Health Technician (Ophthalmology)

Summary

The Health Technician (Ophthalmology) performs a range of standard but complex diagnostic procedures, including checking instrument calibration, obtaining patient physical histories, performing visual acuity tests, and administering eye medications.

Responsibilities

• Checks and performs calibration of technical ophthalmology screening instruments
• Obtains patient physical history, including chief complaint, reason for visit, pertinent signs and symptoms, past ocular and general medical history, family history, social history, and review of medications and allergies, including current ocular prescription and non-prescription medications
• Accurately tests visual acuity at distance and near, with and without correction or with and without 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 using an auto refraction or habitual glass prescription in the phoropter
• 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 corneareformation of anterior chamber, evacuation of hyphema, repositioning of corneal endothelial grafts, intra-vitreous injections, and laser surgical procedures
• Edits 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

• Experience: One year of experience in a health care field such as nursing, medical assistant, or health technician, or two years above high school with a minimum of six semester hours directly related to a health care field or an associate's degree in a health care-related degree, or equivalent combination of experience and education.
• Certification: Must be certified as a Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA) with the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO).

Qualifications

• Basic Requirements: Citizen of the United States. Experience and Education as outlined above. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are also qualifying.

Skills

• Advanced tonometry and pupil evaluation
• Calculations for intraocular lens selection
• 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
• Proper cleaning and maintenance of clinic equipment

Benefits

• No specific benefits mentioned.

Pay

GS-8 (Full Performance Level)

Schedule

Monday - Friday
9:00am - 5:30pm

Total Rewards

Functions/Scope of Duties: Clinical Responsibilities
Physical Requirements: Some physical exertion such as prolonged periods of standing, bending, reaching, crouching, stooping, stretching, and lifting moderately heavy items such as manuals, record boxes, equipment, or assisting patients. Requires above average agility and dexterity. May be required to travel between VA and/or Non-VA clinical care sites and possess a valid driver's license.

Functional Statement #

52454F

Physical Requirements

Work requires some physical exertion such as prolonged periods of standing, bending, reaching, crouching, stooping, stretching, and lifting moderately heavy items such as manuals, record boxes, equipment, or assisting patients. Work requires above average agility and dexterity. Incumbent may be required to travel between VA and/or Non-VA clinical care sites and possession of a valid driver's license may be required.

Work Schedule

Monday - Friday
9:00am - 5:30pm

Recruitment Incentive (Sign-on Bonus)

Authorized

Telework

Not available

Virtual

This is not a virtual position

Permanent Change of Station (PCS)

Not Authorized