Health Technician (Audiology)-CAOHC
What you'd do
This position is located in the Audiology & Speech Pathology Service at Orlando VA Healthcare System. The duties and responsibilities to be carried out in all clinical and other patient care areas involved with the Audiology service. The health technician supports the function of the clinical programs in Audiology. The incumbent is a staff health technician (Audiology float) under the supervision of a Senior Audiologist.
Major duties
Duties include but are not limited to: Triaging patients to an audiologist based on complexity of the procedures being completed. Patient set up for procedures (e.g. vestibular, neurodiagnostic procedures). Patient instruction and counseling on hearing loss, hearing protection, or hearing aids either on an individual basis or in a group setting. Conducting hearing Puretone air-conduction testing without interpretation for the purpose of hearing conservation and for established patients in regular VA clinic. Immittance screening without interpretation. Non-diagnostic otoscopy, taking earmold impressions, hearing aid troubleshooting and repair. Providing basic haring aid information for patients and caregivers, 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, completing adjustments to hearing aid settings as outlined specifically in the audiologist's plan of care. Activating remote controls. Training of employees and patients on personal hearing protection devices. Prepare the equipment for patient evaluations (both face to face and virtual care/telehealth for any audiology appointments or procedures. Set up and deliver a wide variety of face-to-face and telehealth/virtual visits (including synchronous and asynchronous). Ensuring timely and accurate documentation of all interactions in the medical records and that all encounters are correctly documented using electronic medical record and computerized tracking and ordering functions via ROES. Responsible for the direct training, management and supervision of medical center volunteers within the Audiology section as needed, any audiologist assistant receiving practical experience from an affiliated university, and any other health technicians or any audiology students as directed by their supervisor. Work Schedule: Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday 7:00 am - 5:30 pm Telework: Available (Ad-hoc) Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 81430F Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized
What you need to qualify
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. English Language Proficiency: HTA, HTSLP or HTASLP candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English to be appointed as authorized by38 U.S.C. § 7403 (f). Experience and Education. Experience. Six months of experience comparable to the next lower level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled. OR, Education. Successful completion of two academic years above high school leading to an associate degree or a bachelor's degree with at least12 semester hours in courses related to the position. Foreign Education. To be creditable, education completed outside the U.S. must have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education must have been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. programs. OR Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. An example of a combination of experience/education is three months of experience comparable to the next lower level which demonstrates the knowledge, skills and abilities related to the duties of the position to be filled and one year above high school with a minimum of 6 semester hours related to the health care industry. Grandfathering Provision. All individuals employed in VHA in this occupational series or in another occupational series performing the duties as described in the qualification standard on the effective date of the qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the grade held including positive education and licensure/trademark/registration/certification. 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: They may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. If an HTA, HTSLP or HTASLP who was retained under this provision leaves the occupation, the employee will lose protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation. HTAs, HTSLPs or HTASLPs 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. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. Grade Determinations: GS-08 Experience. Completion of one year of progressive experience and/or experience equivalent to the next lower grade level directly related to the position being filled. Certification. Council for Accreditation in Occupational Hearing Conservation (CAOHC) certification as a Certified Occupational Hearing Conservationist (COHC) is required for this assignment. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs: Ability to conduct employee hearing conservation education and training. Knowledge of the hearing conservation program requirements to manage records and files. Ability to perform pure tone air conduction testing. Ability to provide audiologic technical support to the employee hearing conservation program. Ability to identify a threshold shift and make appropriate referrals for further testing when indicated. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: Physical aspects associated with work required of this assignment are typical for the occupation. May require standing, lifting, carrying, sitting, stooping, bending, pulling, and pushing. May be required to wear personal protective equipment and undergo annual TB screening or testing as conditions of employment.
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