Technical and Clinical Duties:

• Checks and performs calibration of technical ophthalmology screening instruments.
• Obtains patient physical 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
• prescriptions and non-prescription medications.
• Accurately tests visual acuity at distance and near with and without correction or with and without a
• pinhole.
• Measures eyeglass prescriptions 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 basis refractometry utilizing an auto refraction or habitual glass prescription in the phoropter.
• instills eye medications (drops or ointments, including anesthetic, dye, dilating drops, cycloplegic drops, or
• antibiotics).
• Measures intraocular pressure with standard techniques, including Goldmann applanation tonometry.
• Performs pachymetry to determine corneal thickness and manual keratometry or automated topography to
• determine corneal curvature.
• Performs intraocular lens calculation using an IOL Master or Lens Star 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, for example, revision of wounds, biopsies of
• eyelid lesions, cultures of conjunctiva, or cornea; reformation of anterior chamber, evacuation of hypheina,
• 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.
• Designated Drug-Testing Position: 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. Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test result is received.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• 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.
• You may be required to serve a probationary period.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• 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).

Qualifications

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.
• 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).
• Experience and Education:
• Experience: One year of experience in a health care field, such as but not limited to nursing, medical assistant, or health technician.

OR

• 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

• Experience/Education Combination: Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. Examples are listed below: 2 (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.

Qualifications

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;

7. Knowledge of proper cleaning and maintenance of clinic equipment.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.The full performance level of this vacancy is 8. Requirements: See VA Handbook 5019 for physical requirements.

Education

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).

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About U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.

Connections working at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration

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