Health Technician (Optometry)

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Toledo (OH); On-site; USD 42,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs seeks an Optometry Technician to support Ophthalmologists in diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up care. The role involves assisting with diagnostic procedures, preparing exam rooms, and educating patients on eye health under supervision of an optometrist.

Responsibilities include patient mobility, triage of eye care requests, accurate charting, and proper use of ophthalmic instruments, with emphasis on infection control and quality patient service.

Qualifications

• Assist ophthalmic staff with diagnostic procedures.
• Prepare exam rooms and ensure supplies are stocked.
• Educate patients on eye health and care.

Responsibilities

• Assist with patient movement and triage eye care requests.
• Obtain and document ophthalmic/medical information for records.
• Operate basic ophthalmic equipment under supervision of a clinician.
• Maintain infection control and sanitization in exam rooms.

Skills

Patient care

Ophthalmic equipment

Phoropter readings

Vision testing

Eyeglasses fitting

Medical documentation

Infection control

Education

High school diploma

Optometry Technician certification

Tools

Lensometer

Autorefractor

Tonometer

Slit lamp

Job description

Optometry Technicians in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) support Ophthalmologists in diagnosis, treatment, prevention, follow-up care and patient counseling. Veteran Preference does not apply to this job announcement per the OCHCO Bulletin: Annual Determination of Staffing Shortages FY 27

Duties

Optometry Technicians in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) support Optometrists in diagnosis, treatment, prevention, follow-up care and patient counseling. The Full Performance Health Technician (Optometry) performs a range of standard, but complex, diagnostic procedures, assists during clinical-based surgical procedures, educates patients and legal representatives; assists with the education of medical students and residents. The Full Performance Health Technician (Optometry) may perform many "direct patient care services" under the supervision of Optometrist. Other duties may include but are not limited to:

• Assist with patient movement throughout the eye clinic.
• Ensures proper cleaning and disinfection of examination rooms and stocks each room with the required supplies.
• Understands basic hygiene, cleaning, and disinfection of reusable medical equipment instruments and ophthalmic equipment.
• Communicates with scheduling staff to facilitate patient scheduling and instructions from staff optometrists for triaging eye care and arranging follow- up eye care.
• Knowledge of basic eye anatomy and function.
• Obtain, document, and record ophthalmic and medical information from patients to develop an accurate electronic progress note.
• Practice basic hygiene and infection control in a patient care setting.
• Follow eye clinic and patient care medical policies and procedures.
• 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.).
• 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.
• Knowledge and ability to provide advanced patient education for eye health and/or vision conditions. Accurately enter into a phoropter the auto refractometry or habitual refractive prescription (i.e., eyeglasses prescription) or lensometer findings, including sphere, cylinder and axis.
• 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. technicians perform duties such as measuring and recording visual acuity (with use of pinhole testing as indicated), obtaining accurate potential acuity meter, laser interferometry, contrast sensitivity or other specialized visual acuity measurements.
• Ability to perform accurate assessment of accommodation, near point of convergence and ocular alignment (far and near). 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.
• 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.
• Triage and manage eyeglasses issues (e.g., measurement of vertex distance, base curve, prism correction, center thickness, slab off, Fresnel prism, decentration, etc.).
• Perform accurate assessment of accommodation, near point of convergence and ocular alignment (far and near).
• Assist the eye care provider (optometrist or ophthalmologist) with ophthalmic procedures, such as evaluate pupillary light responses and measure pupil size, determine the presence or absence of fusion and perform stereoacuity measurements, perform Amsler grid testing, administer eye drops under the supervision of an eyecare provider (optometrist or ophthalmologist), perform basic tonometry (e.g., noncontact, Goldmann, Tono-Pen) and estimate the anterior chamber depth with a penlight or slit lamp biomicroscope. The technicians are skilled in properly reading a basic spectacle prescription using an automated or manual lensometer, obtaining accurate auto-refractometry and keratometry measurements, performing confrontation and standard automated visual field testing and administering and scoring basic color vision tests (e.g., pseudoischromatic plates, Farnsworth D-15). The technicians are also adept at measuring and recording corneal thickness by pachymetry as well as performance of advanced corneal measurements, exophthalmometry, tear testing and ocular imaging (e.g., stereo fundus, basic slit lamp biomicroscopy, intraocular lens master measurements, ocular ultrasonography, posterior segment optical coherence tomography, fundus auto-fluorescence and/or ocular angiography).
• Assist with obtaining accurate ocular cultures and smears.
• Knowledge and ability to provide advanced patient education for eye health and/orvision
• conditions.

Work Schedule

Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM; Variable Based on the needs of the Service.

Functional Statement #

PD924940

Financial Disclosure Report:

Not required