Advanced Medical Laboratory Technician

Advanced Medical Laboratory Technician

The Advanced Medical Laboratory Technician position is assigned to P&LMS at Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS) Medical Center, Little Rock, Arkansas. They perform a variety of waived, moderate, and complex tests on biological specimens. They serve as a generalist in the laboratory with responsibility for performing testing in all areas of Chemistry, Hematology/Coagulation, Blood Bank, Microbiology, Serology, and Urinalysis. They have advanced knowledge of Clinical Laboratory concepts, principles, and methodologies, and all laboratory accrediting agency requirements. The primary duties of the Advanced Medical Laboratory Technician may include but are not limited to:

• Serving as key operator for moderate to high complexity testing analyzers.
• Working directly with the manufacturer and assist with implementing new analyzers, writing procedures, training staff and validation testing.
• Assisting with any instrumentation issues that cannot be resolved.
• Performing routine laboratory testing (both moderate and complex testing) in all areas of the clinical laboratory including Hematology, Coagulation, Urinalysis, Chemistry, Immunology, Blood Bank, and Microbiology.
• Packaging laboratory specimens for pick up and shipment to reference laboratories.
• Instructing medical technologist, medical technician, and phlebotomy students as well as new employees in approved laboratory techniques as assigned.
• Performing preventative maintenance as scheduled, on a variety of laboratory equipment, to minimize breakdown and delay of procedures.
• Verifying accurate instrument functioning, troubleshooting instrument malfunctions, and acts on any quality control shifts, trends or out of range results. Identifies unusual results or conditions which may cause erroneous results (instrument malfunctions, interfering substances, faulty operating parameters, or non-standard test procedure used).
• Ensuring that laboratory areas are stocked, maintains appropriate inventories, and notifies appropriate personnel when supplies need to be ordered.
• Maintaining work area in a clean and safe condition according to agency or accreditation requirements.
• Recording laboratory data on charts, logs or computerized forms.
• Entering data into the computerized patient medical record either manually or through instrument computer interfaces.
• Calling critical values to the clinician per laboratory policy.
• Reviewing other technologist/technician manually entered results for accuracy.
• Recognizing and defining testing problems and evaluating methods for solution
• Evaluating, guiding, or implementing possible alternative approaches to standard methods
• Ensuring timely and thorough evaluation of data, ensuring discrepancies are identified and attended
• Obtaining data and complying with the practices, procedures and techniques described in the quality assurance plan
• Correlating quantitative data with patient data (i.e., history, medications), to verify results
• Performing additional tests to clarify or confirm abnormal patient results
• Verifying identity of patient and collecting blood specimens with minimal discomfort to the patient using standard phlebotomy techniques.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm including Holidays. Schedule subject to change based on the needs of the service.

Pay: Competitive salary and regular salary increases. When setting pay, a higher step rate of the appropriate grade may be determined after consideration of higher or unique qualifications or special needs of the VA (Above Minimum Rate of the Grade).

Paid Time Off: 37-50 days of annual paid time offer per year (13-26 days of annual leave, 13 days of sick leave, 11 paid Federal holidays per year) Selected applicants may qualify for credit toward annual leave accrual, based on prior [work experience] or military service experience.

Parental Leave: After 12 months of employment, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave in connection with the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.

Child Care Subsidy: After 60 days of employment, full time employees with a total family income below $144,000 may be eligible for a childcare subsidy up to 25% of total eligible childcare costs for eligible children up to the monthly maximum of $416.66

Retirement: Traditional federal pension (5 years vesting) and federal 401K with up to 5% in contributions by VA

Insurance: Federal health/vision/dental/term life/long-term care (many federal insurance programs can be carried into retirement)

Telework: Not Available

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Functional Statement #: 598-00739-F

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized