Health Technician (Hearing Instrument Specialist)

About the role

Incumbent is a staff health technician (HIS) under the supervision of a GS-12 staff audiologist or above. This position is in the Audiology Service at the Columbia VA HCS.

Responsibilities

• Supports the function of the clinical programs in Audiology.
• Performs non-diagnostic otoscopy including proper bracing techniques and makes appropriate referrals for abnormalities and cerumen management.
• Rechecks air-conduction pure tone threshold testing to assist the audiologist in modifying the treatment plan during hearing aid repair appointments.
• Provides patient care in hearing aid repair appointments, consistent with the audiologist's treatment plan.
• Completes visual and auditory checks with listening stethoscope of hearing aids prior to and following repair of device (troubleshoots performance).
• Processes incoming devices from patients with concerns related to their hearing aids or hearing assistive technology.
• Prepares and charges (if required) hearing aids and assistive devices for delivery.
• Receives devices and restores settings of hearing aid/hearing assistive technology after repair or replacement from manufacturer, such as Denver Logistics Center (DLC).
• Maintains proper levels of mailing/shipping supplies.

Requirements

• Completion of the Department of Labor Apprenticeship Program for Hearing Aid Specialists OR Education: Successful completion of two academic years above high school that includes coursework related to the field: hearing science - human anatomy and physiology - hearing instrument science - gerontology - psychology or other general healthcare areas.
• Licenses or Registrations: Full - current and unrestricted license or registration to practice as a HIS in a state - territory - commonwealth or the District of Columbia.
• Board Certification: Active board certification from the National Board for Certification in Hearing Instrument Sciences (NBC-HIS).

Qualifications

• Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship - Non-citizens may only be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met.
• Experience: Completion of the Department of Labor Apprenticeship Program for Hearing Aid Specialists OR Education: Successful completion of two academic years above high school that includes coursework related to the field: hearing science - human anatomy and physiology - hearing instrument science - gerontology - psychology or other general healthcare areas.
• Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Knowledge of basic anatomy of the head and neck, basic infection control procedures and guidelines, and ability to communicate orally and in writing.

Skills

• Ability to communicate orally and in writing.
• Ability to follow verbal and written instructions.
• Ability to maintain stock and supply level inventories.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.
• 37-50 days of annual paid time off.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
• Full-time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66.
• Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA Insurance.
• Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement).

Pay

• Competitive salary and regular salary increases.

Schedule

• Total Rewards of a Allied Health Professional: GS-05 Hearing aid troubleshooting and repair, performing visual and auditory checks of hearing aids and hearing assistive technology-including all hearing aid accessories as well as alerting devices (troubleshoots performance), fabricating earmold impressions with proper (non-diagnostic) otoscopy, ordering earmolds based on plan of care through prosthetics or DLC and fitting and modifying earmolds - if necessary, providing basic hearing aid information for patients and caregivers consistent with the audiologist's treatment plan - including but not limited to - realistic expectations - communication strategies - and/or aural rehabilitation, assisting in set up and delivery of face-to-face and telehealth visits by preparing the equipment for patient evaluation and other audiology procedures including - but not limited to daily biologic listening calibration of audiometric equipment and calibration of real ear equipment, assisting patients with hearing aid connectivity including - but not limited to downloading applications (or apps) - pairing devices in the app - Bluetooth pairing - and pairing hearing aid accessories.
• GS-06 Hearing aid troubleshooting and repair, performing visual and auditory checks of hearing aids and hearing assistive technology-including all hearing aid accessories as well as alerting devices (troubleshoots performance); fabricating earmold impressions with proper (non-diagnostic) otoscopy, ordering earmolds based on plan of care through prosthetics or DLC and fitting and modifying earmolds - if necessary, providing basic hearing aid information for patients and caregivers consistent with the audiologist's treatment plan - including but not limited to - realistic expectations - communication strategies - and/or aural rehabilitation, assisting in set up and delivery of face-to-face and telehealth visits by preparing the equipment for patient evaluation and other audiology procedures including - but not limited to daily biologic listening calibration of audiometric equipment and calibration of real ear equipment, assisting patients with hearing aid connectivity including - but not limited to downloading applications (or apps) - pairing devices in the app - Bluetooth pairing - and pairing hearing aid accessories.