Health Technician (Ophthalmology)

Ophthalmology Technicians in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) support Ophthalmologists in diagnosis, treatment, prevention, follow-up care and patient counseling.

The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being.

Major duties include but are not limited to:

• Checks and performs calibration of technical ophthalmology screening instruments.
• Obtains a detailed patient history, to include chief complaint; reason for visit; pertinent signs and symptoms; current medication allergies; past ocular and general medical history both ocular and general; family history both ocular and general; social history; and review of medications and allergies, including current ocular prescription and non-prescription medications.
• Accurately tests visual acuity at distance and near, with and without correction or with and without a pinhole.
• Measures eyeglass prescription using manual or automated lensometer, recording sphere, cylinder, axis, and prism in both plus and minus cylinder.
• Performs pupil evaluation recording pupil size, shape, symmetry, reaction to light and accommodation. Performs swinging flashlight test to detect a relative afferent pupillary defect.
• Performs basic refractometry utilizing an auto refraction or habitual glass prescription in the phoropter or with a trial frame and lenses.
• Instills eye medications (drops or ointments, including anesthetic, dye, dilating drops, cycloplegic drops, or antibiotics) following a protocol or under the direction of an eye provider (ophthalmologist or optometrist).
• Measures intraocular pressure with standard techniques, including Goldmann applanation tonometry, tonopen, or rebound tonometer.
• Performs corneal pachymetry using a handheld or ocular coherence tomography device to determine corneal thickness.
• Performs manual keratometry or automated topography to determine corneal curvature.
• Performs intra-ocular lens(IOL) calculations using an IOL Master or equivalent device.
• Performs automated visual field testing using various perimetry machines.
• Performs external photographs and fundus photography.
• Performs optical coherence tomography (OCT) of the anterior segment, retina, and optic nerve.
• Performs patient screening and triage of potentially urgent ocular conditions.
• Assists during clinic-based ophthalmic surgery, including revision of wounds, biopsies of the eyelid lesions, cultures of conjunctiva, or cornea; reformation of anterior chamber, evacuation of hyphema, repositioning of corneal endothelial grafts, intra-vitreous injections, and laser surgical procedures.
• Educates patients and legal authorized representatives in eye care, including preoperative and postoperative instructions.
• Assists in the education and training of medical students, residents and fellows in those facilities with medical school affiliations.
• Ensures proper cleaning and disinfection; calibration, maintenance, backup, annual inventory and ordering of instruments, supplies and equipment; obtains quotes as needed; and reports needed repairs to biomedical engineering.
• Supports the Telehealth Optometry Store and Forward program include Virtual Eye Care Services (VECS), Tele Retinal Imaging onsite, and offsite with the Rural Health.
• Expected to float to other Community Based Outpatient Clinics as appropriate for patient care coverage and program expansion covering Store and Forward Telehealth related to eye health and Optometry services.
• In the absence of a contracted optical shop on site, the technician assists the patient in choosing eyeglass frames; measures Pupillary Distance (PD) and segment height; enters eyeglasses order for dispensing by the contracting optical company as directed by/delegated by the prescribing eye provider.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30am to 4:00pm
Telework: Not Available.
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized.
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized.

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, such as but not limited to nursing, medical assistant, or health technician.
  OR
  (2) Education. Two years above high school with a minimum of six semester hours directly related to a health care field or associate's degree in a health care related degree.
  OR
  (3) Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. Examples are listed below:
  (a) Six months of experience in the health care field; and one year above high school; or
  (b) Six months of experience in the health care field and successful completion of a course for health care technicians, hospital corpsmen, medical service specialists, or ophthalmology technicians given by the U.S. Armed Forces; or
  (c) Six months of experience in the health care field and completion of an independent study course in Ophthalmic Medical Assisting.
• Certification. All applicants must be certified as a Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA) with the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO). The COA certification is JCAHPO's entry-level certification examination for a Health Technician (Ophthalmology).
  • Exception. Non-certified applicants who otherwise meet the minimum qualification requirements may be appointed as a graduate Health Technician (Ophthalmology) under the authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405(c)(2)(B). The appointing official may waive the requirement of certification for a period not to exceed two years for a Health Technician (Ophthalmology) that provides care under the supervision of an Ophthalmologist. The exception only applies below the full performance level. For grade levels at or above the full performance level the candidate must be certified. Failure to obtain COA certification during that period is justification for termination of the temporary appointment and may result in termination of employment.
• English Language Proficiency. Health Technicians (Ophthalmology) must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) and 38 U.S.C. 7407(d).

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 (Ophthalmology), GS-5 (Entry Level)

Experience or Education. None beyond the basic requirements.

Health Technician (Ophthalmology), GS-6 (Developmental Level 1)

Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experienceabove, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
1. Knowledge of general outpatient clinical policies and procedures in a healthcareenvironment;
2.Ability to obtain, document and record demographic and medical information frompatients in order to develop an accurate medical record;
3.Ability to use basic ophthalmic equipment; and
4.Knowledge of basic disinfection of non-critical reusable medical equipment

Health Technician (Ophthalmology), GS-7 (Developmental Level 2)

Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-6 grade level.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
1. Knowledge of anatomy and function of the eye and basic ocular pharmacology;
2. Knowledge of outpatient eye care policies and procedures in a health care environment;
3. Ability to use basic ophthalmic diagnostic equipment to perform preliminary ocular testing;
4. Ability to perform minor extraocular surgical assisting; and
5. Ability to provide eye care patient education.

Health Technician (Ophthalmology), GS-8 (Full Performance Level)

Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
1.Ability to perform advanced tonometry and pupil evaluation;
2.Ability to perform calculations for selection of intraocular lens;
3.Knowledge of clinic based ophthalmic surgical assisting;
4.Knowledge of eye anatomy and physiology;
5.Knowledge of medication effects and proper instillation in the eye;
6.Knowledge of optics; and
7.Knowledge of proper cleaning and maintenance of clinic equipment.

Preferred Experience: Previous clinical Ophthalmology 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 GS8. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS5 to GS8.

Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination.

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.
• 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.
• 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.