FT Lab Support Services Specialist

About the role

Under the supervision of the Laboratory Manager or designee, performs technical and non-technical duties within the Laboratory service areas on the hospital campus.

Core responsibilities

• Customer Service for all patients and health care providers
• Specimen receipt and processing including preparing specimens for transport to reference labs, microbiology processing, loading samples on lab automation and preparing samples for the technical staff
• Phlebotomy procedures including all types of specimen collection techniques
• Pre-Analytical and specimen storage robot operation
• Assist in multiple areas as workload and staffing changes

Specimen receipt and processing

• Check all specimens arriving in the lab for sufficient quality and quantity
• Cancel unacceptable specimens after notifying RN and documenting in the LIS
• Centrifuge, decant or split specimens as needed; combine orders as needed
• Take to the testing areas in a timely fashion
• Pull samples as needed for lab pending lists
• Measure and aliquot 24 hr urine samples and enter required information in the LIS
• Via tracking and pending logs, prepare specimens for transport to reference labs
• Check accuracy of outpatient orders and resolve discrepancies, correcting orders as needed
• Check physician, drop off specimen and Home Health orders for accuracy in HIS/LIS
• Resolve any insurance/billing problems noted with PAS or Outreach staff
• Processing microbiology specimens (plating/preparation and preparing gram stains)

Phlebotomy

• Prepare and maintain phlebotomy tray with all supplies required to perform duties
• Perform phlebotomy in accordance with Wellstar's patient identification, confidentiality, safety and infection control guidelines with appropriate care given to PPE, sharps disposal and hand washing
• Collects quality blood specimens both venous and capillary for processing, minimum venipunctures 10/hour
• Critically review each collection list to minimize the number of times a patient is collected by searching for and canceling duplicate orders and combining orders that can be collected together within lab guidelines or after RN approval
• Question orders that seem repetitive or unusual
• Identifies patient using two patient identifiers before drawing blood and informs nursing of any missing or incorrect arm bands of the time
• Complies with Blood Culture and Blood Bank specimen collection procedures and specimen handling requirements
• Confirms the patient has been left in a secure position, tourniquet removed and puncture wound has clotted before leaving patient of the time
• Delivers specimens to the Laboratory with specified timeframe
• Resolves unreceived specimen pending log in LIS
• Pull acceptable samples if possible

Customer service support

• Complies with AIDET standards always
• Communicate effectively and courteously with all outpatients, visitors and hospital personnel as they arrive in the lab or when on patient care areas, making a good, competent impression our priority
• Maintains patient privacy and confidentiality always
• Receive incoming calls; resolve or route as appropriate
• Resolve patient / patient care provider complaints; understand when to refer to supervisor
• Provide patient test results to patient care providers via printed reports, fax or verbal communication
• Maintain organized files for physician orders, reference lab reports, other lab reports, as needed
• Make follow-up calls to patients, patient care providers concerning problem specimens, recollects
• Perform call back function for critical and notification values

Technical / HIS / LIS

• HIS / LIS order entry
• Able to work in multiple computer systems as needed to perform job functions
• Use critical thinking skills and lab knowledge to resolve patient orders and irretrievable samples
• Report and troubleshoot HIS/LIS, printer, fax malfunctions
• Organize specimen intake in various downtime scenarios and recovery from same
• Assist with inventory control
• Maintain organization of laboratory storage areas
• Restock consumables in the phlebotomy, clerical areas, store room and laboratory
• Perform QA checks on refrigerators, freezers as required

Teaching / In-Service / Email

• Assists in orientation and training of new employees as assigned
• Check emails daily in Sunquest
• Completes all assigned training and competency testing within specified time periods
• Participates in of staff meetings and reads of posted meeting minutes
• Performs other duties as assigned
• Complies with all Wellstar Health System policies, standards of work, and code of conduct

Qualifications

Required Minimum Education: High School Diploma General or GED

Required Minimum License(s) and Certification(s): BLS - Basic Life Support or ARC-BLS - Amer Red Cross Basic Life Support or BLS-I - Basic Life Support - Instructor (all required upon hire)

Additional License(s) and Certification(s): Phlebotomy Certification by a national organization (Preferred)

Required Minimum Experience: Experience in either phlebotomy and/or specimen processing in an outpatient or hospital laboratory environment (Preferred)

Required Minimum Skills: Strong written and verbal communication, customer service, multi-tasking and organizational skills, professionalism, detail and team-oriented, data entry, typing 40 wpm and working computer knowledge

Work schedule

Day shift