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This position is located in the Audiology and Speech Pathology Service at the James A. Haley VAMC and Clinics. The duties and responsibilities are to be carried out in all clinical and other patient care areas involved with the Audiology service including future sites of care not specifically listed. The incumber is assigned to a primary duty station but will routinely cover Zephyrhills, Lakeland, Riverview, Tampa, Brooksville and New Port Richey clinics as needed in accordance to policy.
06/26/2024 to 12/09/2024
$44,117 - $57,354 per year
GS 6
1 vacancy in the following location:
No
No
75% or less - You may be expected to travel for this position.
No
Permanent
Full-time
Excepted
None
No
Yes
CBTC-12459740-24-PAV
797326000
All U.S Citizens *NOTE- This is an Open Continuous Announcement (OCA) until December 9, 2024.
This position routinely floats between all sites of care, including but not limited to: Zephyrhills, Lakeland, Riverview, Tampa, Brooksville and New Port Richey clinics as needed. Health Technician (Hearing Instrument Specialist) is a staff health technician under the supervision of a GS-12 staff audiologist or above.
This position has a high degree of visibility throughout the medical center and the general public as a result of direct patient care contact with the veteran population. Professionalism, proficiency, and a high positive image on behalf of the Veteran's Health Administration are critical and required. Some of the major duties include the cleaning, repair, troubleshooting, processing, and physical modification of hearing aids and other assisted listening/speech devices.
The Health Technician (HIS) will assist to organize work to achieve approved goals and will be responsible for working within and organizing the flow of patients in the Audiology Clinic by performing the following:
Employees at this grade level serve as a full performance level (FPL).
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; Non-diagnostic otoscopy; Taking earmold impressions; Hearing aid troubleshooting and repair; Providing basic hearing aid information for patients and caregivers, including realistic expectations, communication strategies, and/or aural rehabilitation; assisting in set up and delivery of face-to-face and telehealth visits; preparing the equipment for patient evaluation and other audiology procedures including, but not limited to daily biologic listening calibration of audiometric equipment; 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. The Health Technician (HIS) assists patients through triaging phone calls and audiology requests with regards to priority and urgency, following the audiologist's plan of care.
Administrative duties may include, but not limited to: Managing office supplies; Tracking loaner stock hearing aid inventory; Electronic ordering, verifying orders; Scheduling appointments; Packaging and mailing hearing aids and accessories; Processing ROES transactions; Responding to routine patient inquiries, and responding to administrative questions; Assisting patients, visitors, and others requesting information; Management of infection control, patient safety, and clinical audiology supplies; Maintenance of clean, disinfected instrumentation, equipment, and work surfaces; Reprocessing reusable medical equipment according to Medical Center infection control procedures and reusable medical equipment policies; responsible for functional checks for audiometric test equipment daily.
Work Schedule: Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.
Travel Required: 75% or less
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position
Functional Statement #: 70964F
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Eligible candidates may qualify for a relocation/recruitment incentive. Terms and conditions apply.
Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required
IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.
Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.
Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior work experience or military service experience. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.
During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.
This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status.
VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.
Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process.
If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.
It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.
Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.
To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the full questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 12/09/2024 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12459740.
Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.
NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/797326000. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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OUR MISSION: To fulfill President Lincoln's promise "To care for those who have served in our nation's military and for their families, caregivers, and survivors" - by serving and honoring the men and women who are America's Veterans. How would you like to become a part of a team providing compassionate whole health care to Veterans?
The VA Tampa Healthcare System provides you with outstanding health care, trains America's future health care providers, and conducts important medical research. We provide you with health care services at 20 locations in central Florida. Facilities include our James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital in Tampa and 16 community-based outpatient clinics in Brooksville, Hidden River (Tampa), Lakeland, Lecanto, New Port Richey, South Hillsborough (Riverview), and Zephyrhills. We also maintain 2 mobile clinics for Veterans who can't easily visit one of our facilities, and we offer a domiciliary in Tampa for Veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. The VA Tampa Healthcare System is one of the leading health care systems serving Veterans in the VA Sunshine Health Care Network. We're an innovative care center within the Veterans Integrated Service Network 8 (VISN 8), which includes medical centers and clinics in Florida, Georgia, and the Caribbean.
