Health Technician/PD21Z86A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized
• Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not authorized
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized.