Lab Section Lead - Chemistry

About us: For the past 85 years, Stephens County Hospital has been a trusted name in the community, striving for excellence and delivering professional and compassionate care. Our dedicated staff of approximately 475 employees has a heart for healthcare and realizes how precious the gift of good health can be.

Stephens County Hospital is a 96-bed acute care hospital located in Toccoa, Georgia. We are nestled in the beautiful foothills of Northeast Georgia where our family-oriented community offers many cultural and civic opportunities as well as numerous outdoor activities.

Stephens County Hospital is a member of the Georgia Hospital Association, American Hospital Association and Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals. Stephens County Hospital is fully accredited by the Joint Commission, the nation’s premier healthcare monitoring agency

Lab Section Lead - Chemistry - Full Time - Day Shift

The Laboratory Section Lead position assumes responsibility for technical operations of a specific laboratory section. The Laboratory Section Lead ensures that all procedures are performed as defined in the laboratory section policy and procedures and maintains compliance with laboratory regulatory governance. The position requires a high degree of organizational skills, multi-tasking abilities, problem solving and technical expertise as well as demonstrated leadership to manage the diverse tasks within the laboratory section and coordinates with other lab sections as necessary. The Laboratory Section Lead is collaborative, engages in active listening, conflict resolution and promotes teamwork. The Laboratory Section Lead routinely performs laboratory testing. May perform CUA General Supervisor duties as necessary and assigned. Assists, supports and reports to the Laboratory Manager.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Operational:

Performs tests and reports test results for waive, moderate and high complexity clinical laboratory procedures.
Troubleshoot procedural and operational issues.
Knowledgeable of current policies/procedures and protocols for specimen collection, labeling, handling, processing and testing of laboratory test specimen.
Engages in and is a model for Good Laboratory Practices.
Demonstrates proficiency, competency and understanding of fundamental principles of laboratory procedures.
Effectively operates and is knowledgeable of the lab section instrumentation, function, maintenance and trouble shooting. Monitors lab section supply inventory and uses laboratory resources effectively and efficiently.
Required to cooperatively work with other lab sections as necessary.

Staff:

Participate in candidate interviews.
Teach, Train, Evaluate lab testing staff competency.
Handle employee relations and coaching in coordination with lab manager.
Ensures training and competency of lab testing staff working within the laboratory section are compliant with CLIA regulatory governance and current laboratory accreditation organization as well as hospital state licensure and accreditation.
Conducts Proficiency Testing with laboratory staff within laboratory section, as well as participates performing proficiency testing.

Compliance and Quality Assurance:

Maintains readiness for regulatory governance on-site audits and surveys.
Conducts Quality Assurance Management within lab section to meet CLIA laboratory regulatory governance and current laboratory accreditation organization.
Ensure CLIA regulatory governance and accreditation agency requirements, policy and procedures are adhered to.
Perform quality assurance audits as necessary.
Document issues and noncompliance as appropriate.
Investigates and resolves technical problems and issues, consulting appropriate expertise as required.
Documents investigation appropriately.
Assures quality measures are maintained.
Investigates failures.

Communication and Customer Service:

Act as primary point of contact for staffs and external departments interacting with the lab.
Communicates with lab test ordering departments and providers regarding delays.
Resolve issue and complaints with root gap analysis.
Use clear, correct, complete, concise and compassionate verbal and written communication.
Be an Active Listener.
Effectively communicates with a broad spectrum of peoples, cultures, ages, education and backgrounds.

Safety/OSHA:

Knowledgeable of safety policy and procedure and OSHA standards in clinical workspace.
Knowledgeable of blood borne pathogens exposure, biohazardous spills removal and clean up and needle stick or sharps protocol as well as handling and shipping of biohazardous materials.
Documents Incident reports electronically as appropriate.
Knows location and can direct others to MSDS. Adheres to and models Safety/OSHA, HIPAA, Privacy, and Conflict of Interest policies.

Administrative:

Operates computerized laboratory data systems/applications.
Inventory management is reviewed weekly.
Statistical reports are reviewed.
Reviews critical results and result reporting comparison.
Runs correlations/validations on tests and instruments within the laboratory section and interprets the analysis.
Takes next steps as appropriate.
Task assignments are completed as appropriate.
Assists the laboratory manager and/or medical lab director with tasks as assigned to maintain laboratory operations and the delivery of quality laboratory results.

Laboratory Sections:

Each Lab Section has specific List of Duties and Responsibilities relevant to its modalities.

One or more of the following areas may be assigned to a Laboratory Section Lead.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Historical knowledge of laboratory section test menu
Testing requirements
Testing instrumentation
Testing kits
Quality assurance management, lab regulatory governance.
Use of computer - Microsoft Suite, hospital information systems, lab information systems/management.
Strong analytical and critical thinking skills
Demonstrates acute awareness of environment
Proficient multi-tasking
Ability to prioritize work as necessary
Ability to direct work
Attention to detail
Ability to make decisions quickly

Ability to communicate complex and simple information to wide range of audience
Ability to work alone and with others cooperatively.
Strives toward quality delivery of patient results every day, every test, every time.

Non-Essential Functions:

Perform other duties as assigned or requested.

Professional Requirements:

Adhere to dress code, appearance is neat and clean.
Complete annual education requirements.
Maintain patient confidentiality at all times.
Report to work on time and as scheduled.
Wear identification while on duty.
Maintain regulatory requirements, including all state, federal and local regulations.
Represent the organization in a positive and professional manner at all times.
Comply with all organizational policies and standards regarding ethical business practices.
Participate in performance improvement and continuous quality improvement activities.
Attend regular staff meetings and in-services as needed.

Physical Requirements and Environmental Conditions:

Must have the cognitive ability to perform in this role.
Critical and executive level thinking is required Must have strong analytical skills with the ability to collect, organize, analyze, and disseminate significant amounts of information with high-level attention to detail and accuracy.
Have near normal hearing - able to hear alarms/telephone/ normal speaking voice/ webinars
Have near normal vision - clarity of vision (both near and far) either corrected on non-corrected, ability to distinguish colors
Have good manual dexterity and eye-hand-foot coordination
Sitting - continuously within the shift (55-90%)
Standing - frequently within the shift (30-50%)
Walking - frequently within the shift (30-50%)
Climbing - occasionally within the shift (1-33%)
Bending/stooping -frequently within the shift (34-66%)
Twist at the waist - occasionally with the shift (1-33%)
Pushing/pulling - frequently within the shift (34-66%)
Lift/carry - 20lbs with assistance - occasionally within the shift (1-33%)
Reaching above the shoulders - frequently within the shift (34-67%)
Lift/carry- 50Ibs with assistance- occasionally within the shift (1-33%)

Stephens County Hospital is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, pregnancy, marital status, national origin, citizenship status, disability, military status, sexual orientation, genetic predisposition, carrier status or any other legally protected status.

marie.culver@stephenscountyhospital.com