Lead Diagnostic Testing Tech

Memorial Hermann Health System•Houston, TX

About The Position

The Lead Diagnostic Testing Tech fulfills a leadership role in the facility’s non-invasive cardiology department. This senior technologist serves as a clinical expert in delivering and managing comprehensive patient care, including care involving multiple services or specialties and complex diagnoses. The position uses research and evidence-based practice as needed and coordinates expert patient care. The Lead Technologist applies knowledge of interdepartmental and inter-hospital policies, procedures, and departmental guidelines. The role monitors and supports high-quality patient care by matching patient needs with departmental resources, serves as a clinical resource, and provides operational coordination and professional leadership. The position also holds department staff accountable for customer relations, risk reduction, process improvement, and quality standards on a 24-hour basis. The role plans and coordinates departmental workflow, staff assignments, patient flow, handoffs, equipment readiness, and supplies. It supports staff development through education, coaching, mentoring, precepting, performance input, and participation in hiring and orientation. The Lead Technologist collaborates with physicians, nursing staff, departmental leadership, other clinical coordinators, patients, and families, and contributes to quality and performance improvement and departmental policy development.

Requirements

Graduate of an accredited School for Medical Professions.
Certified in Basic or Advanced Life Support.
Hold one of the following: current State of Texas Nursing License; Registered Cardiac Sonographer (RCS) by Cardiovascular Credentialing International; Registered Congenital Cardiac Sonographer (RCCS) by Cardiovascular Credentialing International; Registered Diagnostic Cardiac Sonographer (RDCS) by ARDMS; Registered Vascular Sonographer (ARRT-VS); Registered Vascular Technologist (RVT) by ARDMS; Registered Vascular Specialist (RVS) by Cardiovascular Credentialing International; Texas Medical Board Medical Radiologic Technologist license; Registered Nuclear Medicine Technologist (ARRT-N); or Certified Nuclear Medicine Technologist (CNMT) by NMTCB.
Five years of prior diagnostic testing experience.
Ability to lift and/or maneuver patients with assistance from others to perform job functions.
Professional and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to communicate constructively and respectfully.
Ability and willingness to coach, teach, and mentor staff clinically and professionally.

Responsibilities

Plan, coordinate, and direct activities between diagnostic testing and nursing staff, emergency/critical care, primary physicians, and registration personnel to facilitate patient flow and positive outcomes.
Direct and evaluate departmental throughput, delegating work or providing backup assistance as needed.
Make daily assignments for departmental personnel and use available resources to resolve problems.
Ensure safe patient care and develop and follow evidence-based procedures, policies, and standards of care; participate in research protocols and develop patient-focused clinical programs.
Provide staff education and promote quality care within budgetary specifications.
Assist physicians in prioritizing work and provide verbal reminders about workflow trends, issues, and outstanding items.
Notify the Director of significant occurrences, interventions, or delays.
Act as a liaison among departmental staff, medical personnel, patients, and family members, and assist with patient-care concerns, issues, and complaints.
Promote staff professional growth and development as a mentor, coach, and preceptor; provide the Manager or Director with input on staff performance and educational needs and assist with annual performance reviews.
Coordinate and collaborate with clinical coordinators and team leads in the department.
Delegate and assign additional tasks and oversee their completion according to professional guidelines and requirements.
Assign and review shift-to-shift equipment maintenance and supply stocking in department rooms and areas.
Complete incident or occurrence reports for unplanned, adverse, or potentially litigious events as required by hospital policy.
Receive and give verbal reports about clinical and departmental conditions during staff shift changes.
Facilitate patient handoffs and conduct walking rounds to verify safe conditions and availability of equipment and supplies.
Provide written shift reports to the Manager or Director as required.
Develop policies and procedures for all areas within the department.
Communicate professionally and respectfully; coach, teach, and mentor staff; support departmental and administrative policies and improvement initiatives; and provide shift direction during process changes.
Ensure staff use exemplary customer-satisfaction techniques and recommend corrections or adjustments as needed.
Provide guidance and support to staff, model teamwork, and represent departmental leadership positively.
Participate in quality and performance-improvement initiatives, staff meetings, and required leadership meetings; facilitate staff meetings and agenda items.
Participate in creating technologist schedules to ensure full departmental coverage.
Participate in hospital committees as needed and ensure the department is represented at a minimum of 75% of meetings annually.
Review quality concerns or variances with staff and provide education as needed.
Assist the leadership team with interviews and assess new-hire appropriateness; plan and mentor new hires through orientation and act as a resource afterward.
Assist with departmental Super User needs as required.
Review important updates and news with staff weekly and coordinate these communications with the diagnostic testing leadership team.
Assess educational needs and create plans to ensure staff receive necessary education.
Monitor and provide input regarding corrective action related to quality, time, attendance, and patient care.
Identify departmental needs and work with management to meet them or determine an appropriate plan of action.
Adhere to organizational policies, procedures, standards, budget specifications, and expectations for time, supplies, productivity, and service quality while ensuring safety for patients, staff, and visitors.
Meet mandatory and continuing education and skills competency requirements; support department goals and serve as a preceptor, mentor, and resource to less experienced staff.
Model Memorial Hermann service standards by creating compassionate, personalized, safe, caring, and efficient experiences for patients and colleagues.
Perform other duties as assigned.