Clinical Diagnostic Lead (RN)

Planned Parenthood of Greater New York•Schenectady, NY

About The Position

The Clinical Diagnostics Lead (RN) provides enterprise-wide leadership for outpatient diagnostic operations and infection prevention. This role ensures that point-of-care testing (POCT), specimen workflows, vendor coordination, result management, and infection prevention practices are safe, compliant, reliable, and fully integrated into daily clinical operations.

Requirements

A demonstrated commitment to PPGNY’s mission related to bodily autonomy, health equity, and gender and racial justice
A demonstrated commitment to learning about and enhancing practices related to racial equity and its impact on healthcare systems.
Strong relationship building and communication skills, including an ability to work and build trust across cultural differences related to related to race, class, age, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, national origin or ability; and to reflect on one’s personal identity with humility
Ability to provide compassionate, non-judgmental and culturally responsive care across race, class, age, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, national origin or ability; and demonstrates deep sense of accountability to patient experience
Excellent customer service and communication skills
Ability to remain focused and calm in stressful situations
Excellent interpersonal and verbal skills
Superior oral and written communication skills
Ability to work effectively as part of team
Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite or similar software
Familiarity with Microsoft Excel
High degree of comfort with electronic health record
Keen attention to detail
Excellent organizational skills
Outstanding time management skills, including the ability to work under deadline
The ability to produce high quality work in a fast-paced environment with changing and/or competing priorities
Ability to exercise sound judgment and independent decision-making skills
Ability to produce reliable, high-quality work with minimal direct supervision
Ability to exercise discretion in the handling of confidential information
Ability to work a flexible or extended schedule, including evenings and weekends, as operational demands require
Well-developed problem-solving and critical thinking skills
Active, unrestricted Registered Nurse (RN) license.
Minimum 5 years of clinical nursing experience in an outpatient, ambulatory, or population-health setting.
Demonstrated experience with: o Point-of-care testing or specimen workflows o Infection prevention practices in clinical settings o Clinical documentation and EHR use (Epic preferred) o Translating clinical practice into operational workflows
Strong organizational and problem-solving skills.
Ability to work independently and manage enterprise-wide responsibilities.
Excellent communication skills and comfort working across departments.
Ability to exercise sound judgment and independent decision-making skills
Ability to produce reliable, high-quality work with minimal direct supervision
Ability to exercise discretion in the handling of confidential information
Ability to demonstrate and document evidence-based clinical judgment
Comfort making data-driven decisions
Ability to make strategic decisions
Superior negotiation skills
Ability to work a flexible or extended schedule, including evenings and weekends, as operational demands require
Well-developed problem-solving and critical thinking skills
Ability to build and lead high-performing teams
Comfort making sound strategic decisions in the face of uncertain or incomplete information
Proof of immunization or immunity to certain communicable diseases (including influenza during the flu season and Covid-19) and testing for tuberculosis. These certifications are required by the NYC DOHMH Health Code, NYSDOH and OSHA.

Nice To Haves

Experience in quality improvement, process redesign, or operational leadership.
Exposure to regulatory or audit processes (e.g., CLIA, infection prevention audits, safety reviews).
Experience training peers or serving as a clinical resource.
Familiarity with vendor management or system-wide implementations.

Responsibilities

Serve as the enterprise lead for outpatient diagnostic workflows, including POCT and external laboratory coordination.
Establish and maintain standardized diagnostic processes across all sites.
Ensure diagnostic services support safe, timely, and reliable patient care.
Act as the operational owner for how tests are ordered, collected, processed, and routed.
Develop, implement, and maintain SOPs for: o POCT use and quality controls o Specimen collection and handling o Result routing and escalation o Vendor interactions and turnaround expectations o Infection prevention practices related to diagnostics and clinical workflows
Translate clinical and regulatory requirements into clear, site-ready workflows.
Design and deliver training on diagnostic processes, infection prevention practices, and related clinical care standards.
Ensure staff across all sites are consistently trained and competent in diagnostic and infection prevention protocols.
Provide ongoing coaching and real-time guidance to reinforce best practices and support clinical decision-making.
Partner with site leaders to embed diagnostics and infection prevention standards into daily operations.
Ensure readiness for all diagnostic- and infection prevention–related regulatory and quality requirements (e.g., CLIA-waived testing, POCT standards, infection control audits).
Serve as the clinical lead for outpatient infection prevention in partnership with Compliance & Quality.
Conduct routine audits and site reviews related to diagnostic practices and infection prevention.
Monitor trends in errors, near misses, environmental risks, and turnaround times.
Lead corrective action planning and continuous improvement related to diagnostics and infection prevention.
Serve as the primary liaison with external laboratory vendors (e.g., Quest, LabCorp).
Manage operational issues related to turnaround time, result accuracy, and service reliability.
Partner with IT and Clinical Informatics to optimize Epic workflows for diagnostics and results.
Oversee diagnostic equipment lifecycle, including selection, deployment, training, maintenance, and replacement planning.
Advise on clinical safety considerations related to equipment, space, and workflow design.
Collaborate with Nursing, Health Center Operations, Facilities, Compliance & Quality, and Clinical Coordination to ensure seamless integration of diagnostics and infection prevention into patient care.
Provide subject-matter expertise for clinical leaders and site managers.
Support incident response related to diagnostic delays, errors, exposure risks, or infection control breaches.
Serve as a clinical resource for questions related to testing, results, infection prevention, and escalation pathways.
Maintain clinical credibility by remaining engaged in diagnostic and care workflows as needed.
Provide direct clinical support during pilots, surge periods, audits, or workflow testing.
Model best practices in diagnostics and infection prevention through hands-on participation when appropriate.
Stay grounded in real-world workflows
Test and refine SOPs
Support staff during high-risk or high-volume periods
Maintain strong clinical judgment and relevance

Benefits

Generous PTO and holiday schedule
Medical, dental and vision coverage options for you and eligible dependents
FSA, HSA, Commuter pre-tax reimbursement funds
Short- and Long-Term Disability, Free Basic Life and AD&D
401(k) Retirement Plan with Safe Harbor contributions after 1 year of employment

Stand Out From the Crowd

Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.

Upload and Match Resume