Microbiology Supervisor

About the role

The Core Laboratory Supervisor is responsible for overseeing and coordinating the daily operations of the laboratory to ensure high-quality services are provided in a cost-effective and efficient manner. They are responsible for staffing, scheduling, and maintaining quality control and performance standards.

Responsibilities

• Plans and coordinates the day-to-day activities of the laboratory staff, including staffing, scheduling, and replacement of personnel to maintain adequate staffing levels.
• Makes administrative decisions and judgments in the absence of the Administrative Director.
• Maintains quality of laboratory operations and performance of staff.
• Supervises and coordinates the performance of laboratory procedures, providing guidance to clinical laboratory scientists, medical laboratory technicians, and laboratory technical assistants.
• Establishes and maintains systems to ensure laboratory procedures are performed in a timely manner and are checked and verified for accuracy by supervisory staff.
• Ensures accurate and thoroughly documented quality control, performance improvement, and equipment service and maintenance.
• Coordinates the introduction and demonstration of new techniques, equipment, and products to staff; participates in evaluation and/or completion of new or revised procedures as required.
• Affords assistance in the recruitment and retention of highly qualified, professional staff.
• Maintains and inventory control system for supplies and equipment to ensure that adequate materials are available to perform services promptly and efficiently.
• Maintains a system to ensure that policy and procedure manuals are kept current, and that distribution to various lab sections and/or patient care units is accomplished as required.
• Generates information and data to assist in the preparation of the laboratory's annual budget and the maintenance of appropriate cost controls to ensure good financial management.
• Establishes and maintains the Laboratory Information System to ensure continuous quality operation in all technical disciplines of the laboratory.
• Provides back-up technical oversight of the Point of Care program in the absence of the Point of Care Coordinator.
• Assists in evaluating the competency of all testing personnel in Respiratory Therapy on Blood Gas Analysis.
• Resolves billing issues and performs billing audits. Ensures that proper charges are generated for services.
• Administers and participates in the proficiency testing surveys including specimen preparation, analysis, reporting, and additionally participates in annual competency testing for all departments.
• Directs, assigns, and delegates duties to the Laboratory Technical Assistants (LTA), Medical Laboratory Technicians (MLT), and Clinical Laboratory Scientists (CLS) including but not limited to: quality control, calibration, inventory, ordering, linearity, calibration verification, maintenance, troubleshooting, and testing of proficiency surveys. The duties should be coordinated with a teamwork approach.
• Assists in coordination training of CLS and MLT students. Also takes part in training.
• Orients, trains, and tests new Core Laboratory staff in all laboratory disciplines.
• May be required to work on the bench if needed and/or be available for phone support on weekends and holidays.

Pre-Analytical Responsibilities

• Ensures that the laboratory utilizes materials and procedures required for quality control of testing processes adhering to established laboratory protocol and/or Westgard rules.
• Acts as a resource person to the phlebotomy and laboratory staff on issues relating to biological specimen collection including; patient preparation, labeling, handling, preservation or fixation, processing or preparation, inoculation, subculturing or staining, transportation and storage of specimens.
• Works with the Administrative Director in maintaining effective workflow that achieves satisfactory turn-around-times and efficient use of personnel.
• Must know operational procedure for the Computerized Tube System.
• Analyzes specimens following standard methods and procedures. Performing testing in accordance with assigned section policies and procedures i.e. Coagulation, Chemistry, Hematology/Serology, Body Fluids/Urinalysis, Transfusion Service, and Microbiology.
• Assists with testing in all departments as necessary to maintain optimum processing of results. Demonstrates ability to set priorities. Adheres to laboratory policy concerning STAT testing, delta checks, critical values and abnormal values. Telephones or faxes results as appropriate within the acceptable time frame.
• Makes decisions involving test validity, monitoring testing for deviation from acceptable limits, is able to initiate retesting when required and alerts the Administrative Director of errors or shortcomings in the testing processes.
• Responds to changes in work as required, assisting with testing in all lab departments as necessary to maintain optimum processing of results.
• Must know downtime procedure for both the computer and instrumentation and the process for reporting computer problems on the off shifts. Must be familiar with send out procedures for after hour transport of send out testing. Must know the send out procedure for down instrumentation.

Post-Analytical Responsibilities

• Maintains laboratory records, log sheets, worksheets and paperwork. Documents and signs work acknowledging responsibility. Reviews pending logs at the end of the shift to determine status of incomplete work. Prepares the End of Shift Report (EOSR) and communicates with staff on the next shift to make sure there are no gaps in service.
• Handles customer service complaints and intercedes to correct problems, resolving issues that can be dealt with and communicating with Director on all client service and employee issues that need further attention.

Department Responsibilities

• Performs instrument/equipment preventative maintenance procedures as required, documenting and reporting malfunctions to Administrative Director.
• Inspects equipment, troubleshoot failures and take corrective action as necessary, calling for instrument technical service as required.
• Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with all levels of staff within the laboratory, nursing staff, and physicians. Contributes to teamwork and harmonious working relationships by communicating effectively and appropriately to resolve problems. Must be able to carryout instructions while working alone with little supervision.
• Maintains inventory in all lab departments, making sure supplies are restocked, ordered and/or put away.
• Maintains competency in all eight (8) disciplines performed by the laboratory.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology or equivalent discipline preferred.
• Experience: Six (6) years or more as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist preferred. Previous lead or supervisor experience required.
• Licenses/Certificates: Clinical Laboratory Scientist licensed by the State of California. Continuing education as required by the State of California to maintain licensure as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist (CLS).

Requirements

• Sexual Harassment training must be completed within 6 months of hire or promotion, and every year thereafter.