Histology Assistant

Advocate Health•Milwaukee, WI

7d•$24 - $36•Onsite

About The Position

The Histology Assistant II works in the Cytology and Histology Departments at Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center. In Cytology, the teammate assists with collecting fine needle aspirations and biopsies in procedural areas such as CT, IR, and GI. In Histology, the teammate receives and accessions surgical specimens, performs frozen sections, stains slides, files blocks and slides, and distributes prepared surgical slides. The position also includes serving as an Autopsy Diener. The role supports specimen handling and identification, tissue preparation, laboratory quality control, inventory and equipment maintenance, and operation of hospital and laboratory information systems. The teammate may assist with human postmortem examinations under a pathologist's direction and helps train associates and students in bench-level methods and theory. The position is full-time, 40 hours per week, with a regular first-shift schedule of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Occasional Saturday morning shifts and weekend on-call work are also required. The listed pay range is $24.10–$36.15.

Requirements

High school graduate or equivalent.
Typically requires 2 years of experience in a medical field environment.
Familiarity with medical terminology.
Knowledge of human anatomy.
Demonstrated knowledge of biologic sciences and medical terminology.
Ability to safely handle sharp instruments.
Detail-oriented, with good organizational and communication skills.
Ability to work a flexible schedule, which may include alternate-site assignments and on-call work for autopsies.
Keyboarding and typing skills.
Proficient computer skills.
Ability to operate all equipment necessary to perform the job.
Ability to handle stressful situations calmly and professionally.

Responsibilities

Maintain adequate inventory of supplies and reagents, order supplies, follow up on back orders or incorrect orders, store items appropriately, rotate stock, and ensure required dates and labels are applied.
Maintain departmental equipment and computer hardware, perform and document routine preventative maintenance, document technical problems, troubleshoot laboratory methodology and equipment issues, and notify a supervisor as appropriate.
Verify the identification and validity of specimens received from Surgery, the Emergency Department, nursing units, and physician offices; notify the initiating unit and document unacceptable specimen identification or validity.
Follow laboratory safety procedures and comply with applicable regulatory and accrediting requirements, including OSHA, FDA, EPA, CAP, and CLIA requirements.
Prepare tissue sections and cytology cellblock cassettes for histological processing; assist with gross examination of surgical specimens; label tissue cassettes; and maintain daily workload records.
Assist with fine needle aspirates, including processing and logging specimens for referral laboratories.
Accurately file and retrieve stained slides and blocks in accordance with legal record-retention requirements.
Assist with human postmortem examinations when required, including verifying cadaver identity, taking preliminary measurements, eviscerating, performing routine organ dissections, cleaning bowel, removing the brain as requested, recording organ measurements and weights, and documenting preliminary observations according to protocol.
Notify the Admitting Office when a body is ready for release to the funeral director and assist in assembling data for preliminary autopsy protocols.
Maintain autopsy-suite equipment and supplies, cleanliness, and regulatory compliance.
Meet patient-service and turnaround-time standards; follow up when results exceed established criteria and process frozen sections promptly according to protocol.
Perform quality control testing, record and monitor QC data, take and document corrective action, notify a supervisor when limits are exceeded, and participate in quality-improvement efforts.
Use Hospital Information System and Laboratory Information System functions, recognize unusual system operations, notify appropriate personnel, and follow downtime procedures during failures or scheduled downtime.
Perform computer functions including specimen accession, credits, charges, order entry, and printing labels and reports.
Assist in training and teaching bench-level methodology and theory to new and existing associates and students.

Benefits

Paid Time Off programs.
Medical, dental, vision, life, and short- and long-term disability benefits.
Flexible Spending Accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses.
Adoption assistance and paid parental leave.
Defined contribution retirement plans with employer match and other financial wellness programs.
Educational Assistance Program.
Premium pay, such as shift and on-call pay, based on the teammate's job.
Incentive pay for select positions.
Opportunity for annual increases based on performance.
Career development programs.