Health Technician (Phlebotomy)

Veterans Health Administration • Appleton, WI

11d • Onsite

About The Position

The Health Technician (Phlebotomy) performs accessioning, phlebotomy, specimen processing, and diagnostic testing duties at the Appleton CBOC. The position is aligned under the Primary Care Division of the VA Medical Center, Milwaukee. The technician supports outpatient blood collection and diagnostic services, maintains specimen and patient identification accuracy, and assists with laboratory and clinic workflows.

The role includes receiving, entering, prioritizing, and verifying diagnostic test requests; collecting and processing specimens; performing limited laboratory testing and standard diagnostic procedures, including electrocardiograms; and maintaining related equipment, supplies, records, and quality-control activities. The technician also instructs and assists patients with specimen collection and provides guidance in phlebotomy techniques to other personnel.

This is an open continuous announcement scheduled to remain open until December 30, 2026. The initial application referral cutoff is November 5, 2026, with subsequent cutoffs every two weeks. The position is not virtual. The work schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Relocation, recruitment, and permanent change-of-station incentives are not authorized; a Critical Skills Incentive is also not authorized.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• GS-5 specialized experience: at least one full year of relevant experience equivalent to at least the GS-4 level in federal service, including knowledge of collection tubes, minimum specimen volumes, specimen processing and transportation conditions, testing requirements, phlebotomy techniques, specimen rejection and unable-to-obtain procedures, laboratory specimen packaging and shipping, and care considerations for potentially hostile psychiatric patients, seriously ill patients, and patients with communicable diseases.
• Alternatively, GS-5 education: successful completion of a full four-year bachelor's degree program with a major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the position. Transcripts are required.
• Alternatively, GS-5 combination: a combination of post-high-school education beyond the second year or 60 semester hours and specialized experience that together meets the grade-level requirements. Transcripts are required.
• Knowledge of infection-control, aseptic, and sterile techniques to prevent cross-contamination.
• Complete the application, questionnaire, and required online assessment.
• Selected applicants are subject to a background/security investigation and required onboarding; tentatively selected applicants in testing-designated positions must undergo urinalysis for illegal drug use.
• Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with Selective Service.
• Participation in the VA seasonal influenza vaccination program is required for Health Care Personnel.
• May be required to serve a one-year probationary period.
• If relying on education, submit transcripts; foreign education requires a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with transcripts.

Responsibilities

• Answer incoming calls, provide or relay information, and direct callers to appropriate technical personnel.
• Perform routine and specialized venipuncture on outpatients to obtain blood specimens for laboratory testing.
• Assign priorities to test requests, explain diagnostic and collection procedures, and position patients as needed.
• Receive, verify, prioritize, and enter diagnostic testing requests into the hospital computer system; notify technical staff of pending work and generate computer-printed labels.
• Document and review collection problems.
• Receive and evaluate specimens and laboratory orders for proper collection and suitability; reject unacceptable specimens and refer questions to technical staff.
• Verify patient and specimen identification, compare identification with the request, and label tubes according to established procedures.
• Process specimens, including centrifuging, allocating, storing, packaging, and shipping samples to reference laboratories.
• Perform limited laboratory tests, including glucose tolerance tests.
• Maintain phlebotomy facilities and equipment; perform quality control and preventive maintenance; maintain supplies and inventory.
• Set controls and operate, calibrate, and maintain equipment and instruments; modify operational parameters where appropriate and report malfunctions to a supervisor.
• Recognize abnormalities, bring them to the ordering provider's attention, and record results in the permanent record.
• Perform standard diagnostic procedures, including electrocardiograms.
• Direct, instruct, and assist patients with specimen collection and hospital processing in the laboratory and clinic.
• Maintain records and files related to the diagnostic area.
• Collect data for Performance Improvement monitors and participate in quality assurance tasks within the team or a multidisciplinary team.
• Assist with training and provide guidance in phlebotomy techniques to LPNs, RNs, students, and new phlebotomy employees rotating through the blood collection area.

Benefits

• Federal employees and their families have access to a comprehensive benefits package; specific benefits depend on position type and should be confirmed with the hiring agency.
• VA may grant credit for qualifying job-related non-federal experience or active-duty uniformed military service when determining annual leave accrual, subject to request and approval before appointment.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level