Supervisory Health Technician (Telehealth Clinical)

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) supports the provision of patient care using telehealth technologies which increase a Veteran's access to care and support a Veteran's self-management. This includes developing and delivering virtual and digital technologies which help Veterans communicate synchronously and asynchronously with their health care teams and coordinate, track and manage their health care.

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:

• Providing direct supervision to Telehealth team which includes assigning, amending or rejecting work. Ensuring production and accuracy requirements are met. Developing performance plans, recommending standards and ratings, and evaluating performance, making promotions, reassignment, and recognizing outstanding performance, responding to questions or matters not covered by standards and problems in meeting performance standards. Effecting corrective and disciplinary measures to address conduct and performance issues;
• Creating and modifying work schedules to meet anticipated and unanticipated changes in the workload.
• Overseeing attendance and reviewing and approving leave requests of direct reports while ensuring adequate staff is available to perform all needed telehealth duties.
• Providing guidance and technical direction relating to the telehealth program and relevant administrative matters to direct reports.
• Working with the Facility Virtual Health Coordinator to develop assignments for team members in order to facilitate all operations of the facility's telehealth program.
• Distributing and balancing workload and tasks among employees in accordance with established workflow and/or job specialization and required rotations.
• Monitoring the status and progress of team members' work and directing adjustments in accordance with established priorities.
• Ensuring that instructions on work priorities, methods, deadlines and quality have been met.
• Ensuring that new employees (VA Medical Center, Virtual Mobile Clinic, the Community Based Outpatient Clinic sites and Southside Annex) receive on-the-job training to and are adequately instructed in specific tasks and job techniques.
• Providing patient education via approved materials.
• Supporting the Veteran in completing patient satisfaction surveys.
• Communicating effectively with clinical and 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 the Veterans for clinical encounters using telehealth technologies.
• Ensuring information and resources are maintained for local and remote telehealth providers so they can effectively execute contingency and emergency plans.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30 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 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; or
  (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.
• Certification. None
• English Language Proficiency. A candidate will not be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C. chapters 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English. See chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part.

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:

Supervisory Health Technician (Telehealth Clinical), GS-9

(1)Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level GS-8. Duties equivalent to the GS-8 are demonstrated by the following-working with a team to provide technical guidance, plan, organize and coordinate activities of a Health Technician (Telehealth Clinical) in order to effectively complete job duties of assignment such as distributing workload, monitoring the status and progress of work, monitoring accuracy of work. Leadership and interpersonal relations and conflict resolution to deal with employees, team leaders, providers, and managers. Communicating effectively in order to meet program objectives. This may include preparing reports in various formats and presenting data to various organizational levels. Use of quality control and assurance procedures and principles of performance improvement. Assessment and resolution of complex workload capture issues using multiple data sources. Develops and compose complex written instructions. Use of analytical and evaluative processes to independently resolve complex issues.

(2)Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

(a)Ability to perform the full range of supervisory duties which includes responsibility for assignment of work to be performed, performance evaluations, selection of qualified staff, and recommendations of awards, advancements, and when appropriate disciplinary actions.
(b)Ability to plan, organize, and coordinate clinical workflow and set short and long-term goals for the program.
(c)Ability to work independently, to set priorities, delegate tasks, meet multiple deadlines,analyze organizational problems, and develop and implement effective solutions to optimize quality, efficiency, performance, and productivity within the service.
(d)Ability to develop policy, manage equipment requests, and provide workload analysis.
(e)Knowledge of all Connected Care programs and operations.

Preferred Experience: Clinical Telehealth Experience and Supervisory experience

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

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.

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.
• 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.
• Driving License Requirement: Unrestricted driver's license is required. Must provide a clean driving record report from the DMV during onboaring.
• Physical Examination: A driver's physical is required for this position.
  

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.