Clarification from the agency

This position is open to current, permanent employees of VISN 6, Central Virginia VA Health Care System: Richmond VA Medical Center and its outlying facilities

Providing direct supervision to Telehealth team which includes, but is not limited to:

• Developing performance plans, recommending standards and ratings, and evaluating performance, making promotions, reassignment, and recognizing outstanding performance
• effecting corrective and disciplinary measures to address conduct and performance issues
• creating and modifying work schedules; and balancing workload to meet anticipated and unanticipated changes in the work demand
• overseeing attendance and reviewing and approving leave requests of direct reports while ensuring adequate staff is available to perform all needed telehealth duties;
• providing guidance and technical direction relating to the telehealth program and relevant administrative matters to direct reports;
• working with the Facility Telehealth Coordinator to develop assignments for team members in order to facilitate all operations of the facility's telehealth program;
• ensuring that instructions on work priorities, methods, deadlines and quality have been met;
• ensuring that new employees (local and at the CBOC sites) receive on-the-job training to and are adequately instructed in specific tasks and job techniques, ensuring that written instructions and reference materials are made available for use by team members in the accomplishment of tasks or projects;
• collaborating with stakeholders to develop new programs and processes to ensure telehealth programs are meeting the strategic plans of the healthcare system;
• independently reviewing quality and performance data for telehealth programs effectiveness and satisfaction and developing process improvements as required;
• coordinating with vendors, Biomed and IT to upgrade and or replace telehealth technologies to minimize impact on patient care;
• developing and coordinating a wide variety of standard operating procedures with full and complete technical advice to ensure telehealth operations are timely, efficient, and appropriate;
• ensuring that standardized developed competency based training in accordance with established Telehealth program policies and directives are provided to all telehealth staff and telehealth providers.
• Maintain knowledge of current standard practices;
• preparing the clinical environment, which may include preparing medical and telecommunications equipment to be used for clinical examination and treatment; serving as a tele-presenter within scope of practice, during clinical video telehealth (CVT) and VVC encounters
• serving as an imager and data manager for store and forward telehealth (SFT) clinical encounters including tasks such as capturing images, collecting data and transmitting them electronically for clinical review in accordance with VHA national guidelines;
• taking measures to ensure patient care is delivered safely by following appropriate procedures for the cleaning of clinical equipment and the care environment while following all patient safety guidelines, protocols, and procedures;
• receiving and scheduling requests for simple and complex intra-facility, and inter- facility telehealth appointments using an electronic resource-based scheduling system;
• monitoring and maintaining schedules of rooms, patients, technologies, clinical providers and presenters as needed to ensure efficient telehealth operations;
• providing patient education via approved materials;
• communicating effectively with clinical and administrative staff at the assigned local site and those located at remote sites of care;
• configuring, installing, troubleshooting, managing inventory, cleaning, and performing minor routine maintenance of assigned telehealth technology;
• ensuring assigned telehealth technologies are secured, ready for use, and accounted for and to facilitate troubleshooting, repair, and coordination of replacement equipment as necessary.
• providing established education and training to Veterans and clinicians on the use of telehealth technologies and serving as a point of contact to answer questions and address concerns related to these technologies;
• maintaining knowledge of and skill in applying an extensive body of rules, procedures, and operations in telehealth-related technologies and a variety of computer hardware and software used for telecommunications, data entry and retrieval, record maintenance, document and report generation;
• Ensuring information and resources are maintained for local and remote telehealth providers so they can effectively execute contingency and emergency plans;

Work Schedule: Monday- Friday, 7:30am- 4:00pm
Telework: Not Available, THIS IS NOT A REMOTE POSITION
Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
Functional Statement #: 000000
Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

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 (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).
• 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:

• Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. After a determination is made that it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens, non-citizen personnel may be appointed on a temporary basis under authority of 38 U.S.C. 7405, without regard to the citizenship requirements of 38 U.S.C. 7402 or any other law prohibiting the employment of or payment of compensation to a person who is not a citizen of the United States. Candidates must meet all other requirements for the grade and position concerned.
• Experience and Education:
  • (1) Experience. One year of experience in a health care field that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work or provides an understanding of the work such as but not limited to a medical or clinical assistant (or technician) or health technician. OR
  • (2) Education. Four academic years above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation. OR
  • (3) Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combination of experience and education are qualifying for entry level for which both education and experience are acceptable. Examples are listed below:
    • (a) Six months of experience in the health care field and two years of education above high school that included at least six semester hours in health care related courses such as, biological science, surgical technician courses, nursing assistant or other courses related to the position; or an associate's degree in a health care related field; or
    • (b) Six months of experience in the health care field and successful completion of a course for health care technicians, hospital corpsmen, or medical service specialists given by the U.S. Armed Forces.
• Certification: None
• Grandfathering Provision: All Health Technicians (Telehealth Clinical) employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series, and grade held. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: (1) Such employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journeyman) level, or changed to lower grade within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journeyman level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. (2) Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. (3) If an employee who was retained (grandfathered) under this provision leaves that occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of re-entry to the occupation.

