Lead Medical Technologist - Flagstaff Medical Center

Northern Arizona Healthcare•Flagstaff, AZ

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Laboratory Lead Technologist serves in multiple roles, including leading lab assistants and staff medical technologists in overseeing daily workflow. This involves assigning personnel, troubleshooting equipment, reviewing quality control, scheduling, and assisting managers with regulatory review of procedures and proficiency testing. The position also acts as the principal technical authority for assigned laboratory areas, overseeing specialties or sections, maintaining quality metrics, and leading the development and implementation of laboratory procedures, techniques, and new equipment. Responsibilities include directing and assisting with laboratory workflow, ensuring daily performance and documentation, handling problems in assigned areas with corrective actions, standardizing, calibrating, performing preventive maintenance, and troubleshooting laboratory equipment. The role involves assisting in the development of new test procedures and methodologies, participating in the evaluation of new instruments or procedures, and performing laboratory tests on various specimens. Adherence to current policies and procedures is expected, along with performing special projects and assuming designated supervisor functions in their absence. Maintaining inventory, ordering supplies, and attending departmental meetings are also key duties. The Quality aspect involves monitoring results, quality control, and proficiency testing, ensuring maintenance schedules and instrument validation are followed, and maintaining records for certification and regulatory agencies. The Lead Technologist is responsible for the quality assurance program and successful regulatory inspections of their area(s), actively participating in process improvement activities, and maintaining policies and procedures. In Personnel Management, the role includes training new or less skilled personnel, acting as a technical resource, evaluating and documenting staff competency, and educating technologists for annual competencies. They assess the needs of Medical Laboratory Scientist IIs and assist them, send tests to reference labs, and verify accuracy. The Lead Technologist is a resource for lab assistants, nurses, and physicians, providing direction for specimen acceptability, unusual results, instrument problems, and out-of-control situations. Communication with nurses, physicians, and healthcare workers regarding lab results and procedures is essential, and supervisors/managers are kept informed of employee performance and conduct issues. Compliance and Safety responsibilities include reporting safety incidents, attending safety training, performing work safely, monitoring the work environment for safety issues, and ensuring others do the same. Staying current with and complying with state and federal regulations and company policies is required. If applicable, ensuring certifications and licenses are up-to-date and completing all mandatory training are also part of the role. This position's work location is on site only.

Requirements

Associates Degree in Medical Technology - Required
MLS (ASCP), MLT (ASCP) or equivalent - Required
Certified as a Medical Technologist (MT) or Medical Laboratory Technician by AMT or ASCP - Required
3 years in the field of Medical/Clinical Laboratory Science in an acute care facility - Required
Competent in hematology, serology, chemistry, urinalysis, coagulation, special chemistry, blood banking and/or basic microbiology - Required
Colleagues must have an understanding of computers, and competence in using computers and basic software programs.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's Degree in Medical Technology - Preferred
Specialist designation or continuing education related to relevant area(s) of specialty - Preferred
Specialist certification related to specialty (i.e., ASCP Certified Specialist in field/Chemistry, Hemo, Microbiology, Blood Bank) - Preferred
Qualifies as a General Supervisor according to CLIA guidelines - Preferred

Responsibilities

Directs and assists clerical, lab assistants, and technologists with laboratory work flow.
Accountable for performance and documentation required in work area on a daily basis.
Maintains a wide base of knowledge and is capable of handling problems in areas assigned, taking and documenting corrective action as appropriate according to department guidelines.
Standardizes, calibrates, performs preventive maintenance, and performs in-depth troubleshooting on laboratory equipment and instruments.
Assists in the development and/or designing of new test procedures and/or methodologies; participates/leads in the evaluation, correlation, and introduction of new instruments or procedures.
Performs laboratory test on blood, urine, body fluids and other specimens to provide data for use in diagnosis and treatment of disease.
Demonstrates knowledge and understanding of current policies and procedures through conduct of daily duties.
Performs other special projects and miscellaneous duties as assigned.
Assumes designated functions of the supervisor in his/her absence according to College of American Pathologists and Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments requirements.
Maintains inventory and orders in sufficient quantities to meet test requirements with minimal waste.
Attends necessary departmental meetings.
Monitors results, quality control and proficiency testing results, applying rules and corrective actions according to department guidelines.
Ensures maintenance schedules are followed, instrument validation/testing is done, and maintains appropriate records for certification and regulatory agencies.
Responsible for quality assurance program for area(s) with assistance from the area Med Tech II and the Laboratory supervisor(s).
Responsible for successful regulatory inspections of area(s).
Actively leads and/or participates in process improvement activities and other duties as assigned.
Maintains policies and procedures and guidelines of practice.
Trains new or less skilled personnel procedures, equipment, and policies (safety, hospital, laboratory).
Is a technical resource for the area.
Evaluates and documents staff competency according to regulations and accreditation requirements.
Educates technologists in preparing for annual competencies.
Assesses the clerical and technical needs of the medical laboratory scientist II's and assists them in accomplishing their duties and goals.
Sends tests to references lab(s) and verifies accuracy of reference testing and orders.
Is a resource for the lab assistants, nurses and physicians.
Provides direction and guidance for questions and/or problems referred by other laboratory and/or hospital personnel concerning specimen acceptability, unusual or discrepant results, instrument or method problems, and/or out-of-control situations.
Communicates with nurses, physicians, health-care workers and public concerning lab results, procedures and technology.
Keeps supervisor/ manager/director-appraised of employee performance and conduct issues.
Responsible for reporting any safety-related incident in a timely fashion through the NHA reporting tool; attends all safety-related training programs; performs work in a safe manner; monitors work environment for possible safety issues and ensures others are also performing work in a safe manner.
Stays current and complies with state and federal regulations/statutes and company policies that impact the employee's area of responsibility.
If required for the position, ensures all certifications and/or licenses are up-to-date and valid prior to expiration dates.
Completes all company mandatory modules and required job-specific training in the specified time frame.