Health Technician (Optometry)

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Kansas City (MO); On-site; USD 42,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Kansas City VA Medical Center is seeking a Health Technician (Optometry) to support Optometrists and Ophthalmologists in diagnostic and follow-up care.

The role involves measuring visual acuity, assisting with eye care procedures, maintaining hygiene, and documenting patient information while ensuring adherence to clinic policies, with a focus on patient education and quality eye care.

Qualifications

• Experience or education in health technician/assistant field.
• Proficiency in English (spoken and written).
• Ability to document ophthalmic and medical information for electronic notes.

Responsibilities

• Measure and record visual acuity and ocular measurements.
• Assist eye care providers with ophthalmic procedures and patient education.
• Maintain hygiene and infection control in the clinic and restock supplies.

Skills

Eye health knowledge

Patient education

Ophthalmic measurements

Infection control

Phoropter entry

Education

Health-related coursework or degree

High school + health focus required (as applicable)

Tools

Phoropter

Lensometer

Job description

Summary

The Kansas City VA Medical Center is currently recruiting for one Health Technician for the Optometry department. An Optometry Technician in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) supports Optometrists and Ophthalmologists in diagnosis - treatment - prevention - follow-up care and patient counseling.

Qualifications

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
• Experience and/or Education Experience: One year of experience as a health technician or assistant in the health care field demonstrating the applicant's ability to perform the work or by demonstrating a basic understanding of work in the health care field OR Education: Successful completion of two academic years above high school with a minimum of 12 semester hours related to health technician/assistant or health technician (optometry)/assistant or associate degree - or completion of an independent study course in an optometry related technician or assistant field
• OR Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying
• Examples are listed below: (a) 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 (optometry)/assistant related courses.
• OR (b) 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
• English Language Proficiency: Health Technician (Optometry) candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English
• May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria)
• Grade Determinations: In addition to the basic requirements for employment - the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates
• Health Technician (Optometry) - GS-04 Experience
• None beyond the basic requirements
• Health Technician (Optometry) - GS-05 Experience
• One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of basic eye anatomy and function
• Ability to obtain - document and record ophthalmic and medical information from patients in order to develop an accurate electronic progress note
• Ability to practice basic hygiene and infection control in a patient care setting
• Ability to follow eye clinic and patient care medical policies and procedures
• Ability to perform minor eyeglasses repairs - such as replacing nose pads and screws
• Health Technician (Optometry) - GS-06 Experience
• One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to provide patient education for eye health and/or vision conditions - to include assisting with patient contact lens insertion - removal and hygiene (cleaning and disinfection) care
• Ability to accurately enter into a phoropter the autorefractometry or habitual refractive prescription (i.e. - eyeglasses prescription) or lensometer findings - including sphere - cylinder and axis
• Ability to perform patient spectacle fitting and dispensing - including selection of appropriate frame - ophthalmic lenses - interpupillary measurements (distance and near) and proper segment height determination - as well as the ability to transpose sphere - cylinder and axis
• Ability to provide basic triage of patient telephone calls or optometry requests
• Knowledge of ophthalmic medications and supplies needed in the process of restocking the eye clinic exam rooms
• Health Technician (Optometry) - GS-07 Experience
• One year of experience comparable to the next lower level which demonstrates the knowledge - skills and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled
• In addition to meeting the experience or educational requirements for this grade level - the candidate must fully demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to determine preliminary objective estimate and/or refinement of the optical status of the eye - not to include the patient's final subjective refraction
• Ability to triage and manage eyeglasses issues (e.g. - measurement of vertex distance - base curve - prism correction - center thickness - slab off - Fresnel prism - decentration - etc.)
• Ability to perform accurate assessment of accommodation - near point of convergence and ocular alignment (far and near)
• Ability to assist the eye care provider (optometrist or ophthalmologist) with ophthalmic procedures
• Ability to assist with obtaining accurate ocular cultures and smears
• Knowledge and ability to provide advanced patient education for eye health and/or vision conditions
• Preferred Experience: 1 year of Optometric experience in a clinical setting
• Optometry/Ophthalmology Certification ie
• COT - COA - etc Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-7. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-4 to GS-7 Physical Requirements: he work of the health technician (eye clinic) requires considerable periods of standing and walking with occasional bending - stooping - and sitting
• The incumbent will also be required to assist ambulatory - wheelchair - and stretcher bound patients onto and out of exam chairs and back to the original mode of transportation
• Manual dexterity and very good vision is necessary for the repair of spectacles.

Duties

• The Health Technician (Optometry) measures and accurately records visual acuity
• obtains accurate specialized visual acuity measurements
• accurately assesses accommodation - near point of convergence - and ocular alignment
• and determines a preliminary objective estimate of optical status of the eye (not to include final subjective refraction)
• Major duties include but are not limited to: Knowledge of basic eye anatomy and function
• Ability to obtain - document and record ophthalmic and medical information from patients in order to develop an accurate electronic progress note
• Ability to practice basic hygiene and infection control in a patient care setting
• Ability to follow eye clinic and patient care medical policies and procedures
• Ability to perform minor eyeglass repairs - such as replacing nose pads and screws
• Ability to provide patient education for eye health and/or vision conditions - to include assisting with patient contact lens insertion - removal - and hygiene (cleaning and disinfection care)
• Ability to accurately enter in a phoropter the autorefractometry - habitual refractive prescription (i.e
• eyeglasses prescription) - or lensometry findings - including sphere - cylinder - and axis
• Ability to perform patient spectacle fitting and dispensing - including selection of appropriate frame - ophthalmic lenses - interpupillary measurements (distance and near) - and proper segment height determination - as well as the ability to transpose sphere - cylinder - and axis
• Ability to provide basic triage of patient telephone calls or optometry requests
• Knowledge of ophthalmic medications and supplies needed in the process of restocking the eye clinic exam rooms
• Ability to determine preliminary objective estimate and/or refinement of the optical status of the eye - not to include final subjective refraction
• Ability to triage and manage eyeglasses issues (e.g
• measurement of vertex distance - base curve - prism correction - center thickness - slab off - Fresnel prism - decentration - etc.)
• Ability to assist the eye care provider (optometrist or ophthalmologist) with ophthalmic procedures
• Ability to assist with obtaining cultures and smears
• Knowledge and ability to provide advanced patient education for eye health and/or vision conditions
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday - 8:00am to 4:30pm CST Compressed/Flexible: Not Available Telework: Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position Functional Statement #:000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases 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) 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 $144 -000 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) Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional