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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 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. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30am-4:00pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Medical Technician/PD50150-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Bargaining Unit: Yes, AFGE/1272 The VA Midwest Health Care Network advocates for a Whole Health System of care in each of the Medical Centers. This is an approach to healthcare that empowers and equips people to take charge of their health and well-being and live their lives to the fullest. As an employee operating in a Whole Health System of care, you will operate in a model with three core elements, seeking to create a personalized health plan for each Veteran. This is done in the context of healing relationships and healing environments and a connection back to the Veteran's community. This aligns with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Mission Statement to Honor America's Veterans by providing exceptional health care that improves their health and well-being. 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, 07/01/2024. 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. Individual Occupational Requirement for 0645 Series: Specialized experience: Technical medical laboratory support work such as performing laboratory tests and examinations (chemical, microbiologic, hematologic, and blood banking) and preparing reports of findings, or 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. 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 what is stated above, as well as, but are not limited to: 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. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Analytical Reasoning Clerical Diagnostic Medical Testing Specimen Collection Technical Competence 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. Note: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. 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. Physical Requirements: You will be asked to participate in a pre-employment examination or evaluation as part of the pre-employment process for this position. Questions about physical demands or environmental factors may be addressed at the time of evaluation or examination. 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 There is no educational substitution at this grade level. Additional Information The 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 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/. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. 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.