Health Technician (Telehealth Clinical)

Veterans Health Administration • Galesburg, IL

34d • Onsite

About The Position

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) supports the provision of patient care using telehealth technologies which increase a Veteran's access to care and support a Veteran's self-management. This includes developing and delivering virtual and digital technologies which help Veterans communicate synchronously and asynchronously with their health care teams, and coordinate, track and manage their health care.

Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job.
• Must complete all required steps in the process.
• In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment.
• The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process.
• Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents ).
• Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.
• As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest.
• One year of experience in a health care field that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work such as but not limited to a medical or clinical assistant (or technician) or health technician.
• OR Four academic years above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation.
• OR Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable.
• Examples are listed below: Six months of experience in the health care field and two years of education above high school that included at least six semester hours in health care related courses such as, biological science, surgical technician courses, nursing assistant or other courses related to the position; or an associate's degree in a health care related field; or Six months of experience in the health care field and successful completion of a course for health care technicians, hospital corpsmen, or medical service specialists given by the U.S. Armed Forces.
• None beyond the basic requirements.
• Comprehensive knowledge of computer systems and programs to perform a variety of tasks.
• Ability to communicate, consult, and interact with other members of the healthcare team, external relations, customer service and patient education.
• Ability to provide and receive guidance and technical direction.
• Ability to plan, organize, set priorities, work as a team member, and effectively complete assignments.
• Ability to read, interpret, and apply complex written instructions.
• Knowledge of general clinical policies and procedures in a healthcare environment.
• Skilled in the use of telehealth technologies for the facilitation of telehealth clinical encounters.

Nice To Haves

• May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria).

Responsibilities

• Preparing the clinical environment, which may include preparing medical and telecommunications equipment to be used for clinical examination and treatment
• Serving as a telepresenter within scope of practice during clinical video telehealth (CVT) and VA Video Connect (WC) encounters including tasks such as establishing and maintaining video conferencing connections, making introductions between patient site and provider site, following instructions of a clinician to facilitate an effective clinical encounter
• Serving as an imager and clinical data manager for store and forward telehealth (SFT) clinical encounters including tasks such as capturing images, collecting data and transmitting them electronically for clinical review in accordance with VHA national guidelines
• Taking measures to ensure patient care is delivered safely by following appropriate procedures for inventory management, cleaning of clinical equipment and the care environment while following all patient safety guidelines, protocols, and procedures
• Completing standardized clinical questionnaires and templates within scope of training and applicable guidelines
• Ensuring that patient privacy is protected by complying with all information security and patient privacy regulations
• Receiving and scheduling requests for simple and complex intra-facility, and inter- facility telehealth appointments using an electronic resource-based scheduling system
• Screening patients for Telehealth modality and referring patients that do not meet established criteria to appropriate care
• Monitoring and maintaining schedules of rooms, patients, technologies, clinical providers and presenters as needed to ensure efficient telehealth operations
• Providing patient education via approved materials
• Supporting the Veteran in completing patient satisfaction surveys
• Configuring, installing, troubleshooting, cleaning, and performing minor routine maintenance of assigned telehealth technology
• Providing established education and training to Veterans, staff and providers on the use of telehealth technologies and serving as a point of contact to answer questions and address concerns related to these technologies
• Maintaining regular contact with other staff members and the Facility Telehealth Coordinator to work out process issues, equipment needs, problems, data collection and any other logistical issues
• Arranging and completing test video calls with Veterans to prepare the Veterans for clinical encounters using telehealth technologies
• Schedule telehealth appointments using an electronic scheduling system
• Obtain and document patient history and pertinent clinical information in electronic medical records
• Prepares the telehealth room where the Health Technician (Telehealth Clinical) readies the equipment for examination, establishes video conferencing connection, makes introductions between patient site and provider site
• Monitors and maintains electronic schedule of rooms, patients, technologies, and presenters
• Administers the patient satisfaction survey
• Cleans and performs minor routine maintenance of assigned telehealth technology
• Communicating effectively with administrative and professional staff, and obtaining assistance for issues that may arise or backlogs that cannot be resolved in a timely manner
• Performing imaging duties in accordance with VHA national telehealth guidelines such as: capture and transmission of clinical images and/or data, obtains consent as necessary, generates consults according to established procedures for each telehealth specialty, transmits images or clinical data to the electronic medical record, provides patient education regarding general anatomy, disease processes and prevention as appropriate, and takes appropriate action based on the providers' findings and recommendations
• Facilitation of real-time Telehealth encounters by providing hands on assistance and reporting clinical observations under the direction of a licensed independent Practitioner or clinical specialist
• Schedules, confirms and coordinates Telehealth services between internal and external VA and non-VA sites
• Analyzes own work flow to determine potential problem areas and recommends corrective action to improve coordination between various units/facilities
• Responsible for conducting routine inventories and consistently tracking location/status of Telehealth technology located at assigned site
• Communicates with National Telehealth Technology Help Desk to facilitate troubleshooting, repair, and coordination of replacement equipment as necessary

Benefits

• A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package.
• As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding.
• Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent.
• Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree