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Summary This position is located in the Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration (VHA), Mid Atlantic Health Care Network (VISN 6), VA Medical Center (VAMC), Durham, Medicine Service line. The Health Technician performs a range of clerical, technical, administrative, patient care, and general clinic support functions. Responsibilities Major duties and responsibilities include: Assisting other medical personnel in the diagnosis or treatment of patient illnesses or medical conditions; Scheduling appointments; Answering and directing phone calls and assisting visitors to the office; Maintaining files and documenting patient records; Using a computer to perform support duties; Setting up patient examination rooms; Taking and recording vital signs; Interviewing patients to obtain medical/personal history; Adhering to infection control procedures; Assisting with minor medical procedures (changing dressings, applying bandages and splits, etc.); Instructing patients on home care procedures; Observing patients for changes in condition; De-escalating disruptive patients; Performing blood glucose testing; Collecting and labeling specimens; Performing EKGs; Providing training to new personnel. Performing related duties as required. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am to 5:00pm Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Technician/PD06917A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the 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 Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. 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) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary 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 probationary period period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/22/2025. English Language Proficiency Requirement: In accordance with 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), No person shall serve in direct patient care positions unless they are proficient in basic written and spoken English. You must be proficient in basic written and spoken English in order to perform the duties of this position. ~AND~ In addition to the English language proficiency requirement, in order to qualify for this position at the GS-6 level, you must meet one of the following minimum qualifications: Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05 grade level in Federal service that has required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of this position. Examples of qualifying specialized experience include: performing both clerical and clinical duties in a medical/healthcare environment; answering and directing phone calls; scheduling appointments; documenting medical records; taking and recording vital signs; and collecting and labeling specimens. This experience must be detailed in your resume to receive credit. ~OR~ 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~ Combination of Education and Experience: An equivalent combination of specialized experience and graduate education as described that demonstrates your ability to perform the duties of this position. Transcripts required, and experience must be detailed in your resume to receive credit. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Clerical - Knowledge of filing, typing, entering data, maintaining records, taking shorthand, and using and completing forms. Patient Care - Knowledge of direct patient care techniques, including activities of daily living (ADLs), ambulating patients, infection control, and emergency response; uses appropriate safety precautions. Clinical Data Collection/Documentation - Gathers/documents essential and accurate information about patients such as medical history, vital signs, chief complaints, allergies, pertinent health problems, current medications. Diagnostic Medical Testing - Uses proper clinical procedures to perform medical tests (electrocardiography, pulmonary function testing, urinalysis, hematology, chemistry, immunology, microbiology, etc.); measures and records vital statistics or other health information; adheres to quality and infection control protocols. Physical Demands and Work Environment: The work requires standing, walking, bending, lifting, and carrying. The work may require heavy lifting of equipment or positioning of patients. The work environment involves risks typically associated with those of a health care environment. Work involves regular and recurring exposure to moderate risks or discomforts that requires special safety precautions, including potentially infectious material. Education Four years of course study. 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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. Additional Information 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. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. 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. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. 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. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced 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 ICTAP and 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/.