The Medical Technician-Phlebotomist position is in the Pathology and Laboratory Service at the VA Maine Healthcare System located at the Togus, ME campus location. This position is full-time at 40 hours per week. To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 12/27/2024. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: 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-05 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-04. 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. Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS 4) level in the normal line of progression for this occupation. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Have 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. OR; Education: Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with major study or at least 24 semester hours in subjects appropriate to the position to be filled. (Transcripts must be submitted at time of application). OR; Combination: Applicants may also combine Education and Experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and post-high school education. Note: Only 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 one (l) year of specialized experience. You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Computer Skills Customer Service Infection Control Specimen Collection 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 work requires moderate standing, stooping, pushing, pulling, reaching, walking, bending, lifting light/moderate objects (<20 lbs.) and to have good manual dexterity and visual acuity. 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/. ["The Medical Technician (Phlebotomist) works from requisitions, computerized phlebotomy lists and instructions or other verbal requests to obtain and collect patient's blood. Duties include, but are not limited to: Collects adequate and correct blood specimens by venipuncture or micro-technique. Be familiar with all urgencies and responds in a timely and appropriate manner (i.e., STAT,ASAP, and Routine). Follows departmental policies to correctly identify the patient before any blood specimen is drawn by checking patient ID bracelet and to correctly label all specimens draw at the site of collection. Adheres to blood borne pathogen stand and precautions and all phlebotomy safety policies, when performing phlebotomy. Delivers specimens to Laboratory in the most expedient manner and in the proper transport container. Starts glucose tolerance procedures and collects remaining specimens at required times. Draws other timed specimens as indicated. Picks up and delivers to the Laboratory a variety of clinical or anatomic specimens other than blood. Sorts and processes specimens received in central specimen receipt area of department in order of priority for best patient results and to meet turnaround time goals. Using problem solving skills identifies and corrects any problems arising with the received specimens. Maintains orderly and timely flow of specimens to the technical areas throughout tour of duty. Maintains accurate and orderly operational and quality control logs, records and worksheets where required according to established department protocol. Performs other specialized procedures as directed in Hematology, Special Hematology, Chemistry, Special Chemistry (blood gases), Blood Bank specimens and in Microbiology (blood cultures). Work Schedule: Full Time - Monday-Friday 3:00pm-11:30pm with rotating weekends and holidays Compressed/Flexible: Not authorized Telework: Not authorized Virtual: This is not a virtual position Position Description/PD#: Medical Technician-Phlebotomist/03452-A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not authorized Notifications: This position is in an AFGE Bargaining Unit position. This position is in the Competitive Service. This position is on a special salary rate. Veterans' preference does not apply for internal or other current permanent Federal agency employees. Current and former Federal employees must submit copies of their most recent SF-50, (Notice of Personnel Action). The SF-50 must identify the position title, series, grade, step, tenure and type of service (Competitive or Excepted). In some cases, more than one SF-50 may be required to show a higher grade previously held. Interchange Agreements with Other Merit System: Employees who occupy medical or medical-related positions and were appointed under 38 U.S.C. 4701(1) or (3) [formerly 38 U.S.C. 4104 (1) and (3)] must be serving in a full-time position without time limit and have served continuously for at least one year in this other merit system to be eligible to convert to the Title 5 System. Some exceptions to this rule may apply if you have previously acquired tenure under a Title 5 appointment."]
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.