Health Technician-Prosthetic Fitter

at Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration in Danville, Illinois, United States

Job Description

Summary This position is located at the VA Illiana Health Care, in Danville, IL with the Prosthetic and Sensory Aids Service. The primary purpose of the position is to serve as an orthotic fitter by measuring and fitting veterans for appliances as prescribed by their physician. Responsibilities Specific duties include, but are not limited to: Receives prosthetic consults from physicians, interpret and determine what appliance is needed. Independently performs fitting of orthotic appliances. Takes measurements of body and limb segments appropriate to the item being fit, and select an off-the-shelf item, sized appropriately with appropriate model or design, to the patient. Communicates and instructs patients in proper procedures for wearing and maintaining orthotic devices in order to achieve the maximum benefit. Documents any communication and instructions given to the patient using the electronic consult and progress notes Computerized Patient Records System (CPRS) utilized by this medical center. Take appropriate action in the VISTA/GUI system on day of visit to create encounters related to the clinic visit. Inspect the devices to ensure that it is of high quality and matches the prescription requested by the clinician. Receives and analyzes Prosthetic Requests and prescriptions for orthotic soft goods from physicians, therapists, medical center personnel, patients or their representatives. Selects the appropriate HCPCS code (which identifies the item) and ICD-10 code (which identifies the diagnosis) to use for the entry. Examines clinical health records and claims folders to determine legal eligibility and medical entitlement for orthotic items and services based on adopted criteria. Identifies priorities for requests to comply with VACO mandated five (5) day deadline for initial action as well as routine monitoring of all pending consults according to the Business Practice Guidelines for Consult Management. Advises physicians and other professional staff as to the availability, selection, and acquisition of orthotic devices or services and furnished information concerning new developments in the orthotic field and sources of supply for such items. Maintains continuous liaison with vendors, medical center professionals, and staff to ensure the timely acquisition and provision of item or service. Uses office automation equipment such as a computer, fax machines, calculator, copier, and telephones, to effectively communicate with others, produce forms and complete correspondence. Maintenance of current catalogs, brochures and vendor files will ensure the incumbent’s ability to advise the professional staff regarding readily available items of lesser costs which will achieve the intended rehab goal. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 7:30am-4:00pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Technician-Prosthetic Fitter/PD241760 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required Requirements Conditions of Employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job 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, 07/24/2024. 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-6 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-5. 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 and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-5 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Working with mechanical function of orthotic and sensory aids appliances. Knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy and physiology. Reading and understanding prescriptions and orthotic procedures to undertake the fitting of orthotic appliances. Working with HCFA Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) and ICD-10 Diagnostic Code System is required in order to accurately maintain a database used locally as well as by headquarters. Working with inventory management, supply accountability, warehouse procedures and safety regulations regarding storage of equipment and supplies. OR Education: Must have successfully completed 9 semester hours of graduate education, which meets the specialized experience requirement ONLY in those instances where it is directly related to the work of the position. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) OR Combination: Must possess equivalent combinations of successfully completed graduate level education AND specialized experience which meet the total experience requirements for this grade level (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Computer Skills Customer Service Information Management Problem Solving Standards 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: The position demands a moderate degree of exertion and a high degree of dexterity. The work requires some physical exertion, some bending, stooping, and crouching to work on devices and fit them to the patient. Work involves some lifting and moving of moderately heavy supplies and equipment such as wheelchairs and durable medical equipment, up to 40 pounds. Work as a Clerk is sedentary. There exist prolonged periods of working at a computer terminal. Work Environment: Incumbent works in a hospital office and storage area. The incumbent has direct daily contact with patients and may handle equipment returned from veterans with contagious diseases, therefore, is required