Summary

The Health Technician (Telehealth Clinical) - Advanced provides high level support - training - and advanced management of telehealth operations and is typically stationed at a clinical care delivery site (VA Medical Center - CBOC - VA Outreach Clinic - etc.) - with duties that may require travel. This position is part of VISN 6 facility in Fayetteville North Carolina - Surgery Service located at the Fayetteville Health Care Clinic.

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.

Basic Requirements:

• United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• BASIC REQUIREMENTS a
• Citizenship
• Citizen of the United States
• After a determination is made that it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens - non-citizen personnel may be appointed on a temporary basis under authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405 - without regard to the citizenship requirements of 38 U.S.C. 7402 or any other law prohibiting the employment of or payment of compensation to a person who is not a citizen of the United States
• Candidates must meet all other requirements for the grade and position concerned
• b
• Experience and Education
• (1) Experience
• 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 (2) Education
• Four academic years above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation
• OR (3) Experience/Education Combination
• Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable
• Examples are listed below: (a) 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 3 (b) 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 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)
• Grandfathering Provision
• All Health Technicians (Telehealth Clinical) employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title - series - and grade held
• For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard - but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it - the following provisions apply: (1) Such employees may be reassigned - promoted up to and including the full performance (journeyman) level - or changed to lower grade within the occupation - but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions
• (2) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed - on a temporary or permanent basis - until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard
• (3) If an employee who was retained (grandfathered) under this provision leaves that occupation - the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation Grade Determinations: Health Technician (Telehealth Clinical) - GS-6 (Full Performance Level) (1) Experience
• One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (2) Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities (KSA)
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs
• (a) Comprehensive knowledge of computer systems and programs to perform a variety of tasks
• (b) Ability to communicate - consult - and interact with other members of the healthcare team - external relations - customer service and patient education
• (c) Ability to provide and receive guidance and technical direction
• (d) Ability to plan - organize - set priorities - work as a team member - and effectively complete assignments
• (e) Ability to read - interpret - and apply complex written instructions
• (f) Knowledge of general clinical policies and procedures in a healthcare environment
• (g) Skilled in the use of telehealth technologies for the facilitation of telehealth clinical encounters Health Technician (Telehealth Clinical) - GS-7 (Advanced) (1) Experience
• One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level
• (2) Demonstrated Knowledge - Skills - and Abilities
• In addition to the experience above - the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs
• (a) Ability to use independent technical judgment to analyze - evaluate and resolve problems
• (b) Knowledge of quality control and assurance procedures and principles of performance improvement
• (c) Ability to function effectively between competing priorities
• (d) Knowledge of proper maintenance and troubleshooting of telehealth equipment
• (e) Ability to work with a team to provide technical guidance - plan - organize and coordinate activities of a health technician in order to effectively complete job duties of assignment such as distributing workload - monitoring the status and progress of work - monitoring accuracy of work
• (f) Ability to assist in Health Technician (Telehealth Clinical) development - outcome management and strategic planning
• (g) Ability to perform successful knowledge transfer regarding the use of telehealth technologies
• Preferred Experience: Telehealth experience preferred
• IT and mechanical experience preferred as well Reference: For more information on this qualification standard - please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/
• The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-7. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-6 to GS-7. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019

Duties

• The higher-level duties associated with this advanced-level position may include - but are not limited to: - coordinating - installing - maintaining and managing the inventory of telehealth technologies including hardware and software with assistance of Biomed and IT
• - providing established standardized competency based training - guidance and information on the use of advanced telehealth technologies to patients - staff - and providers
• - providing established standardized competency based training for telehealth technology - facilitating interactive simulations for clinical staff participating in telehealth programs
• - participating in performance improvement activities aimed at improving the efficiency of the patient telehealth processes
• - developing reporting procedures - sampling techniques and measurements at various points in the telehealth processes to identify/analyze inherent weaknesses in work and procedures
• - coordinating clinic set up and monitoring of workload capture and issues for assigned patient and provider clinics including telehealth resource based scheduling
• - supporting designated complex telehealth programs that require advanced technical skillsets'
• Full performance level assignments associated with this position include - but are not limited to: - 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 (VVC) 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 manager of clinical data 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 the 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[1]facility telehealth appointments using an electronic resource-based scheduling system
• - referring patients to providers for screening for Telehealth
• - 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
• - communicating effectively with clinical and administrative staff at the assigned local site and those located at remote sites of care
• - completing other duties as assigned
• Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 0730 - 1600 - no weekends Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position
• Functional Statement #: Health Technician (Telehealth Clinical) - Advanced - T38 Hybrid - GS-0640-07 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized