Health Technician (Telehealth

This position functions above the full performance level for the Health Technician (Telehealth Clinical) (Advanced) position and serves in an advanced role. The incumbent performs a full range of duties and is responsible for day-to-day operation of telehealth services at the assigned location and between the assigned location and remote sites of care as well as participating in the programmatic development and advanced support of the facility-wide telehealth program.

Incumbent will be required to float between various CBOC's on a regular basis.

The Health Technician (Telehealth Clinical) Advanced level is responsible for delivering established telehealth competency-based training for clinicians and telehealth staff members. The Health Technician (Telehealth Clinical) Advanced position supports clinical telehealth encounters for both the patient and provider locations by serving as the tele-presenter within scope of practice, functioning as an imager and supporting clinical data for telehealth store and forward applications, managing real time clinical telehealth events, providing established patient education, and providing technical and administrative support of telehealth operations. The Health Technician (Telehealth Clinical) incumbent serves in an advanced role. The primary duties of the position include, but are not limited to the following:

• Coordinating, installing, maintaining and managing the inventory of telehealth technologies including hardware and software with assistance of Biomed and IT.
• Providing established standardized competency-based training, guidance and information on the use of advanced telehealth technologies to a patients, staff, and providers.
• Developing reporting procedures, sampling techniques and measurements at various points in the telehealth processes to identify/analyze inherent weaknesses in work and procedures.
• Completing standardized clinical questionnaires and templates.
• Referring patients to providers for screening for Telehealth.
• Communicating effectively with clinical administrative staff at the assigned local site and those located at remote sites of care.
• Arranging and completing test video calls with Veterans to prepare for clinical encounters using telehealth technologies.
• Provide education and training to Veterans, clinical staff and providers on the use of telehealth technologies and serving as a point of contact for questions and concerns related to these technologies.
• Coordinating clinic set up and monitoring of workload capture and issues for assigned patient and provider clinics including telehealth resource-based scheduling.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 8:00AM - 4:30PM
Telework: Not available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 06579F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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 Education.

(1) Experience. One year of experience in a health care field that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work such as but not limited to a medical or clinical assistant (or technician) or health technician.
OR
(2) Education. Four academic years above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation.
OR
(3) Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable. Examples are listed below:
(a) Six months of experience in the health care field and two years of education above high school that included at least six semester hours in health care related courses such as, biological science, surgical technician courses, nursing assistant or other courses related to the position; or an associate's degree in a health care related field;
(b) Six months of experience in the health care field and successful completion of a course for health care technicians, hospital corpsmen, or medical service specialists given by the U.S. Armed Forces.
c. Certification. 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: Health Technician (Telehealth Clinical) (Advanced), GS-7
At least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS6) level that demonstrates the technical competencies described at this level.
Experience for this position includes that which provides a working knowledge and ability to screen patients for Telehealth modality and refer patients that do not meet established criteria to appropriate care; capture and transmission of clinical images and/or data, obtains consent as necessary, generates consults according to established procedures for each telehealth specialty, transmits images or clinical data to the electronic medical record, provides patient education regarding general anatomy, disease processes and prevention as appropriate, and takes appropriate action based on the providers' findings and recommendations; provides hands on assistance and reports clinical observations under the direction of a licensed independent Practitioner or clinical specialist; work out process issues, equipment needs, problems, data collection and any other logistical issues; conducts routine inventories and consistently tracking location/status of Telehealth technology located at assigned site; troubleshoots, repairs, and coordination of replacement equipment as necessary

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, you must demonstrate all of the following KSAs

• (a) Ability to use independent technical judgment to analyze, evaluate and resolve problems.
• (b) Knowledge of quality control and assurance procedures and principles of performance improvement.
• (c) Ability to function effectively between competing priorities.
• (d) Knowledge of proper maintenance and troubleshooting of telehealth equipment.
• (e) Ability to work with a team to provide technical guidance, plan, organize and coordinate activities of a Health Technician in order to effectively complete job duties of assignment such as distributing workload, monitoring the status and progress of work, monitoring accuracy of work.
• (f) Ability to assist in Health Technician (Telehealth Clinical) development, outcome management and strategic planning.
• (g) Ability to perform successful knowledge transfer regarding the use of telehealth technologies.

Preferred Experience: Utilization of telehealth services, health technician and/or nursing assistant 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-7.

Physical Requirements: The work requires some physical exertion such as prolonged periods of standing, bending, reaching, crouching, stooping, stretching, and lifting moderately heavy items such as manuals, record boxes, equipment or assisting patients. The work requires above average agility and dexterity. The incumbent may be required to travel between VA and/or Non-VA clinical care sites and possession of a valid driver's license may be required.

Work Environment: Work is performed in an office/clinic setting with minimal risks that requires normal safety precautions; the area is adequately lighted, heated, and ventilated. However, the work environment requires someone with the ability to handle several tasks at once in sometimes stressful situations.

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959.
• Must be proficient in written and spoken English.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.