Health Tech Ophthalmology-OCA

About the role

The Health Technician (Ophthalmology) supports Ophthalmologists in diagnosis, treatment, prevention, follow-up care, and patient counseling within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).

Responsibilities

• Checks and performs calibration of technical ophthalmology screening instruments.
• Obtains patient physical history, including chief complaint, reason for visit, pertinent signs and symptoms, current medication allergies, past ocular and general medical history, family history, social history, and review of medications and allergies.
• Accurately tests visual acuity at distance and near, with and without correction or with a pinhole.
• Measures eyeglass prescription using manual or automated lensometer, recording sphere, cylinder, axis, and prism in both plus and minus cylinder.
• Performs pupil evaluation, recording pupil size, shape, symmetry, reaction to light, and accommodation. Performs swinging flashlight test to detect a relative afferent pupillary defect.
• Performs basic refractometry utilizing an auto-refraction or habitual glass prescription in the phoropter. Competent at distance and near refractions and complex refractions.
• Instills eye medications (drops or ointments, including anesthetic, dye, dilating drops, cycloplegic drops, or antibiotics).
• Measures intraocular pressure with standard techniques, including Goldmann applanation tonometry.
• Performs pachymetry to determine corneal thickness and manual keratometry or automated topography to determine corneal curvature.
• Performs intra-ocular lens calculations using an IOL Master or equivalent device.
• Performs automated visual field testing using various perimetry machines.
• Performs external photographs and fundus photography.
• Performs optical coherence tomography (OCT) of the anterior segment, retina, and optic nerve.
• Performs patient screening and triage of potentially urgent ocular conditions.
• Assists during clinic-based ophthalmic surgery, including revision of wounds, biopsies of the eyelid lesions, cultures of conjunctiva, or cornea; reformation of anterior chamber, evacuation of hyphema, repositioning of corneal endothelial grafts, intra-vitreous injections, and laser surgical procedures.
• Educates patients and legal authorized representatives in eye care, including preoperative and postoperative instructions.
• Assists in the education and training of medical students, residents, and fellows in those facilities with medical school affiliations.
• Ensures proper cleaning and disinfection; calibration, maintenance, backup, annual inventory, and ordering of instruments, supplies, and equipment; obtains quotes as needed; and reports needed repairs to biomedical engineering.

Requirements

• One year of experience in a health care field, such as nursing, medical assistant, or health technician.
• Two years above high school with a minimum of six semester hours directly related to a health care field or associate's degree in a health care related degree.
• Equivalent combinations of experience and education are also qualifying.
• Certified as a Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA) with the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO).
• Proficient in written and spoken English.
• Passes pre-employment physical examination.
• Passes seasonal influenza vaccination program.

Qualifications

• Applicants must meet the basic requirements and demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
• Ability to perform advanced tonometry and pupil evaluation;
• Ability to perform calculations for selection of intraocular lens;
• Knowledge of clinic based ophthalmic surgical assisting;
• Knowledge of eye anatomy and physiology;
• Knowledge of medication effects and proper instillation in the eye;
• Knowledge of optics;
• Knowledge of proper cleaning and maintenance of clinic equipment.

Benefits

• Full performance for this position is GS 8.
• Health Technicians (Ophthalmology) must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) and 38 U.S.C. 7407(d).
• GS-8 candidates must have:
• (a) Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the GS-7 grade level.
• (b) Assignment. This is considered to be the full performance level for this assignment.
• (c) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSA). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:
• 1. Ability to perform advanced tonometry and pupil evaluation;
• 2. Ability to perform calculations for selection of intraocular lens;
• 3. Knowledge of clinic based ophthalmic surgical assisting;
• 4. Knowledge of eye anatomy and physiology;
• 5. Knowledge of medication effects and proper instillation in the eye;
• 6. Knowledge of optics;
• 7. Knowledge of proper cleaning and maintenance of clinic equipment.