MED OFFICE LAB ASSISTANT

Covenant Health•Knoxville, TN

About The Position

The Medical Office Laboratory Assistant performs venipunctures and processes clinical laboratory specimens for physician and advanced-practitioner diagnosis and treatment. The role also performs test analyses, reports results, and maintains patient records for waived and moderately complex clinical laboratory testing validated for the specific physician office laboratory. Testing may be referred to a reference laboratory when laboratory policies require it. The assistant performs only procedures authorized by the laboratory director and appropriate to the employee’s education, training, experience, and technical abilities. The position supports patient registration and billing accuracy, specimen collection and handling, laboratory testing and quality control, equipment maintenance, records management, inventory, and communication with patients, clinicians, reference laboratories, and colleagues. It also contributes to training, quality improvement, and department operations. Local travel is required.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
Basic computer skills, medical terminology, registration, and phlebotomy skills, or an equivalent combination of clinical and clerical skills.
Valid Tennessee driver’s license and state-mandated minimum insurance coverage.
Driving record must meet Covenant Health minimum standards at hire and throughout employment.

Responsibilities

Register patient accounts when indicated and ensure patient identification and billing accuracy.
Track and submit testing records to financial departments and assist with account and billing troubleshooting.
Direct, escort, or provide wheelchair assistance to patients entering and leaving the laboratory, explaining the next step of the visit.
Collect venous blood samples according to procedures, use two unique patient identifiers, and label specimens accurately.
Use the referring hospital’s Blood Bank identification system and apply the Blood Bank armband when collecting Blood Bank specimens.
Use aseptic technique when collecting blood cultures.
Provide patients with supplies and collection instructions for specimens they collect themselves, including 24-hour urine and fecal occult blood specimens.
Process and handle specimens according to procedures, including prioritization, centrifugation, separation and distribution, reference-lab transport tracking, aliquot labeling, and special storage or shipment requirements.
Operate, maintain, and troubleshoot applicable laboratory and office equipment; notify the laboratory manager when repair or replacement is needed.
Document maintenance, corrective actions, quality control activities, calibrations, and other required records in accordance with policy and timelines.
Follow corrective-action policies when test systems fall outside established performance specifications or acceptable levels.
Prepare and store calibrators, quality-control materials, reagents, consumables, and linearity kits according to manufacturer instructions; perform parallel testing of new lots or shipments when required.
Submit quality-control data to the appropriate agency when required by policy.
Perform laboratory testing accurately and efficiently, document patient results, and assess specimen quality before testing as required.
Evaluate patient results for validity and determine whether reference-laboratory validation testing is needed under laboratory policies and procedures.
Identify issues that may affect test performance or reporting, correct them when possible, or immediately notify the laboratory manager.
Participate in external proficiency testing and maintain performance records showing challenge samples were handled like patient samples.
Assist the laboratory manager with instrument validations, linearity studies, and other investigatory work as assigned.
Support Genetic Testing and Clinical Trials departments as needed.
Communicate with reference laboratories about incomplete orders, required specimen types, and quality metrics.
Maintain and disinfect the work area; follow standard precautions, biohazard-waste procedures, PPE requirements, and sharps-safety policies.
Use the EMR and related systems to manage schedules, test orders, and results, and monitor incomplete testing and collection lists.
Plan work for productivity and minimal carryover while keeping overtime to a minimum; communicate relevant information about patient samples and equipment performance to appropriate staff.
Prioritize varying tasks and use time and supplies cost-consciously.
Use HIS, LIS, registration, scheduling, and reference-laboratory computer systems, including systems such as Mayo, STAR, Cerner, and LabDaq.
Activate manual processes during network downtime, print schedules in advance when necessary, notify leadership of unscheduled downtime, and follow manual procedures for ordering, collection, verification, and charting during computer failures.
Monitor inventory expiration dates and rotation, and order supplies as needed.
Assume responsibility for the area in the laboratory manager’s absence.
Participate in department meetings as directed and act on information communicated.
Communicate professionally with patients, physicians, visitors, and hospital staff, and maintain strict confidentiality of patient information.
Assist with orientation and training of new and existing employees.
Follow policies, procedures, and safety standards; complete annual education assignments; work toward goals and objectives; and participate in quality-improvement initiatives as requested.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Travel locally as required.