Health Technician

Full Job Description

The Kansas City VA Medical Center is looking for a Health Technician. The Health Technician is assigned to a Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) as part of the Kansas City VA Medical Center.

The CBOCs are aligned under the Primary Care Service Line and assist in providing outpatient medical care to Veterans in rural areas.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 02/24/2026.

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: 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-06 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-05. 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 as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have 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.

Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Collecting, labeling, and processing a variety of specimens (drawing blood by means of venipuncture, obtaining urine and other specimens); providing program/administrative support functions (i.e., handling telephone calls, taking messages or transferring the call; , including retrieving clinical information and providing appropriate records for physicians/nurses).

Applicants may substitute education for the experience required for the GS-06 level.

Education: Half a year of graduate education (usually 9 semester hours) that is directly related to the work of this position.

One full year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent one year of full-time study.

If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the one year of full-time study requirement.

Part-time graduate education is creditable in accordance with its relationship to a year of full-time study at the school attended. Transcripts required.

~OR~ Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at the GS-06 level. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06.

The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is the GS-06.

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 AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Collects, labels, and processes a variety of specimens (drawing blood by means of venipuncture, obtaining urine and other specimens).

Performs a wide range of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures including but not limited to venipuncture and EKG. Maintains laboratory equipment and controls supplies.

Ensures that a sufficient supply of reagents, standards and controls are available at all times by ordering an adequate supply from commercial sources or preparing a variety of specialized solutions or reagents.

Using established procedures, calibrates, controls, and maintains a variety of instrumentation and laboratory equipment.

When calibrations falls outside acceptable limits, incumbent uses independent judgment in adjusting either the procedure or the mechanical device used in the determination to bring the procedures into good quality control.

Review of patients referred for tele-retinal imaging for clinical appropriateness.

Performs Tele-retinal imaging on clinically indicated Diabetic patients, Provides clinical support and assists physicians/providers and nurses as needed.

Duties include but are not limited to initial patient assessment, checking vital signs, preparation of patient for examination and assistance with treatment procedures.

Participates with and assists physicians and nurses in a patient medical emergency and must comply with all Fire and Safety, Hazardous Material policies.

Maintains examination rooms with medical equipment, supplies and forms. Supplies are ordered from SPD as needed and replace needle boxes.

Cleans exam table daily with appropriate cleaner Performs more complex patient care procedures such as collects sterile specimens, assists with respiratory treatments, performing dressing changes, ostomy care, catheter irrigations, weights, cares for patients in isolation, sets up and gives treatments that require auxiliary equipment such as oxygen, and calculates intakes and outputs Enters all information related to scheduling patients into the computer accurately, completely and in a timely manner.

Checks patient in and out of clinic providing appropriate records to the clinicians. Schedules patients for clinic appointments per consult appropriate for purpose.

Provides support to clinical personnel through taking messages, retrieving clinical information, scheduling appointments, tests, procedures, arranging travel and notifying patient by phone and/or letter of future appointments/tests.

Assists with orientation to new employees in the CBOC or Primary Care Service Line. Applies all VA policies, procedures, and regulations as they apply to an outpatient setting.

Demonstrates effective written and oral communication skills.

Records vital signs and other significant patient data in the electronic medical record Participates in Team Meetings and Huddles to enhance patient services and clinic efficiency.

Consistently responds to requests for assistance from patients and family members, visitors, volunteers, and co-workers in a friendly, cooperative, ethical and timely manner Communicates with all individuals in a courteous, tactful, helpful, ethical and understanding manner Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 6:45am-3:15pm CST Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Health Technician/PD08326A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized