Lead Health Technician - Optometry

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; Canton (OH); On-site; USD 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

The Canton VA Clinic, part of the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System, seeks a Lead Health Technician (Optometry) to supervise optometry health technicians and assist the eye care team in the Canton, Ohio facility.

The position emphasizes leadership, eye care support, and clinic workflow management, with opportunities to coordinate training and ensure high standards of patient care in ophthalmic settings.

Qualifications

• Two academic years above high school with related health technician coursework
• Experience as a health technician or assistant in a health care field
• Equivalent combinations of experience and education may qualify

Responsibilities

• Lead three or more Health Technicians (Optometry) and oversee daily duties
• Assist with eye clinic operations and patient flow to maintain efficiency
• Support eye care providers with ophthalmic procedures and equipment maintenance
• Coordinate staff education and training for eye/vision care

Skills

Health technician skills

English language proficiency

Ophthalmic screening

Team supervision

Education

Health technician education

Tools

Spectralis

Clarus

Cirrus

Humphrey Visual Field

Oculus Pentacam

Lensometry

Job description

The VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System is recruiting for an Lead Health Technician (Optometry). The Lead Health Technician (Optometry) will function in Surgical Service at the Canton VA Clinic in Canton Ohio.

Qualifications

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
• English Language Proficiency
• Health Technician (Optometry) candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by 38 U.S.C.
• 7403(f)
• Experience and 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: 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
• 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
• Licensure/Certification/Registration
• None
• 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
• Lead Health Technician (Optometry) - GS-08 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
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills and Abilities
• 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
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSA's: Ability to assign - coordinate and oversee health technician (optometry) daily duties - tasks and other responsibilities as appropriate
• Ability to provide and/or monitor staff education and training activities - including interdisciplinary training as necessary
• Ability to manage and oversee eye clinic RME disinfection activities that include researching manufacturers' cleaning and disinfection recommendations - ordering appropriate RME related supplies - as well as ensuring health technician (optometry) clinic staff RME competency
• Ability to address and resolve patient complaints and/or concerns and addressing patient health technician (optometry) relationships
• Ability to develop and train health technicians (optometry) to ensure competency in performance of eye and vision care duties - activities and tasks
• Preferred Experience: Proficient in ophthalmic imaging including: Spectralis - Clarus - Cirrus - Humphrey Visual Field - Oculus Pentacam - lensometry Experience in hospital setting or providing direct patient care Current Optometry Health Technician with 2 years of Optometry experience 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-8. Physical Requirements: The Incumbent must have dexterity & agility to handle fragile eyeglasses & contact lenses as well as microscopic instruments
• The work requires some physical exertion such as lifting and assisting wheelchair patients into examination chairs or chairs positioned in front of the ophthalmic imaging equipment
• It is also required that the technician be able to operate equipment with one hand while holding the patients' eyelids open with the other
• The incumbent will also frequently spend extended periods standing and bending over in the Eye Clinic.

Duties

• The Lead Health Technician (Optometry) leads three or more GS-7 Health Technicians (Optometry) and assists with technician oversight duties
• Duties include - but are not limited to: Making work assignments Monitoring workflow Providing input on performance Maintaining efficient clinic flow Address patient complaints and/or concerns - as well as patient health technician (optometry) relationships Oversees eye clinic reusable medical equipment (RME) disinfection activities - including research - ordering - and staff training to ensure RME competency Provides staff education and training activities to ensure staff competency in eye and vision care duties and tasks
• Operates - calibrates - and monitors commonly used equipment performing basic screening procedures
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00am -4:30pm
• (Variable based on the supervisor's discretion) Compressed/Flexible: Available (Variable based on the supervisor's discretion) Telework: AdHoc / Eligible Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 95377-A