Grade Determinations:
Supervisory Health Technician (Telehealth Clinical), GS-9 (1) Experience: One year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level: Lead Health Technician (Telehealth Clinical), GS-8.

Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition to the experience above, the candidate must demonstrate all of the following KSAs:

• Ability to perform the full range of supervisory duties which includes responsibility for assignment of work to be performed, performance evaluations, selection of qualified staff, and recommendations of awards, advancements, and when appropriate disciplinary actions.
• Ability to plan, organize, and coordinate clinical workflow and set short and long-term goals for the program.
• Ability to work independently, to set priorities, delegate tasks, meet multiple deadlines, analyze organizational problems, and develop and implement effective solutions to optimize quality, efficiency, performance, and productivity within the service.
• Ability to develop policy, manage equipment requests, and provide workload analysis.
• Knowledge of all Connected Care programs and operations.

Assignment: At the supervisory level, in addition to the regular clinical and administrative duties of a Health Technician (Telehealth Clinical), the Supervisory Health Technician performs a full range of supervisory duties to include complex assignments and program management in the direct oversight of a team of Health Technicians (Telehealth Clinical). Supervisory duties will include: interviewing and selecting staff; assigning, amending or rejecting work; ensuring production and accuracy requirements are met; the development of performance plans including recommending performance standards and ratings, and conducting regular performance 8 appraisals of staff. They will respond to questions or matters not covered by standards and problems in meeting performance standards and effect corrective and disciplinary measures to address conduct and performance issues; responsible for the creation and modification of work schedules to meet anticipated and unanticipated changes in the workload and to oversee attendance and review and approve leave requests of direct reports ensuring adequate staff is available to perform all needed telehealth duties; involved in the development of policies and standard operating procedures, analyzing program workload, the acquisition and deployment of telehealth equipment. They are expected to work independently to set priorities, delegate tasks, meet multiple deadlines, analyze organizational problems, and develop and implement effective solutions to optimize quality, efficiency, performance, and productivity. For all assignments above the full performance level, the higher level duties must consist of significant scope, complexity (difficulty) and range of variety and be performed at least 25% of the time.

Preferred Experience: Lead Health Technician (Telehealth Clinical)

Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/.

Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019

English Language Proficiency: A candidate will not be appointed under authority of 38 U.S.C. chapters 73 or 74, to serve in a direct patient-care capacity in VHA who is not proficient in written and spoken English. See chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, VA Handbook 5005

The full performance level of this vacancy is 6. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-09.

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 MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Your application, resume, C.V., and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect consideration for employment.

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.

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.

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

Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members.

NOTE: The 2-page Resume requirement does not apply to this position. For more information, refer to Required Documents below.

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

• Resume
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action

Special Note for Applications: To complete your application, please use the following link https://vacareers.va.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/5/Resume.docx to download the standard Clinical Resume Document. This one-page document does not need to be modified and must be uploaded into the two-page restricted 'Resume' document upload field.

Your full resume/CV may be uploaded without page limitation into the 'Other' document upload field.

The following documents are accepted, and may be required if applicable to your eligibility and/or qualifications for this position. Please ensure you have included all documents required for your application, such as a copy of your transcript (if using education to qualify), SF-50's (current/former Federal employees), etc.

• Cover Letter
• Other (1)
• Resume
• Separation Notice (RIF)
• SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action
• Transcript

Veterans' Preference: When applying for Federal Jobs, eligible Veterans should claim preference for 5pt (TP), 10pt (CP/CPS/XP), or for Sole Survivor Preference (SSP) in the questionnaire. You must provide a legible copy of your DD214(s) which shows dates and character of service (honorable, general, etc.). If you are currently serving on active duty and expect to be released or discharged within 120 days you must submit documentation related to your active duty service which reflects the dates of service, character of service (honorable, general, etc.), and dates of impending separation. Additionally, disabled veterans and others eligible for 10-point preference (such as widows or mothers of eligible Veterans) must also submit an SF-15 "Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference" with required proof as stated on the form. Documentation is required to award preference. For more information on Veterans' Preference, please visit Feds Hire Vets - Veterans - Job Seekers - Veterans' Preference.

Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees.

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