Health Technician (Hearing Instrument Specialist)

Summary

The Kansas City VA Medical Center is currently recruiting for a Health Technician (Hearing Instrument Specialist) position that exists within the Audiology service in Kansas City, MO with coverage to various audiology sites as deemed necessary by workload demands. The duties and responsibilities are carried out in all patient care areas involved with the Audiology service. This position supports the function of clinical programs in Audiology and is under the supervision of an audiologist.

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Duties

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Primary responsibility is for patient care, supporting diagnostic and treatment procedures, patient charting and patient education, which do not require a full professional audiology education or knowledge and skills represented by audiology licensure. Support functions include both direct patient care and administrative duties.

Direct patient care duties may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Performing non-diagnostic otoscopy including proper bracing techniques and making appropriate referrals for abnormalities and cerumen management;
• Rechecking air-conduction pure tone threshold testing to assist the audiologist in modifying the treatment plan during hearing aid repair appointments;
• Providing patient care in hearing aid repair appointments, consistent with the audiologist's treatment plan;
• Completing visual and auditory checks with listening stethoscope of hearing aids prior to and following repair of device (troubleshoots performance).
• Adhering to the audiology clinic policy and standard operating procedures for infection control and cleaning, sterilization, and disposition of reusable medical equipment (RME).
• Providing instruction to patients, family and staff on device topics including but not limited to hearing aid and hearing assistive technology care, maintenance, use and operation.

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Work Schedule : Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:00pm CST

Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases

Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year)

Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.

Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66 .

Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA

Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)

Telework : Ad-hoc

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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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.
• Subject to background/security investigation.
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Must pass pre-employment physical evaluation/examination.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP).
• Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

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.
• Experience and Education.
  • Experience. Completion of the Department of Labor Apprenticeship Program for Hearing Aid Specialists; OR
  • Education. Successful completion of two academic years above high school that includes coursework related to the field: hearing science, human anatomy and physiology, hearing instrument science, gerontology, psychology or other general healthcare areas .

NOTE: There is no combination of education and experience which can be substituted for the basic requirements.

• Licensure or Registration. Individuals must hold a full, current and unrestricted license or registration to practice as a HIS in a state, territory, commonwealth or he District of Columbia.

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. § 7405(c)(2)(B).
  • 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/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) mustactively pursue meeting requirements for board certification starting fromthe date of their appointment. At the time of appointment, the supervisorwill provide the Health Technician (HIS) with the written requirements forboard certification, including the time (i.e., two years) by which the boardcertification must be obtained and the consequences for not becomingboard certified by the deadline. Failure to obtain board certification during the two-year period may result in termination of employment.

Loss of Certification. A Health Technician (HIS) who fails to maintain therequired board certification must be removed from the occupation, whichmay also result in termination of employment.

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. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following 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. In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate the following 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, to include assisting patient 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.

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit

The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is in the range of GS-5 to GS-6

Physical Requirements: Position requires vision in both eyes with ability to distinguish colors and shades; ability to hear; use of arms, legs, and fingers; ability to walk and stand for 6-8 hours per day; repeated bending; ability to manage outside and inside environments; ability to tolerate fumes and odors; work closely with others and/or work alone; assist patient care using safe approved modalities. Desk work, computer work, patient care work, work with audiology machinery and parts.

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: 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:

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (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. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

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, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority.

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.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.