Vaccine and Lab Program Manager

Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center•Hillsboro, OR

About The Position

The Vaccine and Lab Program Manager oversees the development, compliance, and quality of vaccine and laboratory programs across Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center sites. The role supports site coordinators and leaders, provides focused staff training, evaluates program effectiveness through reports and site visits, and serves as a primary contact for county and state representatives. The position also represents the organization with community and health care partners to improve patient access to vaccine and laboratory services. The manager leads the organization’s Vaccines for Children program and annual seasonal vaccine program, oversees CLIA-waived laboratory programs and instrument sterilization surveillance, and maintains relationships with private and public laboratories. The role manages program approvals and certificates, coordinates audits and regulatory visits, develops workflows and training, supports process-improvement efforts, and reviews program data, billing, and quality measures. The position has access to protected health information for treatment and quality assurance or improvement operations. The role requires frequent local travel to clinics and other locations. The work is primarily performed in a well-lighted, ventilated environment, with potential exposure to blood-borne pathogens and hazardous chemicals. Staff must meet the organization’s immunization requirements and applicable state and federal guidelines.

Requirements

Certified Medical Assistant, or ability to obtain CMA certification within three months; Licensed Practical Nurse; or comparable certification or license.
At least two years of experience administering vaccines in a primary care setting.
At least two years of vaccine coordination and/or laboratory program oversight experience.
Experience developing and applying process-improvement techniques.
Experience working in a multicultural, diverse environment.
Valid driver’s license, reliable transportation, safe driving record, and insurance coverage.
Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to communicate respectfully and cooperatively with people of varied racial, educational, and socioeconomic backgrounds and abilities.
Ability to establish cooperative, respectful working relationships with staff, community advocates, partners, and supporters.
Knowledge of state governance policies and regulations related to vaccine and laboratory programs.
Ability to work independently and solve problems creatively and resourcefully.
Ability to be detail-oriented, multitask, and work without detailed instructions.
Ability to commute during working hours to various locations.
Ability to remain calm and professional in difficult situations or emergencies.
Alignment with Virginia Garcia’s mission, vision, and values.
Ability to maintain strict confidentiality and respect others’ privacy.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in Public Health Administration or another relevant field, or equivalent education and experience coordinating or administering a public health program involving program integrity, quality improvement plans, and systems development.
Experience developing and delivering training to medical staff.
Experience using Excel reports to evaluate program performance.
Experience supervising direct reports and leading and mentoring staff.
Bilingual English/Spanish speaking, reading, and writing ability.

Responsibilities

Oversee the Vaccines for Children program and organization-wide systems for safe storage and monitoring of state-supplied and privately purchased vaccines.
Lead the annual seasonal vaccine program, including supporting product selection, ordering, delivery, and staff training.
Partner with operations leaders to support vaccine services at outreach events, including responses to public health emergencies.
Oversee CLIA-waived laboratory programs at sites and locations providing waived testing, including outreach services.
Surveil the instrument sterilization program.
Maintain relationships with private and public laboratories and improve workflows that support patient access to laboratory services.
Maintain current knowledge of vaccine and laboratory requirements and best practices, and provide evidence-based recommendations to clinical and operational leadership.
Conduct quarterly clinic visits and review vaccine and laboratory systems with site leadership teams.
Collaborate with clinic leaders and site coordinators to maintain compliance with Vaccines for Children and CLIA-waived program requirements, including at new clinic sites.
Lead or coordinate twice-yearly structured site audits through the C-Qual site visit program.
Manage initiation, renewal, and maintenance of CLIA certificates and Vaccines for Children program approvals.
Coordinate program training for new employees and develop training for existing staff and leaders as needed.
Develop and deliver training for vaccine and laboratory coordinators, facilitate regular meetings and check-ins, and help resolve questions and issues.
Identify program improvement opportunities with vaccine and laboratory coordinators.
Work with Organizational Development on process-improvement support and tracking, including managing PDSA cycles.
Coordinate with Learning and Development and Clinical Training teams to incorporate new program workflows into training where appropriate.
Represent the programs in Washington and Yamhill Counties, including occasional public speaking and resource coordination.
Participate in work-related conferences and represent the organization within the professional community.
Develop relationships with regional Coordinated Care Organizations, community hospitals, and other health care resources to improve patient access to vaccine and laboratory services.
Obtain data from external partners to inform program development.
Attend trainings and meetings provided by the Oregon VFC program.
Coordinate external regulatory site visits, prepare clinic teams, and serve as a primary contact for county and state representatives.
Collaborate with Finance to monitor billing concerns related to laboratory and vaccine services.
Work with the billing department to assess and optimize revenue collection.
Review vaccine and laboratory reports, including unresulted orders, vaccine errors, and related clinical quality metrics; collaborate with clinical and clinic leaders to address issues through training or workflow improvements.
Work with data analysts to develop and execute regular data and reporting analyses.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Maintain the confidentiality of protected health information and use it only as permitted for treatment and quality assurance or improvement operations.