Medical Laboratory Assistant

BMC Software•Boston, MA

23h•$26 - $35

About The Position

The Medical Laboratory Assistant works in the Blood Bank and helps receive, irradiate, and ship blood and blood products. The role helps oversee blood product inventory across a three-hospital system, ensuring products are stocked and ready for use, and coordinates related paperwork and quality assurance systems. The position also supports laboratory specimen processing, automation workflows, waived testing, send-out specimens, laboratory information and patient registration systems, equipment maintenance, inventory, training, and quality improvement. The assistant communicates with laboratory staff, external contacts, and vendors, helps resolve operational problems, and follows hospital standards for patient rights, confidentiality, infection control, safety, and customer service.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED.
At least 2 years of experience working in a clinical laboratory environment.
Experience with clinical laboratory workflow and basic knowledge of laboratory specimen processing and testing.
Experience performing and reporting waived testing as defined by CLIA regulations, or the capability to do so.
Experience performing preventive maintenance, minor repairs, and troubleshooting of laboratory automation equipment, or the capability to do so.
Technical competency with hospital computer systems, including Microsoft Office, patient registration systems, and laboratory information systems.
Excellent written and spoken English communication and interpersonal skills.
Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills, attention to detail, organizational ability, and follow-through.
Ability to maintain strict confidentiality of sensitive information.

Nice To Haves

Associate degree or bachelor's degree in clinical science.

Responsibilities

Receive, irradiate, and ship blood and blood products.
Help oversee blood product inventory across the three-hospital system and coordinate related paperwork and quality assurance systems.
Receive and prepare laboratory specimens, verify specimen identification, label specimens, and route them to appropriate laboratory sections within required time frames.
Load specimens onto automation equipment and follow special handling instructions.
Complete paperwork and technical and non-technical procedures required to process and submit specimens.
Process, prepare, and store specimens for contracted laboratories and perform waived testing as needed.
Optimize specimen routing and workbench workflows, prioritize stat and routine specimens, and help locate specimens within automation lines.
Communicate courteously by telephone and other methods, route calls to the appropriate section, and provide timely and accurate reports and documentation.
Demonstrate the automation line as needed and serve as a knowledgeable resource for its users.
Perform and document troubleshooting, repairs, and routine and preventive maintenance; monitor and record daily temperatures and other required information.
Use laboratory information systems for order entry, inquiries, crediting, and other functions, and enter waived-testing results as needed.
Use patient registration systems to register patients, assign medical record numbers, and update demographic data.
Work with technical and assistant supervisors to update inventories, place orders, and maintain supplies.
Assist supervisors with training programs, standard operating procedures, competency development, and training new laboratory support staff and phlebotomy students.
Participate in quality improvement and quality assurance activities, provide input on performance improvement, and help evaluate implemented solutions.
Liaise with other automation users and vendor research and development scientists to identify opportunities and develop solutions or innovations; assist with quality and usage reports.
Recognize and resolve laboratory technical and non-technical problems, document them in the problem log, and report issues to supervisory staff.
Attend workshops and maintain initial and annual competency documentation.
Record staff late and sick calls when the manager is absent.
Adapt to departmental needs, assist teammates, adjust assignments, and foster teamwork.
Follow hospital conduct, patient-rights, infection-control, and safety standards; maintain a clean and safe workplace and professional relationships.
Perform other duties as needed.