Courier (Part Time, Weekends)

About the role

Penn Medicine is dedicated to our tripartite mission of providing the highest level of care to patients, conducting innovative research, and educating future leaders in the field of medicine. Working for this leading academic medical center means collaboration with top clinical, technical and business professionals across all disciplines.

Responsibilities

• Drives daily from the Suburban Outpatient Pavilion to LGH facilities, physicians' offices and satellite locations in a hospital vehicle, transporting specimens to the core laboratory department for analysis and testing.
• Transports laundry, storeroom supplies, bulk items, documents and equipment to various LGH facilities and locations.
• Makes approximately 30 pick-up stops per 8-hour shift.
• Operates an LGH-owned vehicle to drive from the Suburban Outpatient Pavilion or the Duke Street hospital to various LGH facilities and physicians' offices for pickup of patient specimens and other materials to be analyzed by the core laboratory.
• Adheres to an assigned time window for each scheduled stop to ensure specimen integrity when delivering to the core lab.
• Utilizes route sheets that list predetermined stops with specific locations and pick-up times.
• Understands proper specimen handling procedures to avoid contact with potential bio-hazardous materials and to maintain specimen integrity.
• Follows proper procedures during a spill to contain potential bio-hazardous materials and contacts proper authorities.
• Communicates with the client during each stop regarding specimen quantity, location and availability.
• Records appropriate information on the route sheets including the number and type of specimens collected, the type of documents delivered and picked up, supplies delivered, the “will call’s” added and mileage traveled during the route.
• Drives to and from various LGH facilities, physicians' offices and satellites for delivery of items such as laundry, documents, storeroom supplies, and small equipment.
• Prepares the coolers used to transport the specimens to the core lab. There are several types of coolers prepared depending on the temperature requirements of the specimen being transported.
• Drives in adverse conditions and various types of weather.
• Monitors and reports all problems arising during transportation concerning specimen preservation and condition of courier vehicles. Reports these concerns to resource team leader or supervisor.
• Receives text messages and/or calls to perform extra pick-ups “will-call” as required, changing priorities and/or requesting other drivers to assist.
• Helps to coordinate courier services through direct contact with other courier staff members and communicating with the clients and other LGH members.
• Organizes items for delivery during route stops (secondary duty).
• Maintains appearance and condition of the courier vehicle (secondary duty).
• Fills and maintains proper fuel levels in the courier vehicles (secondary duty).
• Reports all problems and potential problems with the vehicle to the resource team leader or supervisor (secondary duty).
• Uses knowledge of area roads and alternate routes to avoid traffic, construction and other issues (secondary duty).
• Participates in the on-call responsibilities for this position as required (secondary duty).

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent GED.
• Valid PA driver’s license.
• Two years of operating a motor vehicle.

Cognitive Requirements

• Attention Concentration: Ability to attend to more than one aspect of a situation simultaneously; multiple task demands are likely to be required at the same time.
• New Learning and Memory: Ability to learn new tasks quickly and effectively; ability to understand and carry out detailed, involved instructions.
• Problem Solving, Reasoning and Creative Thinking: Ability to evaluate existing options to resolve a presenting problem; resolutions are clearly defined, limited in number and altered infrequently.

Temperaments

• Repetitive Work: Ability to continuously perform the same type of work for extended periods of time, according to set procedures, sequence or pace.
• Working within Tolerances: Ability to adapt to situations requiring precise attainment of set limits, tolerances, or standards; to be precise, thorough, exacting, or meticulous.
• Performing under Stressful Conditions: Ability to perform under stress when confronted with emergency, critical, unusual, or dangerous situations; subject to danger or risk, or tension as a regular part of the job.
• Variety and Change: Ability to perform a variety of duties, often changing from one task to another of a different nature without loss of efficiency or composure.
• Communication: Ability to exchange information with others clearly and concisely; to present ideas, facts and technical information.
• Planning and Control: Ability to identify task requirements and monitor progress toward accomplishment.
• Interpersonal Relations: Ability to maintain relationships that facilitate task accomplishment; to cooperate and resolve conflicts; to recognize needs and be sensitive of others.

Equipment Usage Requirements

• Equipment/Tools: courier vehicles, cargo vans, telephone, cell phone, coolers, hand carts, computer, plate jack, deicer, window scraper, shovel, spill kit
• Software: N/A

Physical Requirements

• Body Position Movement:
  • Sit: Frequently
  • Stand: Frequently
  • Walk: Frequently
  • Bend: Rarely
  • Push: Occasionally
  • Pull: Occasionally
  • Kneel/Squat: Rarely
  • Reach: Frequently
  • Twist: Rarely
  • Balance: Rarely
  • Climb: Occasionally
• Lifting: Heavy, exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, up to 20 pounds frequently, and up to 10 pounds constantly to move objects.
• Sensory Abilities: Vision, Hearing

Physical Environment

• Working Conditions: Exposure to bio-hazardous waste, blood-borne pathogens, extreme noise levels, moving/rotating machinery, radioactive agents.