Health Technician

Full Job Description

DIRECT HIRE AUTHORITY: This position is being filled using Direct-Hire Authority (5 CFR 337.205) for this occupation.

The Health Technician is responsible for receiving and processing specimens including computerized accessioning, centrifugation, aliquoting, determining specimen acceptability, and delivery to the point of analysis or, if analysis is to be delayed, ensuring proper storage conditions are utilized to preserve specimen integrity.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/04/2026.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Individual Occupational Requirement: Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists.

Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled.

Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-04 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: set-up and use of designed MRI equipment; uses personal computer systems and software packages: maintain accurate records related to patients, supplies, equipment, and clinical activities; monitors scheduled appointments; and preparing patient for diagnostic imaging procedures.

OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience.

To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have successful completion of a four (4) year course of study above high school leading to a bachelor's degree with courses related to the occupation.

(TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED). OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level.

You must have a combination of specialized experience and education beyond the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements.

Two full academic years of study, or 60 semester hours, beyond the second year is equivalent to l year of specialized experience.

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/.

Major Duties:

Major Duties: Incumbent will perform a variety of duties including but not limited to the following: Clerical Assignments: Serves as key contact for Veterans and beneficiaries seeking Diagnostic services, experiencing problems, and/or requesting information.

Operate standard office equipment, such as multiline phone, copier, scanner, fax, page printers, label printers, etc. Answer and route telephone calls to the appropriate technical area of P&LMS.

Verifies patient information and tests ordered in the computer system. Prints patient order labels for sample collection and at leisure tests (urine, stool, 24-hour urine, etc.).

Answers basic technical laboratory questions or following up with appropriate section.

Has a general knowledge of Laboratory accreditation requirements that are recommended by CAP, FDA, and The Joint Commission.

Responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of sensitive patient information. Accepts or enters requests for reference laboratory testing in the laboratory information system.

This includes ordering specific tests in the computer system provided by the major commercial reference laboratory, and/or preparing any hard copy requisitions required by other reference laboratories.

Specimen Receipt: Provides customer relation services when receiving laboratory specimens from patients and other services within the VA North Texas Healthcare System.

Serves as a subject matter expert for other healthcare professionals on the collection and processing of all laboratory testing.

Reviews and accepts test request orders for samples submitted for testing. This includes accessioning samples into the laboratory.

Evaluates the suitability of specimens for analysis, requesting new specimens if determined to be unusable.

Prepares specimens for analysis, ensuring that the physiologic state of the specimen properties is maintained. Follows established protocol for handling of mislabeled/unlabeled specimens.

Separates and routes the specimen to the specific laboratory section that performs the ordered test. Receives packages delivered to the laboratory.

Specimen and Send-Out Processing: Performs the processing of all clinical laboratory specimens and is responsible for the timely and proper distribution of specimens to the technical areas of the PLMS laboratory and the reference laboratories to assure specimen integrity.

Uses laboratory equipment such as centrifuges, refrigerators, and freezers, in addition to consumables such as transfer pipettes, laboratory pour-off tubes and reference laboratory specimen containers.

Communicates with the reference laboratories to research the requirements on new tests that are not identified in the reference laboratory directories.

Operates and performs periodic reviews on equipment including checking temperatures of laboratory refrigerators and freezers, etc Venipuncture collection: Demonstrates knowledge of principles, techniques, and practices of phlebotomy, hemostasis, and requirement of blood collection for the various tests performed in the laboratory.

Obtains timely and appropriate blood samples as ordered per PLMS policies and procedures for both inpatient and outpatient orders.

Must understand isolation precautions and the proper personal protective equipment necessary to perform phlebotomy procedures.

Identifies tests that require special handling conditions and appropriately performs proper specimen collection.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 2:00pm- Midnight, with rotating weekends and holidays; based on the needs of the service. Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Health Technician/PD00802A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized