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Summary The Health Technician (Audiology) (HTA) provides assistance to the audiologists in meeting the clinical needs of the patients served in the VA Iowa City Health Care System Audiology and Speech Pathology Service (ASPS) and reports to the Chief, ASPS. The duties and responsibilities are to be carried out in all clinical and other patient care areas involved with the Audiology service and is physically located at the Quad Cities Community Based Outpatient Clinic. Responsibilities The HTA provides support in eight functional areas: 1) Patient education, patient care and hearing aid evaluation; 2) Hearing aid repair and programming and assistive listening device troubleshooting and repair; 3) New hearing aid certification and tracking and earmold tracking; 4) Management of clinic supplies and equipment; 5) Clinic and patient data management; 6) Management of clinical infection control procedures; 7) Telehealth diagnostic and treatment encounters; and, 8) Education and training of other staff and HTAs on hearing aid care and maintenance. Direct patient care responsibilities include: Greeting and escorting patients; Patient instruction and counseling on hearing loss or hearing aids either on an individual basis or in a group setting; Conducting hearing pass/fail screenings without interpretation; Non-diagnostic otoscopy; Cerumen management; Taking earmold impressions; Hearing aid troubleshooting and repair; Providing basic hearing 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; Activating remote controls; and, other duties as assigned. Administrative duties include: Ordering and stocking of office supplies; Tracking loaner stock hearing aid inventory; Electronic ordering, verifying orders upon arrival to ensure components are present and working correctly; Packaging and mailing hearing aids and accessories; processing ROES transactions (e.g. certifying and issuing hearing aids, entering orders and repairs); Responding to routine inquiries from patients at multiple CBOCs, including determining nature of hearing aid inquiry and responding to administrative questions; assisting patients, visitors, and others requesting information; Management of infection control, patient safety, and clinical supplies for the audiology clinic; Maintenance of clean, disinfected instrumentation, equipment, and work surfaces in the audiology clinic; and, other duties as assigned. The HTA at this level mentors and trains new HTAs. Additionally, the HTA develops and implements the HTA role in the Community Based Outpatient Clinics (CBOC) of the ICVAHCS. The HTA at this level has successfully developed a repair and customer service program that meets the needs of hearing aid users from multiple CBOCs. The HTA provides hands-on assistance to the audiologists providing services during telehealth, for at least one year with a high level of independence. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30am to 4:00pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. You may be required to serve a probationary period. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications Basic Requirements: (a) United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. (b) English Language Proficiency. In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), HTA candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English. (c) Education and/or Experience: 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 least 12 semester hours in courses related to the position. 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. NOTE: 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 GS-7 Grade Requirements: (a) Experience. Completion of one year of progressive experience and/or experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-6) directly related to the position being filled. (b) Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs). In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs clearly in the resume: Ability to mentor and train new HTAs. Ability to prepare patients for advanced testing procedures performed by the audiologist, such as evoked potentials. Ability to develop and implement the technician role for a program in a focused area of audiology. Preferred Experience: Experience in training new health technicians and completing telehealth encounters for audiology. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/143, PART II, APPENDIX G70 Education IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. Additional Information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.