Health Technician (Hearing Instruction Specialist)

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Summary --------------------------------

This job is open to Duties Requirements How you will be evaluated Required documents How to apply

Summary --------------------------------

The Health Technician Hearing Instrument Specialist (HIS) position is located in the Audiology Service at the Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) located in Gaylord or Indian River affiliated with Aleda E. Lutz VA Medical Center in Saginaw, Michigan.

Overview --------

The HIS position is responsible for providing direct patient care duties, including hearing aid troubleshooting and repair, visual and auditory checks of hearing aids and hearing assistive technology, fabricating earmold impressions, and providing patient education.

Duties ------

• Direct patient care duties may include:
• 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
• Troubleshooting performance
• Fabricating earmold impressions with proper non-diagnostic otoscopy
• Ordering earmolds based on plan of care through prosthetics and fitting and modifying earmolds if necessary
• Providing basic hearing aid information for patients and caregivers consistent with the audiologists treatment plan, including but not limited to realistic expectations, communication strategies, and 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, and pairing hearing aid accessories
• Responsible for 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
• Completes documentation per medical center policy for timeliness for each episode of care and codes procedures as appropriate in the patient record in preparation for co-signature by the audiologist

Administrative duties may include:

• Maintaining comprehensive supply and equipment tracking systems, including monitoring stock of reusable medical equipment, RME, and consumable items
• Ensuring proper inventory levels to complete the daily tasks
• Prioritizing the acquisition of all supplies and equipment regarding date of expiration and may maintain a loaner hearing aid inventory
• Assisting patients through triaging phone calls and audiology requests with regards to priority and urgency following the audiologists plan of care

Work Schedule -------------

• Monday-Friday, 8:00 am - 4:30 pm

Compressed Flexible ------------------

• Not Authorized

Recruitment Incentive -------------------

• Sign-on Bonus Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station -------------------------

• Relocation expenses reimbursed

No -------------------

• Appointment type: Permanent
• Work schedule: Full-time
• Service: Excepted
• Promotion potential: 6
• Job family Series: 0640 Health Aid and Technician
• Supervisory status: No
• Security clearance: Not Required
• Drug test: Yes
• Position sensitivity and risk: Non-sensitive, NS, Low Risk
• Trust determination process: Credentialing
• Suitability: Fitness
• Financial disclosure: No
• Bargaining unit status: No
• Announcement number: CBSR-12865944-26-MBS
• Control number: 854679500

Requirements ------------

• U.S. Citizenship
• Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy
• Experience and Education:
• Experience: Completion of the Department of Labor Apprenticeship Program for Hearing Aid Specialists
• Education: Successful completion of two academic years above high school that includes coursework related to the field of hearing science, human anatomy and physiology, hearing instrument science, gerontology, psychology, or other general healthcare areas
• Licensure or Registration:
• Individuals must hold a full current and unrestricted license or registration to practice as a Health Technician Hearing Instrument Specialist (HIS) in a state, territory, commonwealth, or the District of Columbia
• Loss of Licensure or Registration:
• A Health Technician HIS who fails to maintain the required licensure or registration must be removed from the occupation, which may also result in termination of employment
• Board Certification:
• Individuals must hold active board certification from the National Board for Certification in Hearing Instrument Sciences (NBC-HIS)
• Exception for Non-Board Certified Health Technician HIS:
• Non-board certified applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for appointment may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate Health Technician HIS under the authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405c2B
• Non-board certified individuals shall only provide care under the supervision of a licensed audiologist
• Non-board certified individuals may only be appointed at the entry level and may not be promoted or converted until board certification is obtained
• Temporary appointments of non-board certified Health Technician HIS may not be extended beyond two years or converted to a new temporary appointment
• Failure to obtain certification:
• In all cases, Health Technician HIS must actively pursue meeting requirements for board certification starting from the date of their appointment
• At the time of appointment, the supervisor will provide the Health Technician HIS with the written requirements for board certification, including the time (i.e., two years) by which the board certification must be obtained and the consequences for not becoming board certified by the deadline
• Failure to obtain board certification during the two-year period may result in termination of employment
• Foreign Education:
• To be creditable education completed outside the U.S. must be deemed at least equivalent to that gained in a conventional U.S. program by a private organization specializing in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials
• English Language Proficiency:
• Health Technician HIS candidates must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7403f
• Grade Determinations:
• In addition to the basic requirements outlined above, the following criteria must be met when determining the grade of candidates:
• Health Technician HIS GS-05:
• Experience: None beyond the basic requirements
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):
• Knowledge of basic anatomy of the head and neck
• Knowledge of basic infection control procedures and guidelines
• Skill in using basic computer software to complete tasks such as using email, creating spreadsheets, and word processing
• Ability to communicate orally and in writing
• Ability to follow verbal and written instructions
• Ability to maintain stock and supply level inventories
• Health Technician HIS GS-06:
• Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade
• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):
• Knowledge of normal and abnormal ear anatomy
• Knowledge of hearing aids, hearing assistive technology, hearing aid manufacturers, and manufacturer software
• Skill in documenting patient procedures and patient devices
• Skill in providing patient education for hearing aid use, including assisting patients with hearing aid insertion, removal, and hygiene cleaning and disinfection
• Ability to provide patient education and training regarding hearing loss and communication strategies for various listening situations
• Ability to solve problems or make decisions regarding hearing aids, hearing assistive technology, and patient care that is consistent with the documented and co-signed plan of care under the supervision of an audiologist
• Ability to prepare patient equipment and/or environment for audiology procedures
• Ability to provide triage of patient telephone calls or audiology requests

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.
• If you are relying on your 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 http://ope.ed.gov/acccreditation.

Additional Information --------------------

• Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual Vacation Leave:
• Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate of 4, 6, or 8 hours per pay period, which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee.
• Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual based on prior work experience or military service experience.
• During the application process, you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions.
• Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.
• 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