MyMichigan Health

Boutique insurance agency for employee benefits

Medical Lab Assistant

Diagnostics & Laboratory ProfessionalsUpdated on Nov 10

Full-timeMidland, MI, USANo salary listedIn-person

About the Job

Requirements

A high school diploma or equivalent is required, along with one of the listed qualification pathways: completion of a NAACLS-approved Clinical Assistant program within the last five years; completion of a 50-week U.S. military medical laboratory training course within the last ten years; two years of full-time clinical laboratory experience; an associate's degree or 60 semester hours from an accredited college with at least six semester hours each in chemistry and biology, plus one year of full-time clinical laboratory experience; valid PBT (ASCP) certification plus one year of full-time clinical laboratory experience; or a qualifying two-part formal medical laboratory assistant program completed within the last five years plus six months of full-time clinical laboratory experience.
Clinical laboratory experience used to qualify for the Medical Laboratory Assistant examination must cover specimen preparation and processing, support for clinical testing, and laboratory operations.
MLA (ASCP) certification is required within 12 months of hire or transfer into the role.
Organization skills, manual dexterity, customer service skills, communication skills, teamwork skills, and computer skills are required.
Employees must demonstrate competency in Microsoft Windows and may be required to participate in further learning opportunities offered by MyMichigan Health.
Ability to wear personal protective equipment, including latex materials or an appropriate substitute when required.
Ability to move freely about the facility, with or without an assistive device, and perform the job functions described.
Vision and hearing are required, with or without assistive devices.
Ability to sit, stand, or walk for extended periods and to make frequent postural changes such as stooping, kneeling, or crouching.
Ability to follow bloodborne pathogen and tuberculosis testing requirements.
Ability to handle multiple tasks, work independently, maintain regular and predictable attendance, stay awake, and perform repetitive dexterity tasks involving handling, reaching, grasping, fingering, and feeling.
Ability to occasionally lift or carry 11–20 pounds, frequently handle 10 pounds, and walk, stand, push, or pull arm/leg controls.

Responsibilities

Perform pre-analytical, post-analytical, and analytical tasks in histology, cytology, microbiology, and the general laboratory under direct supervision of a medical technologist, pathologist, or other qualified physician.
Execute waived testing, including reporting results.
Prepare tissue specimens and enter related information into the laboratory information system for technical personnel and the pathologist; assist with inventory management.
Prepare urine specimens for testing; prepare analyzers, monitor inventory, load supplies and specimens, and empty waste in the general laboratory.
Prepare and stain slides for bacteriologic study, plate specimens on specified media, prepare specimens for testing, assist with inventory management, and prepare analyzers in microbiology.
Maintain accurate temperature, quality-control, and other required records, and assist with pending logs.
Identify specimens, use laboratory tools including centrifuges, incubators, and balances, prepare specimens for processing, and perform venipunctures.
Register patients and enter data accurately into hospital and laboratory information systems.
Follow laboratory policies and procedures and maintain the confidentiality of medical information.
Follow patient registration, billing, and coding procedures where required, and comply with infection prevention and control practices and policies.
Perform and report waived and point-of-care tests, including glucose, pregnancy tests, urine dipsticks, and coagulation tests; perform and interpret quality control; handle critical values and STAT results; and retrieve and report results.
Prepare, label, and stain slides; set up microbiology tests and plate specimens.
Process reagents, standards, and controls; operate analytical instruments by loading, initiating tests, recognizing and reporting errors, diluting specimens, and performing calibrations.
Review, clarify, and verify physician orders; apply specimen identification and labeling policies; determine specimen acceptability, priority, distribution, storage, transport, and special handling requirements involving time, temperature, and light.
Process specimens, including centrifugation and aliquoting, and comply with Federal CLIA, CAP, and OSHA regulations, safety and infection-control requirements, waste-disposal procedures, laboratory equipment practices, professionalism, ethics, and laboratory information system procedures.
Meet age-specific needs of patients from birth to over 100 years according to department standards and policies, as demonstrated through observation, documentation, and peer feedback.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Desired Qualifications

Six months of experience in a clinical or microbiology laboratory and/or one year of experience handling biological specimens is preferred.
Knowledge of medical terminology, laboratory policies, procedures, and protocols is preferred.
Knowledge of MISYS LIS, HIS, and admitting policies and procedures is preferred.
Job shadowing in the laboratory department may be required based on departmental experience.

Summary

Laboratory assistants work under the direct supervision of the medical technologist (Medical Laboratory Specialist) and a pathologist or other qualified physician, performing pre-, post, and analytical tasks in histology, cytology, microbiology, and the general laboratory.

Responsibilities

(75%)*SUPPORT FOR CLINICAL TESTING (Duties are dependent upon site)

-Executes waived testing, including result reporting

-Histology/Cytology: Prepares tissue specimens (along with information entry into the laboratory information system) for technical personnel and the Pathologist. Assists with inventory management.

-General laboratory (Chemistry, Hematology, Urinalysis, Blood Bank): Prepares urine specimens for testing. Prepares analyzers for testing: Monitors inventory, loads supplies and specimens, and empties waste.

-Microbiology: Prepares and stains slides for bacteriologic study; Properly plates specimens on specified media. Prepares specimens for testing. Assists with inventory management. Prepares analyzers for testing.

-Keeps accurate temperature, quality control and various other required records.

-Assists with pending logs.

(25%)* SPECIMEN PREPARATION AND PROCESSING

-Identifies specimens properly; uses basic tools of the laboratory proficiently, including centrifuges, incubators and balances; prepares specimens for processing; and performs venipunctures

-Registers patients and accurately enters data into the hospital and laboratory information systems.

OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Adheres to all laboratory policies and procedures.

Maintains confidentiality of all medical information.

Follows patient registration, billing and coding procedures where required.

Demonstrates competency in Infection Prevention and Control practices and policies.

Performance, operation, and reporting of waived and point-of-care testing (e.g., glucose, pregnancy tests, urine dipsticks, coagulation tests) .

Performance and interpretation of quality control; critical values and STAT results; result retrieval and reporting.

Preparation, labeling, and staining of slides; microbiology setup and plating.

Processes related to reagents, standards, and controls; analytical instrumentation (loading, test initiation, error recognition and reporting, specimen dilution, and calibrations).

Review, clarification, and verification of physician orders.

Follows strict identification policies to accurately identify specimens and perform specimen labeling.

Determines acceptability of specimen for testing, specimen prioritization and distribution, specimen storage, transport, and special handling considerations (time, temperature, and light).

Specimen processing including, but not limited to, centrifugation and aliquoting.

Adheres to all Federal CLIA, CAP, and OSHA regulations.

Regulations; safety and infection control; waste disposal; laboratory equipment; professionalism and ethics; and laboratory information system (LIS)

Provides for the age specific needs of the population served according to department standards and policies/procedures as evidenced by observation, documentation, and peer feedback for patients who range in age from birth to 100+ years.

All other duties as assigned.

Certifications and Licensures

Credential:MLA (ASCP): Medical Laboratory Assistant

Equivalent Experience: Required within 12 months of hire or transfer into role.

Qualification Source:

Essential: true

Required Education

Education: HIGH

Equivalent Experience: One of the following combinations as outlined by ASCP must be met.1. High School Diploma or equivalent AND one of the following: a. Successful completion of NAACLS approved Clinical Assistant program with in the last five years OR b. Successful completion of a 50-week U.S. military medical laboratory training course in the last ten years ORc. 2 years of full-time clinical laboratory experience OR2. High School Diploma or equivalent and must satisfy both a. AND b.a. Associates degree or 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) from a regionally accredited college with a minimum of 6 semester hours (9 semester hours) of each chemistry and biology. ANDb. 1 year of full-time clinical laboratory experienceOR3. High School Diploma or equivalent and must satisfy both a. AND b.a. Valid PBT (ASCP) certification. AND b. 1 year of full-time clinical laboratory experienceOR4. High School Graduation or Equivalent and must satisfy both a. and b.a. Successful completion of an acceptable two-part formal structured medical laboratory assistant program within the last 5 years that consists of classroom training and clinical laboratory training.b. 6 months of full-time clinical laboratory experience CLINICAL LABORATORY EXPERIENCE: To fulfill the experience requirement for the Medical Laboratory Assistant examination, you must have clinical laboratory experience within the timeframe required in ALL of the following areas: Specimen Preparation and Processing Support for Clinical Testing Laboratory Operations.

Education Specialization:

Essential: true

Other Information

EXPERIENCE, TRAINING AND SKILLS:

Organization skills, manual dexterity, customer service skills, communication skills, teamwork skills, andcomputer skills are required.

MyMichigan Health is a technology driven organization and employees need to demonstrate competencyin Microsoft Windows. An employee may be required to participate in further learning opportunitiesoffered by MyMichigan Health.

Six (6) months experience in a clinical or microbiology laboratory and/or one (1) year experience inhandling biological specimens preferred.

Medical terminology, knowledge of laboratory policies, procedures and protocols are preferred.Knowledge of MISYS LIS, HIS and admitting policies and procedures are preferred.

Job shadow in the laboratory department may be required commensurate to experience in thedepartment.

PHYSICAL/MENTAL REQUIREMENTS AND TYPICAL WORKING CONDITIONS:

Exposure to stressful situations, including those involving public contact, as well as, trauma, grief anddeath.

Able to wear personal protective equipment that includes latex materials or appropriate substitute ifrequired for your position.

Is able to move freely about facility with or without an assisted device and must be able to perform thefunctions of the job as outlined in the job description.

Overall vision and hearing is necessary with or without assisted device(s).

Frequently required to sit/stand/walk for long periods of time. May require frequent postural changes suchas stooping, kneeling or crouching.

Some exposure to blood borne pathogens and other potentially infectious material. Must followMyMichigan Health bloodborne pathogen and TB testing as required.

Ability to handle multiple tasks, get along with others, work independently, regular and predictableattendance and ability to stay awake.

Overall dexterity is required including handling, reaching, grasping, fingering and feeling. May requirerepetition of these movements on a regular to frequent basis.

Physical Demand Level: Light. Must be able to occasionally (0-33% of the workday) lift or carry 11-20 lbs.,frequently (34-66% of the workday) 10 lbs. and or Walk/Stand/Push/Pull of Arm/Leg controls.

Equivalent Experience and Other Comments (Education)

Other Comments

About the Company

MyMichigan Health

Boutique insurance agency for employee benefits

MyMichigan Health is a boutique insurance agency that plans employee benefits for entrepreneurs and small to mid-sized businesses, representing over 100 national carriers. It researches market options to match employers with a mix of health, life, dental, and vision plans at lower premiums, delivered through a co-branded Employee Benefit Portal. It stands out with a large carrier network, tailored market research for SMBs, and a portal that simplifies enrollment and benefits administration. Its goal is to provide affordable, comprehensive employee benefits that fit the needs of small and medium-sized businesses while making enrollment easy.

Company size: 1-10
Company stage: Not listed
Total funding: Not listed
Headquarters: Troy, MI
Founded: Not listed

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