Laboratory System Quality Technologist

ABOUT AUSTIN REGIONAL CLINIC:

Austin Regional Clinic has been voted a top Central Texas employer by our employees for over 15 years!   We are one of central Texas’ largest professional medical groups with 35 locations and we are continuing to grow. We offer the following benefits to eligible team members: Medical, Dental, Vision, Flexible Spending Accounts, PTO, 401(k), EAP, Life Insurance, Long Term Disability, Tuition Reimbursement, Child Care Assistance, Health & Fitness, Sick Child Care Assistance, Development and more. For additional information visit https://www.austinregionalclinic.com/careers/

PURPOSE

Helps oversee the Total Quality Management (TQM) for the lab system to include Continued Quality Improvement, Quality systems, and Quality Assurance.  Helps Administrative Director of Lab Services and the Lab Application & Quality Specialist manage projects, determine goals, time frame, funding, procedures for accomplishing projects, identification of risks, staffing requirements, and allotment of resources. Carries out all duties while maintaining compliance and confidentiality and promoting the mission and philosophy of the organization.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Responsible for monitoring and reporting QA goals, objectives, and tasks.
• Understands Quality Management approaches e.g. Six Sigma and LEAN.
• Utilizes LEAN tools to construct value stream workflows and help in formulating new ideas to make production and operations more efficient.
• Utilizes LEAN tools to present Lab Management a basis for determining current production and operational pathways
• Responsible for entry, coordination, and surveillance of TQM improvement program data, follow-up responses to TQM indicators above threshold, and presentation of TQM educational programs to all lab staff.
• Maintains educational level in all areas of responsibility to accomplish goals.
• Responsible for document management, including development, review, and maintenance of written lab system documents, such as procedures and QA policies.
• Helps develop and manage QC procedures, programs and corrective action.
• Helps develop QA scope to include values, customers, customer needs, lab service capabilities, and labs vision.
• Facilitates introduction to lab-specific TQM programs during New Employee Orientation for lab employees.
• Documents lab employees’ training and continuing education documentation, lab CLIA certifications, and other lab metrics.
• Processes incoming patient reports and researches overdue/missing results.
• Regularly assists lab supervisors and lab support team members with various data entry requests
• Helps prepare for meetings and quality assurance procedures.
• Documents meeting minutes and action plans and distributes as needed.
• Helps mitigate team conflict and communication problems surrounding projects.
• Prepares reports e.g. quarterly lab dashboard and seasonal flu/epidemiology reports.
• Helps monitor and maintain the databases in lab systems, and ongoing database management.
• Helps support LIS functions & Database maintenance.
• Helps support Lab Work Queue and assists in Charge entry.
• Helps process incoming Lab Support inquiries, troubleshooting calls, and/or messages
• Adheres to all company policies, including but not limited to, OSHA, HIPAA, compliance and Code of Conduct.
• Follows the core competencies set forth by the Company, which are available for review on CMSweb.

OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Performs other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience

Required:  Associate or Bachelor degree in Science related field with accredited institution program. Must have at least 5 years laboratory experience.

Preferred: Business courses or Business Foundation certificate.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Excellent computer skills and knowledge of Word, Excel, Power Point, Adobe PDF and Visio.
• Excellent conceptual and organizational skills.
• Knowledge of Lean and Six Sigma or PDCA Quality skills.
• Ability to interact with a team and accomplish goals.
• Excellent customer service skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal & problem solving skills.
• Ability to handle competing priorities.
• Ability to engage others, listen and adapt response to meet others’ needs.
• Ability to align own actions with those of other team members committed to common goals.
• Excellent computer and keyboarding skills, including familiarity with Windows.
• Ability to enter data promptly and accurately
• Ability to manage competing priorities.
• Ability to perform job duties in a professional manner at all times.
• Ability to understand, recall, and communicate, factual information.
• Ability to understand, recall, and apply oral and/or written instructions or other information.
• Ability to organize thoughts and ideas into understandable terminology.
• Ability to apply common sense in performing job.

Certificate/License

Accredited medical laboratory program certification or laboratory specialty certification required.

Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 7:00am to 4:00pm