Asct is hiring: Health Technician (Phlebotomy) in New York

Overview

The position is located in the Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Service (PLMS) at the Hudson Valley VA Health Care Systems. The incumbent performs a variety of functions including: accessioning specimens into the computer system (HOWDY), collecting, evaluating and processing patient specimens, answering questions relative to patient specimens, instructing and assisting patients, and processing send-out specimens for testing.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement – 10/27/2025. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

GS-05 Minimum Requirements: Specialized Experience: Must have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-04) in the Federal Service that has given me the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform successfully the duties of this position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Positions in this series range widely in type and include support duties to medical or health personnel such as audiologists, speech pathologists, medical officers, and optometrists. Therefore, technician experience is experience that required application of the knowledge, methods, and techniques of the position to be filled. Specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Understanding policies and procedures as related to patient care; Performing phlebotomy techniques, procedures and other specimen collection procedures; Setting up equipment for all phlebotomy procedures; Instructing patients in the proper procedures to follow prior, during and after tests; preparing referral specimens for shipment; Performing all clerical duties; Maintaining records of procedures.

Education: Must have successfully completed 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. This education must have been obtained in an accredited school or university. Transcripts required.

Combination: I have equivalent combinations of education and specialized experience as described above to qualify at this level. Transcripts required, and experience must be detailed in your resume to receive credit. 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/.

Duties

• Performs Diagnostic Procedures: Incumbent collects and processes specimens obtained for analyses throughout P&LMS and associated reference laboratories, ensuring safety and non-traumatic processes are used with critical concern for the patients and the quality of the specimen.
• The incumbent performs venipuncture specimen collections from inpatients, outpatients, and urgent room when needed.
• Collections should be completed with a minimal number of failures, bruising or re-sticks, and ensuring that samples are submitted to the clinical laboratory with the least possible delay.
• The use of a syringe or butterfly may be required in obtaining difficult specimens.
• During collection procedures, the incumbent makes gross visual observation and identifies subtle changes regarding the patient's condition, notifying appropriate emergency personnel as needed.
• Patient Care: He/she secures the confidence and cooperation of patient during phlebotomy, explains procedure, and positions patients for desired results.
• Special attention should be given to explaining any post phlebotomy procedure that may be needed, such as applying extra pressure and leaving bandage in place for extended period of time to patients on blood thinners, and any concerns that may arise from the patient.
• Clerical Support/ Coordination: Navigate through the procedure of checking patients into the phlebotomy area, following protocol.
• This includes checking 2 forms of ID, logging patients in, and accessioning into the computer for the proper labels.
• These duties will be performed in a friendly, courteous manner utilizing appropriate customer service skills.
• The patient's correct identification (two different types) must always be established prior to obtaining any specimen.
• Generated labels must match the test requisition slips or the electronic request, and the patient's identification.
• All specimens must be properly labeled.
• Specimen Processing - Send Outs - Employee Urine Drug Screen Collection: Receives and sorts specimens collected from inpatients, outpatients, and all CBOCs, checks request slips for proper information, logs in specimen, and delivers specimens to various laboratory sections.
• The incumbent also operates centrifuges, reporting any malfunction to Supervisor, as needed.
• He/she evaluates temperature requirements of refrigerator on the wards as needed.
• Processes specimens for send out to reference laboratories by centrifuging, separating, storing specimens at the appropriate temperature, and creating appropriate manifests for specimens being sent.
• Collects employee urine drug screens as scheduled or requested by Human Resources.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Work Schedule: Varied. Virtual: This is not a virtual position.
• Position Description/PD#: Health Technician (Phlebotomy)/PD08049A
• Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized; Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved; Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized