Job Title

Position Summary:The Administrative Laboratory Technician reports to the Supervisor. Responsible for facilitating the exchange of information between customers: patients, families, healthcare teams, other departments, vendors, billing, or outside agencies. Serves as an initial point of contact for customers either in person or by phone and handles all administrative (non-technical) aspects of the patient encounter and maintains accurate information on each patient to facilitate encounter. Receives specimens, verifies proper patient identification on specimens, requisition and associated documentation. Reviews documentation to ensure for adequate and accurate information. Enters patient and specimen information into the Epic Beaker and generates a unique accession number, for the specimen/requisition labels, and tissue cassettes. Assigns each specimen to the correct fellow and Attending Pathologist. Is responsible for ensuring each specimen is given to the correct fellow in a timely manner. Investigates, corrects, and documents discrepant/problem specimens to ensure the highest quality and patient safety as described in departmental procedures. Responsible for the accurate and timely transcription and billing of Pathology diagnostic work. Has a knowledge of Pathology CPT coding to apply correct billing of basic procedure codes. Demonstrates a clear understanding of the billing rules to correctly code/bill routine technical and professional fee work. Responsible for quality assurance by verification of patient demographics. Responsible for the cataloguing and maintaining an extensive archival collection of materials, including microscopic slides, paraffin blocks, and permanent save wet tissue. Ensures a clean, orderly laboratory and archival area. Responsible for delivering materials to specified location as requested. Maybe required to perform other clerical support duties as assigned. Assigned duties involve strong customer service including but not limited to: calls for reports, specimens, interface with patients, clinicians, internal contacts and outside institutions. Required to interact with house and support staff, attending pathologists, physicians/surgeons and other service users. Accountable for standards of service excellence including patient and or interpersonal relations, teamwork, communication, continuous performance improvement and self management and accountability. Understand HIPAA and departmental specific policies related to medical records, including any discussion, faxing and handling of patient medical records. Responsible for facilitating information exchange. Competencies:Education: High School Diploma or GED required. Successful completion of a Medical Terminology Training course, highly desired. Knowledge: Knowledge of laboratory techniques relating to qualitative and quantitative testing procedures and equipment maintenance. Skills:Ability to prioritize work and handle detailed information under tight deadlines.Must have good reasoning ability.Ability to work independently.Responsible for performing competency testing (biennially for new employees employed less than one year) when scheduled.Adapts to changes in processes, accepting approved changes and learning new tasks.Knowledge of computers, data entry, fax machine, photo-copy machine and other general office equipment.Analytical ability to work with numbers and accuracy is munication and interpersonal skills to interact with patients, clinicians and other staff.Understand implications of incorrect entries and effects on patient diagnoses and anized, knowledge of record keeping and filing.Familiar with web based applications and can easily develop skills on new systems, such as Federal Express or UPS tracking software.Maintain cooperative working relationships within a confined area.Position requires frequent use of the telephone, while multi-tasking to retrieve or review information from the computer in order to assist callers quickly and confidentially.Must be able to communicate confidential information in a clear, concise, and professional manner to a diverse audience. Staff may be required to complete annual competency review, and must insure compliance with Hospital Policy, Laboratory Policy & Procedure, Health, Safety & Environment regulations, and all applicable privacy & confidentiality laws/practices. Required Licensure Certification, etc. No certification required. Work Experience: Two years customer service or administrative or outside experience as Laboratory Technician required, and successful demonstration of the required skills. Machines, Tools, Equipment: Computer, Copier, Fax, Telephone, and all general office equipment.Typing 40-50 wpm. Dimensions:Budget Responsibility: Effectively utilizes resources within their control. Authority/Decision Making Level: Makes decisions based on laboratory protocol and experience and communicates actions taken with the Supervisor or Manager. Supervisory Responsibility: May assist in training peer level or lower level lab employees, volunteers, and students and provide feedback to leadership. Problem Solving:Ability to detect and resolve or refer problems appropriately Information Management:Reads and understands laboratory procedures. Enters patient information, test requests and test results into the computer consistently and accurately. Participates in the management and maintenance of laboratory logs, including communication and specimen logs and/or hand off communication. Working Conditions:While performing the duties of this job, the employee may remain in a stationary position (sitting or standing) up to 70% of the time. Required to traverse throughout the work area or to retrieve/deliver equipment, supplies, or specimens from other locations on campus throughout the day (see below regarding transport duties). Individual will crouch or bend frequently during the day to retrieve or work with materials and during package processing. The employee is required to operate computer keyboard and mouse 75% of the day and must have dexterity for handling small glass slides and other specimens. Constantly repositions self to perform duties at work stations, gathering specimens. Other repetitive hand motions may be required for completing administrative tasks. Prolonged vision requirements including viewing computer screen, paper reports/documents and charts. The employee will be handling bodily fluids and tissue samples. While this position works primarily in an office environment, there is activity in Laboratory environments - Exposure to toxins and infectious agents exist, but potential for personal injury or harm is minimized if established safety and health precautions are followed. Working in laboratory where there may be discomforts due to odors, noise, temperature fluctuations, and working around lab equipment. Transports materials usually less than 40 pounds from one area to another; this includes when assigned walking multiple times per day to other locations on campus (up to 1 hour of walking at a time). When needed, staff uses a cart to transport items, which would require pushing or pulling. While walking surface is often inside on tiled floors, it also includes walking outside between buildings on uneven pavement on occasion. May be required to lift and/or move up to 50 pounds with proper training, or precautions/lifting aides (example: file boxes, specimen deliveries). In some areas, work space is confined. This is a Required Attendance position - in the event of unexpected university closings including inclement weather or declared emergency, the employee in this position is required to report to work and/or remain at work and may be required to work additional hours.