Health Technician

Summary

DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.201) for this occupation.

The VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service, is recruiting for Health Technicians. Primary duties include pathology consultation and referral service support, pathology send out handling, client service support, phlebotomy, advanced phlebotomy, nursing/hospital staff training and competencies for phlebotomy.

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Duties

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The Health Technician's primary duties include pathology consultation and referral service support, pathology send out handling, client service support, phlebotomy, advanced phlebotomy, nursing/hospital staff training and competencies for phlebotomy in the Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Service at the VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System Wade Park Campus.

Pathology and Consultation and Referral Service:

• Advise physicians on proper ordering protocols for patient care and fiscal efficiency based on established guidelines and experience.
• Perform the add-on function for the clinical sections of the laboratory to include but not limited to Chemistry, Immunology, Special Chemistry, Hematology and Microbiology
• Identify viable samples for requests and determine the suitability for requested testing, as well as locate and route the specimen for the new test requested.

Pathology Send Out Services:

• Assess sample integrity by utilizing established evaluation techniques and sound judgment to ensure samples for suitable for laboratory testing.
• Evaluate the sample for proper sample type, labeling, hemolysis and volume.

Phlebotomy/Advanced Phlebotomy:

• Perform phlebotomy procedures following a sequence of steps approved for sample collection.
• Select the best venipuncture site, most suitable phlebotomy equipment (needle type, size and length), most appropriate cleansing agent(s), proper collection vials and assess the patient's condition before, during and after the procedure.
• Make on-the-spot decisions to make corrections or identify other means to obtain needed specimens when faced with patients with difficult anatomy for collection.
• Ensure all regulatory agencies' standards are being met.
• Ensure proper collection, processing and storage in the outpatient blood draw room.
• Ensuring all equipment is monitored and quality control is performed as required.

Work Schedule: 8:00a - 4:30p (Day Shift) 4:00am - 12:30pm (Night Shift); rotate weekends and holidays

Position Description Title/PD#: 903051A, 90305A

Physical Requirements: The work requires some physical exertion, such as regular and recurring walking, or bending, walk to observe, collect, or record data. In many situations the duration of the activity (such as most of a workday) contributes to the arduous nature of the job. In other situations, such as in a laboratory, there may be special requirements for agility and dexterity such as exceptional hand/eye coordination

Promotion Potential: The selectee may be promoted to the full performance level without further competition when all regulatory, qualification, and performance requirements are met. Selection at a lower grade level does not guarantee promotion to the full performance level.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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
• Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
• 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.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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 probationary period period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

GS-05 grade level: One year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-04 grade level in the federal service); experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSA's) and other characteristics to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled, in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes: assessing patient condition before, during, and after the procedure; receiving requests for testing and verifying for completeness and accuracy; receiving specimens in the laboratory and separating and routing them to the proper section for testing; and performing add-on functions for the clinical sections of the laboratory by identifying viable samples and determining their suitability for the required testing.

OR

Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-05 level. You must have full four (4) year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, with a major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to this position. This education must have been obtained in an accredited business or technical school, junior college, college or university for which high school graduation or the equivalent is the normal prerequisite. NOTE: Transcripts (unofficial or official) must be submitted with your application materials. Education cannot be credited without documentation.

OR

Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-05 level.

To calculate, first identify the percentage of required education you have earned (when substituting, you cannot use the first 60 semester hours that you earned). Then identify the percentage of required experience you possess. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify at the GS-XX. For example, an applicant who has 9 semester hours of graduate level education (i.e. 50% of graduate education required) and 6 months of creditable specialized experience (i.e. 50% of the required experience) would equal 100% of the required experience for the position A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

GS-06 grade level: 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. One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level may have been gained (a) performing phlebotomist responsibilities, to include collecting blood samples, (b) performing technical medical laboratory support work such as obtaining and preparing laboratory specimens for examinations (chemical, microbiologic, hematologic and blood banking) and validating and reporting the results or (c) technical support work in closely related field, e.g., medical technician, biological laboratory technician work, that required application of the methods and techniques for the position being filled. Other examples of specialized experience would include: assessing patient condition before, during, and after the procedure; receiving requests for testing and verifying for completeness and accuracy; receiving specimens in the laboratory and separating and routing them to the proper section for testing; and performing add-on functions for the clinical sections of the laboratory by identifying viable samples and determining their suitability for the required testing.

There is no educational substitution for the GS-06 level.

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.

Education

There is no educational substitution at the GS6 grade level.

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

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.

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.

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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified: applicants must possess experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors, and who are proficient in most of the required competencies of the job. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

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.