Health Technician (Ophthalmology)

Job Title

Technician

Location

West Palm Beach VAMC

Duties

The technician will work independently seeing patients and performing a history, lensometry, refraction, tonometry, and non mydriatic photos. This data will then be uploaded and then reviewed and finalized by a provider (MD or OD) asynchronously along with glasses prescription disposition.

Duties and responsibilities include, but not limited to:

• Check and performs calibration of technical ophthalmology screening instruments.
• Obtain patient physical history, to include chief complaint; reason for visit; pertinent signs and symptoms; current medication allergies; past ocular and general medical history both ocular and general; family history both ocular and general; social history; and review of medications and allergies, including current ocular prescription and non-prescription medications.
• Accurately tests visual acuity at distance and near, with and without correction or with and without a pinhole.
• Measure eyeglass prescription using manual or automated lensometer, recording sphere, cylinder, axis, and prism in both plus and minus cylinder.
• Perform pupil evaluation recording pupil size, shape, symmetry, reaction to light and accommodation. Performs swinging flashlight test to detect a relative afferent pupillary defect.
• Perform basic refractometry utilizing an auto refraction or habitual glass prescription in the phoropter. Must be competent at distance and near refractions and complex refractions.
• Instill eye medications (drops or ointments, including anesthetic, dye, dilating drops, cycloplegic drops, or antibiotics).
• Measure intraocular pressure with standard techniques, including Goldmann applanation tonometry.
• Perform pachymetry to determine corneal thickness and manual keratometry or automated topography to determine corneal curvature.
• Perform intra-ocular lens calculations using an IOL Master or equivalent device.
• Perform automated visual field testing using various perimetry machines.
• Perform external photographs and fundus photography.
• Perform optical coherence tomography (OCT) of the anterior segment, retina and optic nerve.
• Perform patient screening and triage of potentially urgent ocular conditions.
• Assist during clinic-based ophthalmic surgery, including revision of wounds, biopsies of the eyelid lesions, cultures of conjunctiva, or cornea; reformation of anterior chamber, evacuation of hyphema, repositioning of corneal endothelial grafts, intra-vitreous injections, and laser surgical procedures.
• Educate patients and legal authorized representatives in eye care, including preoperative and postoperative instructions.
• Assist in the education and training of medical students, residents and fellows in those facilities with medical school affiliations.
• Ensure proper cleaning and disinfection; calibration, maintenance, backup, annual inventory and ordering of instruments, supplies and equipment; obtains quotes as needed; and reports needed repairs to biomedical engineering.
• Able to work independently to do basic exam- including refraction, tonometry and non mydriatic photos.

Work Schedule

Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm

Telework

Not authorized

Virtual

This is not a virtual position.

Financial Disclosure Report

Not required