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Summary The position is located at the Iowa City VA Health Care System in the Primary Care Service Line at the Cedar Rapids Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC). The Medical Technician leads and oversees laboratory operations and performs a variety of general procedures including phlebotomy, accessioning, processing, point of care testing, and general clerical and administrative support for the CBOC Responsibilities This announcement has been updated to extend the closing date. THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION Major duties include but are not limited to: Maintains the laboratory facilities and equipment and controls supplies. Determines compliance with safety requirements, establishes inventory and equipment maintenance requirements, and maintains appropriate inventories and maintenance schedules. Maintains laboratory stock and orders materials, as needed. Maintains laboratory in a clean and safe condition according to agency or accreditation requirements. Calibrates and maintains laboratory instrumentation on timely intervals to minimize breakdown and delay of procedures. Maintains and controls laboratory records. Performs proficiency survey testing to ensure accuracy of laboratory results. Interacts with clinic personnel to correct discrepancies. Establishes priorities for emergency orders. Verifies proper patient preparation, patient identification, sample collection, and sample transport requirements for all laboratory tests. Identifies unusual conditions and discrepancies which may cause erroneous test results. Processes all specimens according to strict guidelines to assure specimen integrity. Obtains samples of blood or other bodily fluids or substances. Draws blood from patients for requested laboratory tests. Provides general clerical and administrative support for clinic. Schedules appointments and tests, and coordinates activities and appointments for the clinical area, avoiding conflicts in patient treatment plans. Answers telephone inquiries regarding services available. Assembles patient records and individual documents for clinic appointments. Participates in performance improvement activities. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:00pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Not authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required Designated Drug-Testing Position: 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. Applicants will not be appointed to the position if a verified positive drug test result is received. 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 Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) Participation in the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination program is a requirement for all Veterans Health Administration Health Care Personnel (HCP) - See "Additional Information" below for details. Qualifications To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement. You may qualify at the GS-06 level if you fulfill one of the following qualifications: -Specialized Experience: One (1) year of specialized experience that equipped you with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of this position. To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent to at least the GS-5 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience includes: (a) Technical medical laboratory support work such as performing laboratory tests and examinations (chemical, microbiologic, hematologic and blood banking) and preparing reports of findings or (b) technical support work in a closely related field, e.g., biological laboratory technician work, that required application of the methods and techniques for the position to be filled. Examples of qualifying specialized experience would typically include: performing phlebotomy/blood draws on human patients; performing a variety of complex tests and examinations that are typically covered by laboratory manuals and written instructions; maintaining and controlling laboratory records; maintaining laboratory equipment, supplies and facilities. -OR- -Education: Successful completion of one-half (1/2) year of graduate education (9 semester hours) or an internship that includes courses directly related to the work of the Medical Technician. This education must have been obtained in an accredited college or university. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) -OR- -Combination: Equivalent combinations of education and specialized experience (as described above) to meet the requirements at the GS-6 level. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) -AND- 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 to meet the requirements of this position. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: Analytical Reasoning Clerical Diagnostic Medical Testing Specimen Collection Technical Competence IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. 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. 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; religious; 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. Physical Demands and Work Environment: The work requires some physical exertion, such as regular and recurring walking or bending to observe, collect, or record data. In the laboratory, there may be special requirements for agility or dexterity such as exceptional hand/eye coordination. The work involves regular and recurring minimal risks or discomforts which require special safety precautions, e.g., working around moving parts or machines, with contagious diseases or irritant chemicals. Employees are required to use protective clothing or gear such as masks, gowns, coats, goggles, gloves, or shields to moderate risks, or to follow procedures for minimizing risk. 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 IMPORTANT: 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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov). Additional Information Receiving Service Credit for 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. Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities (i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities), and/or disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. For more information on how to apply using this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator within the office, contact the facility Human Resources Department at (319) 338-0581. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation and be found well-qualified (have a final rating of 85 or more before any Veterans preference points) for this vacancy. 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/. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. Pursuant to VHA Directive 1193.01, VHA health care personnel (HCP) are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to such accommodations as required by law (i.e., medical, religious or pregnancy). VHA HCPs do not include remote workers who only infrequently enter VHA locations. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination before your start date. The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required accommodation from this requirement using the reasonable accommodation process. 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.