Summary

This Health Tech (Audiology) position at the Orlando VA Healthcare System falls under the Audiology and Speech Pathology Service with duty location at the Daytona Beach VA Outpatient Clinic.

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:

• Citizenship
• Be a citizen of the United States (U.S.)
• English Language Proficiency
• HTA - HTSLP or HTASLP 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
• Six months 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
• OR - Education
• Successful completion of two academic years above high school leading to an associate degree or a bachelor's degree with at least 12 semester hours in courses related to the position
• OR - Experience/Education Combination
• Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying
• An example of a combination of experience/education is three months 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 and one year above high school with a minimum of 6 semester hours related to the health care industry
• Grandfathering Provision
• May qualify under grandfathering provision
• (Applies to current Veterans Health Administration employees only.) Foreign Education
• To be creditable - education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs
• GRADE DETERMINATION Health Technician (Audiology) - GS-6 - (Full Performance Level) Experience
• Completion of one year of progressive experience and/or experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-5) directly related to the position being filled
• Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills and Abilities
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Knowledge of normal and abnormal ear anatomy
• Knowledge of hearing physiology and function to educate patients and families
• Knowledge of hearing aids - hearing assistive technology - hearing aid manufacturers and manufacturer software
• Ability to solve problems or make decisions regarding hearing aid - hearing assistive technology and patient care - consistent with the documented and co-signed plan of care under the supervision of an audiologist
• Ability to prepare patients for testing procedures
• Ability to document and code patient procedures
• Reference
• For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• Physical Requirements
• Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation - see Duties section for essential job duties of the position
• May require standing - lifting - carrying - sitting - stooping - bending - pulling - and pushing
• May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment
• 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.

Duties

• Direct patient care duties of the Health Tech (Audiology) may include - but not limited to the following: Greeting and escorting patients Patient instruction and counseling on hearing loss or hearing aids either on an individual basis or in a group setting Conducting hearing pass/fail screenings without interpretation
• Immittance screening without interpretation Non-diagnostic otoscopy Taking earmold impressions Hearing aid troubleshooting and repair Providing basic hearing aid information for patients and caregivers Performing listening checks on hearing aids Electroacoustic analysis of devices Pairing hearing aids and accessories via Bluetooth technology Programming previously stored settings into hearing aids Activating remote controls Providing technician clinic coverage at any site of care corporate wide - as needed or determined by the needs of the service Assisting in setting up and delivering face-to-face and telehealth/virtual visits by preparing the equipment for patient evaluation and other audiology procedures Responsible for ensuring timely and accurate documentation of all interactions in the medical records and that all encounters are correctly documented using electronic medical record and computerized tracking and ordering functions via ROES Manage Audiology specific outcome measures in accordance with clinic policy and procedures
• This may include managing mail - data entry - documentation in ROES - documentation in CPRS - alerting the audiologist - and contacting patients as necessary
• Making and managing independent contacts with the patient - family - significant other - medical center staff - colleagues and vendor in order to expedite patient care
• Duties include being readily accessible to provide maximal patient outcomes in the areas of patient education and direction
• Telephone and/or mail communications both within the clinic and within the facility as a whole are the responsibility of this staff member
• This includes answering incoming phone calls/returning voicemails daily on phones located in the clinic - which may include carrying a portable or cell phone - pager or other facility approved communication device on duty hours used for telecare - PCP - ENT - and other internal patient care providers as directed
• Work Schedule: Mon - Tues - Wed - Fri - 7:00am - 5:30pm (Compressed) Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases
• Travel: Required - up to 25% - as needed for clinic coverage or training - TBD by the service
• Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave - 13 days of sick leave - 11 paid Federal holidays per year)Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual - based on prior [work experience] or military service experience
• Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment - up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth - adoption - or foster care placement of a child
• Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment - full time employees with a total family income below $144 -000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66
• Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement) Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: 82585F