Pathologist Assistant

Location: Oak Park, Illinois

Business Unit: Rush Oak Park

Hospital: Rush Oak Park Hospital

Department: Laboratory

Work Type: Full Time (Total FTE between 0.9 and 1.0)

Shift: Shift 1

Work Schedule: 8 Hr (7:00:00 AM - 3:30:00 PM)

Rush offers exceptional rewards and benefits learn more at our Rush benefits page (

Pay Range: $41.44 - $60.14 per hour
Rush salaries are determined by many factors including, but not limited to, education, job-related experience and skills, as well as internal equity and industry specific market data. The pay range for each role reflects Rush's anticipated wage or salary reasonably expected to be offered for the position. Offers may vary depending on the circumstances of each case.

Summary:
This position is responsible for assisting the pathologists in the surgical and autopsy pathology areas. This position requires teamwork to achieve common goals and meet deadlines to provide quality care to clients and patients. Exemplifies the Rush mission, vision and values and acts in accordance with Rush policies and procedures.

Other information:
Required Job Qualifications:
• Bachelor's/Master's degree from an accredited Pathology Assistant program.
• Certified Pathologist Assistant.
• Ability to work on multiple projects with frequently changing priorities.
• Ability to learn and instruct others in new procedures.
• Excellent organizational skills and efficiency necessary.
• Travel outside the metropolitan Chicago area may be required.


Preferred Job Qualifications:

Physical Demands:
• Must be able to perform repetitive motions required for use of pipette, saw, microtome, and other laboratory equipment.
• Position is located in laboratory with exposure to potentially infectious or hazardous materials, including formaldehyde and xylene.
• Potential for injury due to scalpel blades, razor blades, and caustic substances.

Responsibilities:
• Performs surgical pathology grossing, dictation, and frozen sections per established procedures.
• Processes and labels specimens accurately, being conscientious to avoid errors.
• Readily displays a devotion to provide high quality patient care to our customers.
• Oversight over at least one area of the lab, which could include the Gross Room, student programs, the autopsy area, and/or a biorepository. This could include any combination of the following:
• Ordering and maintaining supply inventory
• Maintain inspection readiness
• Initiate/Maintain clinical databases
• Write technical procedures
• Participate in the development of Employee Engagement Activities
• Insure the work area is maintained as a safe and uncluttered environment
• Meets turnaround time expectations by prioritizing and organizing the workload for the shift.
• Utilizes time effectively and seeks out additional job duties when shift tasks are complete.
• Keeps work area neat, clean, organized, and well stocked at all times
• Helps instruct students, residents, and new employees. Evaluates their performances within the established deadlines.
• Accepts and/or volunteers for special projects and completes them within an agreed upon time frame.
• Participates in procedure implementation and training of new staff and students.
• Encouraged to identify and participate in process improvement projects.
• Identifies areas for process improvement, and initiates procedures or programs to respond to the deficiency identified.
• Initiates Safety Events to document unsafe situations.
• Responds to Safety Events, and complaints in a timely manner.
• Maintains overall responsibility for rapid autopsy service at the Rush laboratory and coordinates participant autopsies at outside sites.
• Responsible for autopsy coordination; guides and assists Study Coordinators with trouble-shooting autopsy-related matters and guides and assists back-up on-call autopsy technicians.
• Maintains overall responsibility for the coordination and performance of biospecimen dissections for distribution.
• Maintains responsibility for routine maintenance and proper working condition of biospecimen freezers, refrigerators, and associated alarm system.
• Develops and implements quality assurance and quality control measures to ensure optimal biospecimen acquisition, storage, and accounting.
• Implements new autopsy and dissection protocols, training staff in required new techniques and methods. Develops training videos and aids.
• Makes recommendations regarding acquisition of laboratory instruments and capital equipment.


Rush is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics.