Manager, Medical Laboratory

Kaiser Permanente • Modesto, CA

69d

About The Position

The position involves reviewing applicable policies and procedures for audit and process improvement projects. The individual will develop plans for correcting deviations from expected quality control results and analyze the effectiveness of strategies used to ensure that tests are performed properly and results are verified before being shared. The role requires proactive anticipation and resolution of potential barriers that may prevent specimens from being collected and processed according to established time and quality standards. The individual will routinely assess adherence to all requirements related to the recruitment, processing, testing, storage, and distribution of materials and samples. They will identify and implement appropriate corrective and preventive actions for addressing technical and/or non-technical deficiencies in regulatory/accreditation inspection processes. Participation in the evaluation and implementation of new testing methodologies, processes, and technology that have the potential to improve service, quality, and/or efficiency is also expected. The position ensures alignment between the department's strategic initiatives and the development and implementation of technical and/or non-technical training materials while allocating training resources. Ongoing evaluation of relevant personnel competency is required, along with planning for the alignment of current practices with regulatory/accreditation changes and issues, inspection citations, current events, and trends relevant to services, quality, and training. The individual will lead cross-functional teams to proactively evaluate and improve technical and/or non-technical quality management systems and communicate with external vendors, local/state public health and safety organizations, and other health care providers.

Requirements

• Minimum three (3) years of experience in a leadership role with or without direct reports in a healthcare related field.
• Bachelor's degree in medical lab science or equivalent, or health care related field AND minimum six (6) years of experience in medical technology, clinical laboratory sciences, or health care related field.
• Minimum nine (9) years of experience in medical technology, clinical laboratory sciences, or health care related field.

Nice To Haves

• Operations Management
• Safety Management
• Computer Literacy
• Member Service
• Medical Sanitation and Infection Control
• Medical Terminology
• Medical Equipment
• Quality Improvement
• Quality Assurance and Effectiveness
• Patient Sample Collection
• Business Process Improvement
• Cost Optimization
• Operational Excellence
• Compliance Management
• Confidentiality
• Health Care Compliance
• Maintain Files and Records
• Employee Training
• Stakeholder Management
• Legal and Regulatory Requirements
• Health Care Quality Standards

Responsibilities

• Provides developmental opportunities for others; builds collaborative, cross-functional relationships.
• Solicits and acts on performance feedback; works closely with employees to set goals and provide open feedback and coaching to drive performance improvement.
• Pursues professional growth; develops and provides training and development to talent for growth opportunities; supports execution of performance management guidelines and expectations.
• Leads, adapts, implements, and stays up to date with organizational change, challenges, feedback, best practices, processes, and industry trends.
• Fosters open dialogue amongst team members, engages, motivates, and promotes collaboration within and across teams.
• Delegates tasks and decisions as appropriate; provides appropriate support, guidance, and scope; encourages development and consideration of options in decision making.
• Manages designated work unit or team by translating business plans into tactical action items; oversees the completion of work assignments and identifies opportunities for improvement; ensures all policies and procedures are followed.
• Aligns team efforts; builds accountability for and measuring progress in achieving results; determines and ensures processes and methodologies are implemented; resolves escalated issues as appropriate; sets standards and measures progress.
• Fosters the development of work plans to meet business priorities and deadlines; obtains and distributes resources.
• Removes obstacles that impact performance; identifies and addresses improvement opportunities; guides performance and develops contingency plans accordingly; influences teams to execute in alignment with operational objectives.
• Maintains testing and training standards by ensuring alignment between the departments strategic initiatives and the development and implementation of technical and/or non-technical training materials while allocating training resources.
• Evaluates relevant personnel competency on an ongoing basis; anticipates future training needs, planning regular, in-service, and competency training programs, and completing own training.
• Maintains compliance and accreditation by influencing and implementing policies and work instructions in alignment with applicable regulations, license requirements, accreditation standards, and inspection checklists pertaining to laboratories and facilities where testing is performed.
• Routinely assesses adherence to all requirements related to the recruitment, processing, testing, storage, and distribution of materials and samples.
• Identifies and implements appropriate corrective and preventive actions for addressing technical and/or non-technical deficiencies in regulatory/accreditation inspection processes.
• Supervises the renewal process for personnel licensure; reviews teams updates to technical and/or non-technical documentation.
• Serves as a link between medical laboratory services and other services by planning for the alignment of current practices with regulatory/accreditation changes and issues.
• Leads cross-functional teams to proactively evaluate and improve technical and/or non-technical quality management systems.
• Networks and collaborates across internal teams locally to coordinate and align lab operations, quality, and utilization.
• Communicates with external vendors, local/state public health and safety organizations, and other health care providers.
• Drives alignment with local and national standards and regulations, and utilization of technology and initiatives.
• Ensures medical laboratory operations and improves processes by managing efficient operations, quality, service, patient safety, member/customer satisfaction, and cost effectiveness.
• Implements innovative work plan processes to improve systems across the continuum of care.
• Participates in the evaluation and implementation of new testing methodologies, processes, and technology that have the potential to improve service, quality, and/or efficiency.
• Ensures the resolution of onsite facilities issues of varying complexity with internal and external vendors.
• Collaborates with employees to cultivate teamwork and a progressive work environment.
• Manages personnel during periods of varying work load; monitors the use of inventory and maintenance systems.
• Builds the supplies inventory, estimates usage and costs; manages ongoing technical and/or non-technical project management, including local, regional, and national initiatives, and status reports.
• Manages service quality by reviewing applicable policies and procedures for audit and process improvement projects.
• Recommends, establishes, and implements corrective actions, preventive actions, and process improvements based on internal and external quality audits.
• Develops plans for correcting deviations from expected quality control results.
• Analyzes the effectiveness of strategies used to ensure that tests are performed properly and results are verified before being shared.
• Proactively anticipates and resolves potential barriers that may prevent specimens from being collected and processed according to established time and quality standards.
• Resolves proficiency testing concerns; drives the application of strategies to resolve problems of varying complexity related to pre-analytical, analytical, or post-analytical testing.

What This Job Offers

• Education Level: Bachelor's degree