Pathology Support Assistant

Beth Israel Lahey Health • Needham, MA

6d • Onsite

About The Position

When you join the growing BILH team, you're not just taking a job, you’re making a difference in people’s lives. Supports a wide variety of secretarial, clerical and other departmental duties relative to the medical and professional business of the Laboratory Director, Pathologists, Pathology Assistant, and the Laboratory, in general.

Requirements

• High School Diploma or GED
• Proficient in medical and pathology terminology
• Possess basic computer skills and get attention to detail
• Previous exposure to a laboratory environment, preferred
• Decision Making: Ability to make decisions guided by general instructions and practices; may recommend solutions to moderately complex problems.
• Problem Solving: Ability to analyze varied problems using observation, knowledge, and general precedents.
• Independence of Action: Follows precedents and procedures; may set priorities within guidelines; seeks assistance in difficult situations.
• Written Communications: Communicates clearly and effectively in written English with internal and external customers.
• Oral Communications: Comprehends and converses in English to communicate effectively with staff, patients, families, and customers.
• Knowledge: Demonstrates full working knowledge of standard concepts, practices, procedures, and policies.
• Team Work: Works collaboratively in small teams, offering ideas, identifying issues, and respecting team members.
• Customer Service: Provides high-level customer service using active listening and problem-solving; remains calm in stressful situations.
• Age Based Competencies: Not applicable, no direct patient care.

Nice To Haves

• Previous exposure to a laboratory environment

Responsibilities

• Acts as a general assistant to the Clinical and Pathology Departments; requires knowledge of medical terminology.
• Collects, documents, and transports surgical pathology specimens, cytology specimens, microbiology specimens, etc., mainly from the operating room and endoscopy; may collect from other on-campus units as needed.
• Assists with specimen receipt and specimen triage.
• Ensures proper labeling and identification of specimens and requisition forms.
• Brings labeling or identification discrepancies to senior staff and/or supervisor.
• Records discrepancies and resolutions for quality monitoring.
• Accessions pathology specimens in Epic and labels requisitions and specimen containers with the Epic-generated surgical pathology case number.
• Prints cassettes as needed.
• Organizes and packs processed tissue cassettes for histology to ensure integrity during transport; accounts for all blocks on the histology log and packing list.
• Assigns cases to pathologists.
• Processes internal pathologist consult requests, inter-departmental requests, and external fax requests for slides/blocks by locating materials, completing paperwork, scanning items to packing lists, and documenting send-outs.
• Performs send-outs of slides/blocks to reference labs; ensures paperwork completion and documentation on logs/spreadsheets.
• Processes returned slides/blocks by scanning and receiving them, refiling materials, updating logs/spreadsheets, and scanning reports into Epic when applicable.
• Communicates directly with inter-departmental staff and reference labs regarding ordering, requesting, and sending pathology materials.
• Assists pathologists in locating slide/block requests.
• Maintains adequate supplies and reagents in an organized manner; puts away inventory.
• Monitors, maintains, and records room and laboratory equipment temperature and humidity.
• Initiates corrective actions and communicates issues to senior staff and/or supervisor.
• Responsible for tissue processor reagent maintenance, including pulling reagent bottles for decanting, refilling, and rotating reagent bottles and paraffin reservoirs.
• Answers incoming phone calls with proper etiquette and responds to caller needs.
• Picks up mail, reviews it, and distributes it to the appropriate parties.
• Supports clinical lab departments by receiving specimens in the Laboratory computer system, preparing specimens based on testing requirements, and storing specimens appropriately.
• Accurately follows physician orders when entering tests in the Laboratory computer system; determines appropriate actions when orders or specimen requirements are unclear; documents patient demographic and insurance information when performing registration functions.
• Participates in and contributes to departmental quality improvement activities.
• Performs duties in accordance with safety laws, rules, and regulations from regulatory and government agencies, as well as hospital and departmental policies.
• Assists with local, state, federal, and regulatory agency compliance and preparedness activities.
• Performs job functions in a manner that promotes the safety and health of coworkers, patients, and visitors at BID-Needham.
• Performs all duties in compliance with departmental and hospital policies, procedures, rules, and regulations.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• As a health care organization, we have a responsibility to do everything in our power to care for and protect our patients, our colleagues and our communities. Beth Israel Lahey Health requires that all staff be vaccinated against influenza (flu) as a condition of employment.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED