Health Technician

Job Title

Health Technician

Duties

Incumbent will perform a variety of duties including but not limited to the following:

Clerical Assignments:

• Serves as key contact for Veterans and beneficiaries seeking Diagnostic services, experiencing problems, and/or requesting information.
• Operate standard office equipment, such as multiline phone, copier, scanner, fax, page printers, label printers, etc.
• Answer and route telephone calls to the appropriate technical area of P&LMS.
• Verifies patient information and tests ordered in the computer system.
• Prints patient order labels for sample collection and at leisure tests (urine, stool, 24-hour urine, etc.).
• Answers basic technical laboratory questions or following up with appropriate section.
• Has a general knowledge of Laboratory accreditation requirements that are recommended by CAP, FDA, and The Joint Commission.
• Responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of sensitive patient information.
• Accepts or enters requests for reference laboratory testing in the laboratory information system. This includes ordering specific tests in the computer system provided by the major commercial reference laboratory, and/or preparing any hard copy requisitions required by other reference laboratories.

Specimen Receipt:

• Provides customer relation services when receiving laboratory specimens from patients and other services within the VA North Texas Healthcare System.
• Serves as a subject matter expert for other healthcare professionals on the collection and processing of all laboratory testing.
• Reviews and accepts test request orders for samples submitted for testing. This includes accessioning samples into the laboratory.
• Evaluates the suitability of specimens for analysis, requesting new specimens if determined to be unusable. Prepares specimens for analysis, ensuring that the physiologic state of the specimen properties is maintained. Follows established protocol for handling of mislabeled/unlabeled specimens.
• Separates and routes the specimen to the specific laboratory section that performs the ordered test.
• Receives packages delivered to the laboratory.

Specimen and Send-Out Processing:

• Performs the processing of all clinical laboratory specimens and is responsible for the timely and proper distribution of specimens to the technical areas of the PLMS laboratory and the reference laboratories to assure specimen integrity.
• Uses laboratory equipment such as centrifuges, refrigerators, and freezers, in addition to consumables such as transfer pipettes, laboratory pour-off tubes and reference laboratory specimen containers.
• Communicates with the reference laboratories to research the requirements on new tests that are not identified in the reference laboratory directories.
• Operates and performs periodic reviews on equipment including checking temperatures of laboratory refrigerators and freezers, etc

Venipuncture collection:

• Demonstrates knowledge of principles, techniques, and practices of phlebotomy, hemostasis, and requirement of blood collection for the various tests performed in the laboratory.
• Obtains timely and appropriate blood samples as ordered per PLMS policies and procedures for both inpatient and outpatient orders.
• Must understand isolation precautions and the proper personal protective equipment necessary to perform phlebotomy procedures.
• Identifies tests that require special handling conditions and appropriately performs proper specimen collection.

Work Schedule:

Monday- Friday 0600-1630 Rotating weekends and holidays

Virtual:

This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Health Technician/ PD00802A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Critical Skills Incentive (CSI): Not Approved

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized