Health Technician

Summary

This is an internal-hire position located within the Veterans Health Administration's Central Virginia VA Health Care System at the Fredericksburg Health Care Center under the Richmond VA Medical Center. The position reports directly to the Supervisory Medical Technologist and supports the delivery of high-quality laboratory services within the clinic.

Duties

The selected candidate performs technical work in one or more areas of the Anatomic or Clinical Laboratory, such as chemistry, blood banking, hematology, coagulation, urinalysis, microbiology, histology, and cytology. Performs Venipuncture using specialized techniques for cleansing the blood collection site to prevent bacterial contamination, which is critical to patient care. Draws blood tests ordered by providers for inpatients, outpatients, and employee health. Ensures accountability of specimens by proper and complete labeling with the patient's name and identification and initials all tubes drawn at the patient's bedside or chair side. Follows standard precautions in the use of personal protection equipment and complies with other Medical Center infection control requirements and the handling and disposal of biohazardous materials Skilled and proficient in venipuncture in varying states of debilitation (i.e., paralysis, stroke, mentally unstable, spinal cord injuries in fetal position, and contractures). Provides care based on physical, psychosocial, safety, and related criteria, appropriate to the age of the patients served. Responsible for receiving and preparing patient samples for testing in the clinical laboratory and evaluating the acceptability of each specimen, documenting discrepancies, and resolving potential problems. Instructs patients and Medical Center staff on the proper handling of urine and stool collection requirements. Performs specimen processing strictly adhering to Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act (CLIA) and local/agency requirements. Skilled in the selection of proper plates, inoculation technique, and incubation requirements for biological fluids for bacterial growth in Microbiology. Resolves and documents any pre-analytical issues for presentation in the Quality Assurance Improvement Committee (QAIC) for tracking of trends and drifts. Performs other related duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00am - 4:30pm Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Position Description/PD#: Health Technician/PD01599A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/03/2026. 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-04 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: performing a variety of duties in the receiving, accessioning, and specimen processing areas, including reference laboratory specimen processing, clerical functions, patient testing, and phlebotomy. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects directly related to the position. OR, Combination: Applicants may also combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and education in excess of the first 60 semester hours of a course of study leading to a bachelor's degree is creditable toward meeting the specialized experience requirements. Two full academic years of study, or 60 semester hours, beyond the second year is equivalent to 1 year of specialized experience. Preferred Experience: Phlebotomy and specimen processing 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

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: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.