Health Technician (Clinical Support)

Summary

Join the Indian Health Service as a Health Technician (Clinical Support) and support quality healthcare services for American Indian communities. Assist healthcare teams with patient care, clinical support, documentation, and healthcare operations while building a rewarding career in a mission-driven healthcare environment.

A REAL ID will be required beginning May 7, 2025, in accordance with 6 C.F.R. 37.5 (2021).

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Duties

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Total Compensation Package - Check out IHS's outstanding total compensation package for this job:

Health Technician Total Compensation | Pay (ihs.gov)

• Provide routine direct patient care and clinical support services as part of an interdisciplinary healthcare team.
• Perform patient intake, screening, vital signs, routine testing, and documentation in electronic health records.
• Prepare patients for examinations and assist with personal care, mobility, comfort, and safety needs.
• Monitor patient conditions, recognize changes requiring attention, and report observations to healthcare staff.
• Maintain patient care areas, supplies, equipment, and records in compliance with safety, infection control, and privacy requirements.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

Selectee may be subject to a probationary period

ESEP appointees typically serve a two year trial period

U.S. Citizenship is required

Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959

This is a designated position covered by Public Law 101-630, requiring contact or control over Indian children. Due to this requirement, the agency must ensure that persons hired for these positions have not been found guilty of or pleaded nolo contendere or guilty to certain crimes.

Position may be required to work evenings, weekends and/or holidays.

Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit

Selectee must maintain an active bank account with a financial institution to receive salary payments through electronic direct deposit.

Background Investigation Requirement:

This position requires the successful completion of a federal background investigation as a condition of employment.

A background investigation is a standard process used by the Federal Government to verify an individual's identity, employment history, education, and other relevant information to determine suitability for Federal service.

Upon receipt of instructions, applicants must complete all required background investigation forms within five (5) calendar days of issuance. Timely completion is critical to avoid delays in processing or a determination of unsuitability.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to prioritize this requirement and to maintain regular communication with their assigned Personnel Security Specialist throughout the process.

Financial Suitability Requirement:

This position requires a review of the applicant's financial history as part of the personnel security and suitability determination. Applicants must demonstrate financial responsibility, maintain good standing with creditors, and satisfy all legal financial obligations prior to applying.

Individuals with substantial delinquent or unresolved financial obligations-including, but not limited to, delinquent federal or state tax liabilities, defaulted federal student loans, court-ordered fines or fees, or child support arrears-may be deemed unsuitable for employment with the Indian Health Service (IHS).

Prior to the appointment, candidates must present two valid forms of identification. If one of the documents is a state-issued ID or driver's license, it must be REAL ID-compliant.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, your resume must state sufficient experience and/or education, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are applying.

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; religious; spiritual; community; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

GS-05: Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-04 grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: providing basic clinical and clerical support in a healthcare setting under supervision; conducting patient screening, obtaining and recording vital signs, and documenting patient information in electronic health records; assisting with patient positioning, activities of daily living, and routine clinical procedures to support patient comfort and safety; recognizing and reporting changes in patient condition; maintaining exam rooms, supplies, and equipment in accordance with infection control and safety guidelines; and performing administrative support duties such as scheduling appointments, maintaining records, and coordinating communications with healthcare staff and external facilities.

OR

Completion of a bachelor's degree program with a major or at least twenty-four (24) semester hours in subjects related to the position being filled.

OR

A combination of education and experience. Only education in excess of the first 60 semester hours is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirement.

GS-06: Your resume must demonstrate at least one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector performing the following type of work and/or tasks: providing routine direct patient care and clinical support services as part of an interdisciplinary healthcare team; performing patient intake, screening, data collection, vital signs, routine testing, and documentation in electronic health records in accordance with established procedures; preparing patients for examinations and procedures and supporting patient comfort, safety, and mobility; monitoring, evaluating, and documenting patient conditions and recognizing and reporting significant or subtle changes requiring clinical attention; performing authorized testing and monitoring activities in accordance with established protocols; and maintaining accurate patient care documentation while ensuring compliance with privacy, confidentiality, and infection control requirements.

Time In Grade

Federal employees in the competitive service are also subject to the Time-In-Grade Requirements: Merit Promotion (status) candidates must have completed one year of service at the next lower grade level. Time-In-Grade provisions do not apply under the Excepted Service Examining Plan (ESEP).

You must meet all qualification requirements by the respective cutoff day of rating to be eligible for consideration.

Education

You may qualify with education at the GS-05 grade level. If you are substituting education for experience; You are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed, and grades. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer.

Only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education may be credited. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website:

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

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (

This position may or may not be covered by a bargaining unit, depending on the duty location. Final determination will be made at the time of appointment.

This position has promotion potential to the GS-6 grade level. Promotion to the next grade level is at management's discretion and is based on your demonstrated ability to perform the higher level duties, the continuing need for the higher level duties, and "Regulatory/Administrative" approval. Promotion to the next higher grade level is not guaranteed and no promise of promotion is implied.

You will be evaluated for this position in accordance with the OPM Merit Hiring Plan.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide short essay responses (200 words or less each) to the following four questions.

1. How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government?
2. In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness?
3. How would you help advance the President's Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role?
4. How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements?

• Your responses are optional and will not be scored.
• However, they may be reviewed by hiring managers and agency leadership (or designees) during the evaluation process.
• You will be asked to certify that your responses are written in your own words and that you did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence (AI) tool (such as ChatGPT or Copilot).

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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