Health Technician (Audiology)

Veterans Health Administration•Ventura, CA

25d•Onsite

About The Position

This position is located in the Audiology & Speech Pathology Service within the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. The Health Technician supports clinical programs in Audiology and performs duties in clinical and other patient-care areas involved with the service. The role combines direct patient care with administrative and clinic-support responsibilities, including hearing-aid services, appointment and inventory management, and infection control.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated exception under VA policy for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
Six months of qualifying experience comparable to the next lower level; or two academic years of post-high-school education leading to an associate or bachelor's degree, including at least 12 semester hours in courses related to the position; or an equivalent combination of experience and education. An example is three months of qualifying experience plus one year above high school with at least 6 semester hours related to the health-care industry.
Proficiency in spoken and written English.
For GS-07: one year of progressive experience and/or experience equivalent to the next lower grade level directly related to the position.
Ability to mentor and train new HTAs.
Ability to prepare patients for advanced testing procedures performed by an audiologist, such as evoked potentials.
Ability to develop and implement the technician role for a program in a focused area of audiology.
Pass a pre-employment physical examination.
Meet pre-employment screening and onboarding conditions, including any required background/security investigation and urinalysis for tentatively selected applicants in testing-designated positions.
Register with Selective Service if male and born after December 31, 1959.
Complete required application steps, including the online assessment and required documents.
Participate in the seasonal influenza vaccination program, as required for VA Health Care Personnel.
Serve a 1- or 2-year trial period, subject to written certification for continued employment upon completion.
Ability to sit, stand, and walk for prolonged periods; high degree of eye-hand coordination when working with small hearing-aid and earmold components; ability to assist or lift a patient occasionally.

Responsibilities

Greet and escort patients.
Set up patients for procedures, including vestibular and neurodiagnostic procedures.
Instruct and counsel patients individually or in groups about hearing loss or hearing aids.
Conduct hearing pass/fail screenings without interpretation.
Perform non-diagnostic otoscopy and cerumen management.
Take earmold impressions.
Troubleshoot and repair hearing aids; provide basic hearing-aid information to patients and caregivers; and perform listening checks.
Perform electroacoustic analysis of devices.
Pair hearing aids and accessories using Bluetooth technology, program previously stored settings into hearing aids, and activate remote controls.
Manage office supplies and track loaner hearing-aid inventory.
Order items electronically and verify that orders arrive with all components present and working correctly.
Schedule appointments.
Package and mail hearing aids and accessories.
Process ROES transactions, including certifying and issuing hearing aids and entering orders and repairs.
Respond to routine patient inquiries, determine the nature of hearing-aid inquiries, answer administrative questions, and assist patients, visitors, and others seeking information.
Manage infection control, patient safety, and clinical supplies for the audiology clinic.
Maintain clean and disinfected instrumentation, equipment, and work surfaces in the audiology clinic.
Reprocess reusable medical equipment according to facility policy and Medical Center infection-control and reusable-medical-equipment policies.