Health Technician Job in Birmingham, AL

Vacancy No. CBTB-12731075-25-JK Department Veterans Health Administration
Salary $45,424.00 to $73,153.00 Grade 5 to 7
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 5/2/2025 Close Date 5/13/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Birmingham, AL


Summary

This position is located in the Nursing and Patience Care Service. The purpose of the position is to perform highly specialized duties in patient care. Birmingham VA Medical Center will be utilizing Healthcare Technicians to deliver patient care. Healthcare Technicians will be assigned to nursing teams. The incumbent is responsible for interacting with others in a manner that fosters favorable relations as set forth in the medical center policy on Human Relations.

Duties

At the GS-5 and GS-6 level the incumbent will serve in a developmental assignment to provide the individual with the knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform the full range of duties as described in the target position description. Duties are same as at the full performance level GS-07; however, work will be gradually increased as incumbent acquires the requisite skill and knowledge to perform work until position is at full performance level.

The position is responsible for processing orders, etc., in an ambulatory care setting; and for release of information.
- Supporting duties usually assigned to nursing staff, such as charting and obtaining vital signs - blood pressure, temperature, respirations, pulse, etc.;
- Collecting and delivering specimens, such as urine, blood, stool and cultures from body fluids, to the lab following proper infection control policies;
- Assisting patient with dressing and undressing for medical examination, if needed;
- Perform EKG's with a portable machine;
- Coordinating the scheduling of outpatient appointments for team providers;
- Coordinating and monitoring special program evaluations and ensuring the timely processing of claims for compensation and pension, Persian Gulf, Agent Orange, former Prisoners-of-War (POW's), etc.;
- Assisting team staff to obtain laboratory, radiology, etc., reports from DHCP
- Assisting team staff to update the problem list for each episode of care
- Demonstrates or verbalizes knowledge of age-related needs
Determines eligibility for benefits (inpatient, ambulatory care, medications, pharmacy co-pay, beneficiary travel, eye dental, prosthetics, etc.) normally done by the Eligibility Clerk or Supervisor;
- Coordinates consultations within the facility and with other facilities;
- Coordinates fee service referrals required for specialty care patients;
- Entering stop codes for all outpatient episodes of care normally done in admitting or clinic area;
- Determines eligibility for benefits (inpatient, ambulatory care, medications, pharmacy co-pay, beneficiary travel, eye dental, prosthetics, etc.) normally done by the Eligibility Clerk or Supervisor;
- Coordinates consultations within the facility and with other facilities;
- Coordinates fee service referrals required for specialty care patients;
- Entering stop codes for all outpatient episodes of care normally done in admitting or clinic area;

Acts in the capacity of liaison/expeditor between patients and specialty care members, as well as other practice groups, specialty services, and ancillary services. Ensures coding references are updated as changes occur. Enters level of care provided (extensive, intermediate, or brief visit) and CPT-4 codes for diagnoses of all outpatient visits. This information is vital to the medical center's collection goals and funding allocation. Transcribes physicians' orders. This includes, but is not limited to, ordering diagnostic tests, processing admissions, requesting medical records from other facilities, and processing Veterans' requests for medical information from VA records, etc. Coordinates patients' consultations and referrals to other specialty services and schedules patients for future appointments in accordance with the physician's clinic profile and input from the patient. Keeps the specialty care team up to date on appropriate administrative regulations which include eligibility for care, control of medical records, availability and requesting special tests and procedures, etc. Incumbent must analyze, interpret, and implement regulations accurately to reflect current operating procedures and be familiar with precedents concerning changes in regulations or policies. Patient education may be involved. Assures that the primary care physician is aware of the time that clinics begin and works with team members to ensure that patients are seen in a timely manner. Performs other related duties as assigned.

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM (Subject to change based on agency needs).
Telework: Not Available
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Financial Disclosure: Not Required
Position Description Title/PD#: Health Technician/PD09450A09451A/09452A

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

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
  • You may be required to serve a probationary period
  • 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 (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification 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)

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 05/13/2025.

Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-05 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-04. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

Specialized Experience GS-5: You must have one (1) year of specialized experience (equivalent to the GS-4 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: Performing simple treatment procedures such as changing sterile dressings and applying slings or bandages; Using techniques to appropriately de-escalate disruptive patients; Instructing patients and families the requirements of home self-care for injuries or ailments; Observing patients and reporting changes in condition (deviation in color, pulse, respiration, temperature, and blood pressure. OR

Education GS-5: You must have a bachelor's degree or 4 years above high school education. (Transcripts Required) OR

Combination GS-5: You must have a combination of experience and education. (Transcripts Required)

Specialized Experience GS-6: You must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience that equipped you with the competencies/particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of this position successfully that is equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-5) in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as but are not limited to: Performing simple treatment procedures such as changing sterile dressings and applying slings or bandages; Using techniques to appropriately de-escalate disruptive patients; Instructing patients and families the requirements of home self-care for injuries or ailments; Observing patients and reporting changes in condition (deviation in color, pulse, respiration, temperature, and blood pressure); Interviewing patients to document complaint, medical history, and personnel information. OR

Education GS-6: You must have graduate education or an internship that meets the specialized experience required directly related to the work of the position. (Transcripts Required) OR

Combination GS-6: You must have a combination of experience and education. (Transcripts Required)

Specialized Experience GS-7: You must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience that equipped you with the competencies/particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of this position successfully that is equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-6) in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as but are not limited to: Performing simple treatment procedures such as changing sterile dressings and applying slings or bandages; Using techniques to appropriately de-escalate disruptive patients; Instructing patients and families the requirements of home self-care for injuries or ailments; Observing patients and reporting changes in condition (deviation in color, pulse, respiration, temperature, and blood pressure); Interviewing patients to document complaint, medical history, and personnel information; Taking and recording vital signs; Documenting electronic patient medical records; Performing blood glucose testing; Perform EKG's with a portable machine. OR

Education GS-7: You must have one full year of graduate education. One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. (Transcripts required). OR

Combination GS-7: You must have a combination of experience and education. (Transcripts Required)

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:
  • Clerical
  • Clinical Data Collection/Documentation
  • Diagnostic Medical Testing
  • Patient Care


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.

Physical Requirements: Generally, the work does not involve special physical demands. Duties are performed in several medical center areas and incumbent must be able to travel to treatment areas with ease. There is the potential for extended periods of sitting, standing, and carrying items weighing up to 20 pounds, i.e., pen-based computing devices, medical records, and manuals.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

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: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit or 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.

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

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.

Benefits

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.

Review our benefits

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.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE.

Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be asked to submit additional job related information, which may include, but not limited to; responses to the knowledge, skills and abilities; completion of a work sample, and/or contact for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment.

The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position.

For more information on the "Who may apply" eligibility requirements, please refer to the OHRM Status Candidates and Other Candidate Definitions document.

Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position.

It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes:

  • Resume
  • SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action


The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please make sure you have included other documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), documentation to support Veterans Preference claims, or ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). You will not be contacted for additional information.
  • Cover Letter
  • Performance Appraisal
  • Separation Notice (RIF)
  • Transcript

SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable for Time in Grade and/or Eligibility):
  • Most recent SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee
  • An SF-50 showing your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. If the most recent SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you possess one-year time-in-grade, as required by the announcement. In this instance, you must provide an additional SF-50 that clearly demonstrates one-year time-in-grade
  • Award 50's do not provide sufficient information and will not be accepted for the purpose of verifying time-in-grade.
  • Examples of appropriate SF-50's include:
    • Within grade increases at the highest grade held; or
    • Promotions with an effective date more than one year old; or
    • SF-50's at the highest grade held with an effective date more than one year old.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 05/13/2025 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12731075.

  1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
  2. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package.
NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date.

The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal/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 CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

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.

Agency contact information

Jeniqua Knuckles
Address
Birmingham VA Medical Center
700 South 19th Street
Birmingham, AL 35233
US

Next steps

Once your online application is submitted you will receive a confirmation notification by email. After we receive application packages (including all required documents) and the vacancy announcement closes, we will review applications to ensure qualification and eligibility requirements are met. After the review is complete, a referral certificate(s) is issued and applicants will be notified of their status by email. Referred applicants will be notified as such and may be contacted directly by the hiring office for an interview. All referred applicants receive a final notification once a selection decision has been made.

You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USA Jobs account and clicking on Applications. Information regarding your application status can be found in the USAJobs Help Center.

NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). It is a requirement that all HCP to receive annual seasonal influenza vaccination or obtain an exemption for medical or religious reasons. Wearing a face mask is required when an exemption to the influenza vaccination has been granted. HCP in violation of this directive may face disciplinary action up to and including removal from federal service. HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations or who come into contact with VA patients or other HCP as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased medical facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, remote and onsite, paid and without compensation, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, researchers, volunteers and health professions trainees (HPTs) who are expected to perform any or all of their work at these facilities. HPTs may be paid or unpaid and include residents, interns, fellows and students. HCP also includes VHA personnel providing home-based care to Veterans and drivers and other personnel whose duties put them in contact with patients outside VA medical facilities.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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