The Health Technician works at the Lyle C. Pearson VA Clinic in Mankato, MN, which is within the Minneapolis VA Health Care System. The Health Technician position provides clinical support in a wide variety of ancillary activities in the Ambulatory Care Outpatient Clinic. The incumbent provides technical and administrative support to the assigned clinic and must be flexible and adapt to the various duties within a clinic, ultimately ensuring timely and respectful care of the Veteran population. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 01/27/2023. You must qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-05) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization and required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. Specialized experience includes: triage walk-in patients and calls to a clinic; measuring patient's vital signs; monitoring patient's condition throughout an exam, testing, or procedure; labeling and preparing specimens for transfer; must possess and maintain current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification for this position. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successfully completed one half year of graduate education (9 semester hours or equivalent) with a major that included courses directly related to the work of this position. OR, Combination of Education and Experience: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and graduate education. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. ["Major Duties include, but are not limited to: Perform venipuncture collection of specimens; Perform STAT duties: perform tests expediently in emergent situations, including phlebotomy, spirometry, and EKG; Perform order entry and accessioning of test orders in a computer system, ranking patients in priority order; Perform electrocardiogram testing and spirometry testing; Provide support to clinic tele-medicine program, including data collection; Instruct patients regarding proper test collection protocols; Process and prepare test samples for shipping to the medical center for later testing; Perform daily checks of bio-medical instrumentation to ensure all are working safely and properly; Order and stock all clinic supplies; Possess and maintain BLS certification and complete training and respond and assist during medical emergencies; Meet the needs of customers while supporting VA missions; May be requested to perform these duties at the St. James, MN clinic location; Perform other duties as assigned. Student Loan Repayment Program: With supervisory approval/recommendation, this occupational series is eligible for the Student Loan Repayment Program (SLRP). Repayment is limited to $10,000 annually, up to $60,000 in lifetime awards. Participants must sign a service agreement and maintain an acceptable level of performance to remain eligible for this program. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, tour to be determined/discussed during interview Position Description Title/PD#: Health Technician/ PD60757A Physical Requirements: The work requires the incumbent to be mobile throughout the clinic as needed. Activities involve standing, walking, bending, pushing and lifting (moderate to heavy items). The incumbent should be capable of prolonged standing and walking and be physically capable of pushing equipment. Bargaining Unit Position: Yes - AFGE The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being."]
Providing Health Care for Veterans: The Veterans Health Administration is America’s largest integrated health care system, providing care at 1,255 health care facilities, including 170 medical centers and 1,074 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics), serving 9 million enrolled Veterans each year.