Health Technician

US-Department-of-Veterans-Affair; Richland (WA); On-site; USD 42,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

The Health Technician at the US Department of Veterans Affairs supports the Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Service in the Lab, performing phlebotomy, point-of-care testing, and specimen processing to assist clinical operations. English proficiency is required for patient care roles, and all applicants must meet the IOR standards for GS-0640 series.

Candidates should have a year of specialized experience or appropriate education, with transcripts as required.

Qualifications

• Specialized Experience: 1 year at GS-4 level in medical/health support.
• Education: 4-year degree with relevant coursework or transcripts.
• Combination: education + experience may qualify.
• GS-6: 1 year specialized experience at GS-5 level with duties in medical terminology, phlebotomy, specimen processing.

Skills

Medical terminology

Phlebotomy procedures

Patient care

Emergency readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree (4-year, related field)

Tools

Phlebotomy equipment

Job description

The Health Technician provides medical and adminstrative support in the primary care clinic Lab to support Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Serviice (P&LMS). The technician performs phlebotomy services, point of care testing, and specimen processing. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/19/2026.

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.
Individual Occupational Requirement (IOR): ALL applicants must meet the IOR. An IOR is a basic requirement that must be met in order to qualify for the 0640 occupational series. You may meet this by:

• Specialized Experience: Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. OR,
• Education and Training (For positions at the GS-5 level only): Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the position.(Transcripts Required)

In addition to meeting the Basic Requirements you must also meet the Special Experience or Education requirement for the Health Technician Position.
GS-5 Qualifications:

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-4 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:
  • Reviewing patient's medical records.
  • Working knowledge of medical terminology.
  • Understanding of human anatomy as it relates to phlebotomy.
  • Instructing and explaining test and procedures to patients and family members.
  • Recognizing emergency situations.
  • Assembling and operating medical equipment.
  • Properly processing specimens.
  • Understanding of phlebotomy techniques. OR,
• Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the position. (Transcripts Required). OR,
• Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education beyond the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements. Two full academic years of study, or 60 semester hours, beyond the second year is equivalent to l year of specialized experience. (Transcripts Required).

GS-6 Qualifications:

You may qualify based on your experience as described below:

• Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:
  • Reviewing patient's medical records.
  • Working knowledge of medical terminology, especially laboratory test names and specimen requirements.
  • Understanding of human anatomy as it relates to phlebotomy.
  • Instructing and explaining test and procedures to patients and family members.
  • Recognizing emergency situations.
  • Assembling and operating medical equipment.
  • Properly processing specimens.
  • Performing complex patient care.
  • Operating and using specialized equipment.
  • Understanding a variety of phlebotomy techniques.

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/.