The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) supports the provision of patient care using telehealth technologies which increase a Veteran's access to care and support a Veteran's self-management. This includes developing and delivering virtual and digital technologies which help Veterans communicate synchronously and asynchronously with their health care teams and coordinate, track and manage their health care.
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. A candidate will not be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C. chapters 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English. 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: 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 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. Preferred Experience: Knowledge of the Telehealth program and purpose of Telehealth Expansion. Ability to provide patient/staff/provider education. Ability to form positive working relationships and communicate effectively with Licensed Independent Practitioners, other health care professionals, and team members. Ability to schedule and complete appointments and encounters. Knowledgeable of the Telehealth Conditions of Participation and the importance of complying with internal and external standards. Ability to operate and knowledgeable of various technology and video conferencing technology to complete Telehealth visits, provide quality controls, and provide user maintenance as indicated. Skill in operating various computer software programs, including Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, VISTA, and CPRS. Ability to document completely and appropriately per facility policy and Telehealth standards. Knowledgeable of performance improvement monitors and the ability to collect data for performance improvement. Minimum three years of clinical experience. Ability to make astute observations of subtle, less obvious changes, both physical and emotional, in the patient's condition, and document care delivered and patient's response to care. Appropriately seeks assistance and guidance by informing the RN or physician of changes in the patient's condition. Ability to perform manual vital signs and knowledgeable of abnormal ranges. Knowledgeable of the reusable medical equipment policy and guidelines for equipment cleaning. Ability to plan and organize assignments independently. Ability to communicate effectively, appropriately, and professionally, both orally and written. Ability to travel to CBOCs or Medical Center for training or to provide clinical coverage. Grade Determinations: Health Technician (Telehealth Clinical) Experience. One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level. 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. References: https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. This Position is above the performance level GS-07. Physical Requirements: See VA Handbook 5019
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 interfacility 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; Coordinating and. or directly configuring, installing, troubleshooting, inventory management, cleaning, and performing minor routine maintenance of assigned telehealth technology; Ensuring assigned telehealth technologies are secured, ready for use, and accounted for by preparing and tracking maintenance work orders, information systems, inventory records, and communicating with National Telehealth Technology Help Desk to facilitate troubleshooting, repair, and coordination of replacement equipment as necessary. Providing education and training to Veterans, clinical staff and providers on the use of telehealth technologies and serving as a point of contact to answer questions and address concerns related to these technologies; Work Schedule: Monday - Friday 0800 am-1630pm Telework: Not Authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Title/Functional Statement #:Health Technician (Telehealth Advance)/PD000000 and PD03975F Financial Disclosure Report: Not required