Health Technician (Ophthalmology)

Veterans Health Administration • Syracuse, NY

11d • Onsite

About The Position

Ophthalmology Technicians in the Veterans Health Administration support Ophthalmologists with diagnosis, treatment, prevention, follow-up care, and patient counseling. The Full Performance Health Technician (Ophthalmology) performs standard but complex diagnostic procedures, assists with clinic-based surgical procedures, educates patients and legal representatives, and assists with medical student and resident education.

The position includes collecting patient histories; performing vision, pupil, refraction, pressure, corneal, and other ophthalmic assessments; conducting imaging and visual field tests; screening and triaging potentially urgent eye conditions; and assisting with ophthalmic surgery. The technician educates patients and authorized representatives about eye care and preoperative and postoperative instructions. The role also includes cleaning, disinfection, calibration, maintenance, inventory, and ordering of instruments, supplies, and equipment, as well as obtaining quotes and reporting repairs to biomedical engineering.

The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Telework is not available, and the position is not virtual. The full performance level is GS-8. Work is primarily sedentary but also involves standing, walking, bending, twisting, and carrying light items.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship, subject to the stated VA policy exception for non-citizens when qualified citizens cannot be recruited.
• Proficiency in spoken and written English.
• One year of experience in a health care field; or two years of education above high school including at least six semester hours directly related to a health care field, or an associate degree in a health care-related field; or a qualifying combination of experience and education.
• All applicants must hold Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA) certification from the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO), subject to the stated grandfathering provision for eligible current VHA employees.
• For GS-8: one year of experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level.
• For GS-8: ability to perform advanced tonometry and pupil evaluation and calculate intraocular lens selection.
• For GS-8: knowledge of clinic-based ophthalmic surgical assisting, eye anatomy and physiology, medication effects and proper eye instillation, optics, and proper cleaning and maintenance of clinic equipment.
• Meet applicable onboarding, background/security investigation, pre-employment physical, and seasonal influenza vaccination requirements.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959 must meet Selective Service registration requirements.

Responsibilities

• Check and calibrate ophthalmology screening instruments.
• Obtain and document patient histories, symptoms, medications, allergies, and relevant ocular and general medical, family, and social history.
• Test distance and near visual acuity with and without correction or pinhole.
• Measure and record eyeglass prescriptions using manual or automated lensometry.
• Evaluate pupils, including size, shape, symmetry, response to light and accommodation, and relative afferent pupillary defects.
• Perform basic refractometry using autorefractors or habitual prescriptions in a phoropter.
• Instill ophthalmic medications, including anesthetics, dyes, dilating and cycloplegic drops, antibiotics, and ointments.
• Measure intraocular pressure, including with Goldmann applanation tonometry.
• Perform pachymetry, manual keratometry or topography, and intraocular lens calculations using an IOL Master or equivalent device.
• Perform automated visual field testing, external photography, fundus photography, and optical coherence tomography of the anterior segment, retina, and optic nerve.
• Screen and triage potentially urgent ocular conditions.
• Assist with clinic-based ophthalmic surgery and procedures, including wound revision, eyelid lesion biopsies, conjunctival or corneal cultures, anterior chamber reformation, hyphema evacuation, corneal endothelial graft repositioning, intravitreal injections, and laser procedures.
• Educate patients and legally authorized representatives about eye care and preoperative and postoperative instructions.
• Assist in educating and training medical students, residents, and fellows at affiliated facilities.
• Clean, disinfect, calibrate, maintain, inventory, and order instruments, supplies, and equipment; obtain quotes as needed and report repairs to biomedical engineering.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• Federal employee benefits package; specific benefits depend on position eligibility.
• Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior federal employment or military service, subject to approval.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed