Laboratory Manager - Laboratory Technology III at Medical Services in Fort Logan

Job Title

Laboratory Manager

Job Description

This position exists to provide operational management and technical oversight of Fort Logan laboratory services through supervision of subordinate laboratory staff, administration of laboratory and CLIA-waived testing activities, quality and performance improvement functions, regulatory compliance activities, procurement and inventory management, laboratory policy and procedure administration, and technical laboratory consultation.

Other duties include:

• Develop, manage, supervise, and oversee all clinical laboratory operations, regulatory compliance activities, and technical laboratory services.
• Supervises and oversees all clinical, laboratory, administrative, and supervisory operations, including subordinate laboratory staff, scheduling, training, competency assessments, performance evaluations, coaching, staff development, and disciplinary actions.
• Develops, oversees, and approves work processes and workflow schedules.
• Serve as subject matter expert, advocate, and representative for the Fort Logan Medical Services laboratory with regard to laboratory matters; the incumbent is Fort Logan's voice to challenge external agency protocols on behalf of our staff and patients.
• Develops, revises, implements, and maintains laboratory policies, procedures, and operational guidelines to ensure standardization of laboratory practices and compliance with regulatory and accrediting requirements.
• Analyzes clinical and quality control specimens by manual and automated methods of CLIA-waived testing:
• Manages and oversees the hospital point-of-care blood glucose monitoring program, including equipment procurement, implementation, troubleshooting, calibration (including linearity testing), data management, maintenance coordination, training, assessment of competency for authorized users, and regulatory compliance.
• Administers and oversees the hospital's CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) waived and designated point-of-care testing programs and ensures compliance with all program requirements including certification and training of staff, quality control activities, competency assessments, development and revision of policies and procedures, implementation of additional testing methodologies, documentation requirements, and ongoing regulatory compliance.
• Interprets regulatory standards (Joint Commission, CLIA, Department of Health, etc.) and offer guidance to departmental leadership for meeting and maintaining compliance.
• Maintains ongoing laboratory survey readiness and coordinates preparation activities for Joint Commission, CLIA, Department of Health, and other regulatory reviews.
• Provides clinical interpretation and guidance with regard to test selection, specimen processing methods, troubleshooting, and quality control activities.
• Provides technical oversight, training, and evaluation of subordinate employees in phlebotomy, specimen accessioning, and specimen processing.
• Provides education and training to non-laboratory personnel (e.g. Nursing, Medical Staff) about laboratory test-related matters, clinical interpretation, test selection, etc.
• Works to achieve operational efficiencies and reduce the frequency of repeated unnecessary venipunctures to the hospital's patients.
• Receives, addresses, and/or directs inquiries from physicians, nursing staff, administrative staff, and external stakeholders.
• Maintains meticulously organized records (laboratory requisitions, laboratory reports, invoices, temperature logs, etc.)
• Ensures uninterrupted availability of laboratory supplies by tracking quantities and out-dates and replenishing inventory as needed.
• Operates and oversees maintenance, monitoring, troubleshooting, and operational readiness of laboratory equipment to ensure peak performance.

Laboratory Administrative Functions:

• Develops administrative protocol for the proper tracking, recording, processing, and distribution of studies, requisitions, results, and after-hours processes.
• Analyzes events for vulnerabilities and makes necessary changes to procedures.
• Reviews all critical results, report them to the Performance Improvement Officer, and process any amended reports as necessary to ensure seamless handling of critical lab values.
• Prepares, analyzes, and reports laboratory quality indicators, utilization trends, billing discrepancies, and performance improvement activities to Medical Services leadership and the Quality Council.
• Monitors laboratory billing processes, reconciles invoices and charges, investigates discrepancies, and maintains fiscal accountability.
• Oversees CLIA-waived and point-of-care testing activities, including implementation of testing methodologies, quality control review, competency assessments, policy and procedure updates, documentation requirements, and ongoing regulatory compliance.
• Interprets regulatory standards (Joint Commission, CLIA, Department of Health, etc.) to ensure up-to-date policies/procedures and operations and offer guidance to hospital leadership to meet and maintain compliance.
• Tracks and coordinates laboratory report distribution to clinical units.
• Assists in the development of purchase orders and contracts by working with departmental leadership to assess needs and ensure technical bid specifications are properly addressed.
• Serves as the subject matter expert in laboratory matters, including laboratory systems, workflow development, equipment selection, and technical consultation.
• Attains a high level of proficiency with the systems used by the hospital (e.g. electronic health record, referral laboratory systems, etc.)

Supervises and oversees all specimen processing activities and subordinate laboratory staff:

• Supervise, evaluate, coach, and develop subordinate laboratory staff through competence assessments, ongoing education, performance evaluations, performance management activities, and workflow oversight
• Develops worklists and evaluates workflows and workloads to ensure the most efficient and effective laboratory operations.
• Enters patient data and study requisition information into laboratory systems to generate appropriate service codes, specimen processing instructions, and accession information.
• Ensures proper patient information and test data are accurately entered into laboratory information systems
• Generates required referral documentation to accompany specimens submitted to referral laboratory and ensure the accurate processing and reporting of results.
• Prepares specimens for the referral laboratory analysis by properly processing specimens including centrifuging specimens and separating blood into serum/plasma; preparing requisitions; collating, wrapping, and appropriately storing specimens; meeting carrier pick-up times and/or arranging for special transport services.
• Exercises professional judgment and laboratory expertise in determining proper specimen processing methods and techniques.
• Provides technical guidance and instruction to subordinate staff regarding specimen collection, specimen processing, and laboratory procedures.

Specimen Collection:

• Independently perform phlebotomy and collect quality blood specimens from patients with challenging behavioral and mental health presentations through venipuncture and finger sticks during morning rounds on patient units, in seclusion rooms, patient rooms, and laboratory settings, as needed to support laboratory operations and patient needs.

Other Duties As Assigned:

• Provides cross-coverage and operational support within the Medical Services department, within the scope of practice and competency, to maintain continuity of patient care and departmental operations.