Covenant Health of East Tennessee

Community-owned, not-for-profit regional healthcare network

Lab Assistant

Diagnostics & Laboratory ProfessionalsConfirmed live in the last 24 hours

Full-timeTazewell, TN, USANo salary listedIn-person

About the Job

Requirements

Entry-level position requiring basic computer skills.
Possess knowledge, skills, and abilities sufficient to perform the essential job tasks, typically equivalent to a high school diploma or GED; no specific formal education is required.

Responsibilities

Collect venous and capillary blood specimens from inpatients and outpatients while ensuring customer safety and comfort.
Prioritize customer service and outpatient collection.
Handle outpatient registration accurately, completely, efficiently, and professionally.
Gather outpatient demographic, medical, and financial information and record it in the hospital information system.
Transcribe medical orders and diagnoses, order appropriate laboratory tests for outpatients, lab contracts, and specimens, and follow up verbal orders by requesting written orders.
Answer departmental telephone calls, transfer them to the appropriate laboratory or pathology section, resolve problems, and assist physicians and staff with obtaining, faxing, or receiving laboratory test results by telephone while protecting confidentiality.
Use hospital information, laboratory information, and reference laboratory computer systems as appropriate for the facility.
Use manual systems for ordering, collection, verification, and charting during computer outages.
Process specimens, including accessioning, identifying test priorities, centrifuging, separating and distributing shared specimens, and logging and tracking specimens sent to off-site reference laboratories; label aliquots and follow special collection, storage, and shipping instructions.
Operate and monitor the pneumatic tube system.
Collect blood samples from venous or capillary sites as required by the facility; use the Hollister Ident-A-Band system to label blood bank specimens and aseptic technique to collect blood culture specimens; label all specimens accurately.
Verify patient identity using a hospital armband, asking the patient’s name, or asking a registered nurse to visually identify the patient.
Dispose of needles, sharps, and used gloves properly during phlebotomy.
Keep clerical and phlebotomy work areas neat and sanitary.
Review written physician orders daily for errors in test orders, diagnosis, physician name, insurance coverage, and documentation of problem resolution; file orders appropriately, manage the filing system, and notify the senior lab assistant or manager so errors can be corrected promptly.
Print, sort, fax, and chart inpatient laboratory, pathology, and imaging reports, and mail or distribute outpatient reports as needed.
Pick up specimens from physicians’ offices promptly by performing courier duties or dispatching a courier or courier service, and manage supply requests.
Participate in laboratory performance improvement activities.
Comply with laboratory policies and procedures, including the Exposure Control Plan, Chemical Hygiene Plan, Disaster Plan, Joint Commission standards, CLIA requirements, and state regulations.
Review and sign off on the communication log or memo notebook.
Serve as a resource for difficult blood draws when needed.
Follow policies, procedures, and safety standards; complete required annual education assignments; work toward goals and objectives; and participate in quality improvement initiatives as requested.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Desired Qualifications

Certification by NCA, ASCP, ASPT, or a comparable institution is desirable.
A high school diploma or GED may be preferred.

Overview

Lab Assistant, General Laboratory

PRN/OCC, Variable Shifts

Claiborne Medical Center Overview:

Claiborne Medical Center, a member of Knoxville-based Covenant Health, offers a full range of medical services including emergency care, general and orthopedic surgery, rehabilitation, and diagnostic services. Our radiology services are certified by the American College of Radiology in Computerized Tomography (CT), Mammography, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Nuclear Medicine, and Ultrasound. Claiborne also provides skilled and long-term care through Claiborne Health and Rehabilitation Center. Our team of physicians and staff is dedicated to putting our patients first, every day. For more information, visit ClaiborneMedicalCenter.com.

Position Summary:

Venous and capillary blood specimens for both in and out patients, responsibility for the safety and comfort of customers, clerical/computer duties, and courier responsibilities as required for the position.

Responsibilities

Customer service and OP collection is recognized as the first priority.
Assures the registration process is handled in a professional manner with attention to accuracy, completeness, and efficiency.
Gathers all demographic, medical and financial information from outpatients in a courteous and effective manner utilizing the HIS to record data.
Transcribes medical orders and diagnosis accurately and in a timely manner, orders the appropriate laboratory tests as indicated for outpatients, lab contracts, and specimens. Follows-up on all verbal orders with requests for written orders.
Responsible for answering the departmental telephones and transferring calls to proper laboratory/pathology section; follows through with problem resolution; assists physicians/staff in obtaining, faxing or telephone receipt of laboratory test results; and responsible for strict adherence to proper handling of confidential test results.
Responsible for use of HIS, LIS and reference lab computer systems (i.e. Mayo, etc.) as appropriate for specific hospital facility.
Knowledgeable of manual systems for ordering, collection, verification, and charting in instances of computer failure.
Properly processes, all specimens including accessioning; recognition of test priorities; centrifugation; separation/distribution of shared specimens; separation/processing, logging, tracking of specimens for transport to off-site reference labs; proper labeling of aliquots; special collection requirements; special storage/shipment instructions (i.e. ice, dry ice, ambient temps, refrigerate, etc.). Responsible for operating and monitoring of pneumatic tube system.
Properly collects blood samples from venous and/or capillary (heel or finger) sites as required by facility. Proper use of the Hollister Ident-A-Band system for labeling Blood Bank specimens. Proper use of aseptic technique in the collection of blood culture specimens. Accurately labels all specimens.
Strict adherence to proper identification of patients either by hospital armband, by asking the patient his/her name, or by asking the RN to visually identify the patient.
Strict adherence to proper disposal of needles/sharps, and used gloves during phlebotomy.
Maintain clerical and phlebotomy work areas in a neat and sanitary manner.
Responsible for the daily quality review of written physician’s orders to detect errors in test orders, diagnosis, physician’s name, insurance coverage, and documents problem resolution etc. Files orders appropriately and manages filing system. Responsible for notification of Sr. Lab Assistant or Manager for timely correction of errors.
Properly prints/sorts/faxes/charts inpatient Laboratory, Pathology, and Imaging reports, and mails or distributes outpatient reports as needed.
Responsible for the timely pick-up of specimens from physicians offices by performing courier duties, or dispatching of the appropriate courier or courier service as needed, and properly manages requests for supplies.
Responsible for participation in Laboratory performance improvement activities.
Complies with Laboratory policies and procedures, including Exposure Control, Chemical Hygiene Plan, Disaster Plan, the Joint Commission standards, CLIA and State regulations.
Responsible for review and sign-off on communication log/memo notebook.
May be a resource for difficult sticks.
Follows policies, procedures, and safety standards. Completes required education assignments annually. Works toward achieving goals and objectives, and participates in quality improvement initiatives as requested.
Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Minimum Education:

None specified; will accept any combination of formal education and/or prior work experience sufficient to demonstrate possession of the knowledge, skill and ability needed to perform the essential tasks of the job, typically such as would be equivalent to a high school diploma or GED. Preference may be given to individuals possessing a HS diploma or GED.

Minimum Experience:

Entry level, Basic computer skills.

Licensure Requirement:

Certification by NCA, ASCP, ASPT, or comparable institution is desirable. .

About the Company

Covenant Health of East Tennessee

Community-owned, not-for-profit regional healthcare network

Covenant Health is a not-for-profit, community-owned integrated health system serving East Tennessee, with nine acute-care hospitals plus a behavioral health hospital, outpatient clinics, physician practices, and homecare. It coordinates a wide range of medical services—from cancer and cardiac care to surgical and behavioral health—through an interconnected network across 25 counties. Revenue comes from patient services and philanthropic foundations, and any excess is reinvested into facilities, technology, and programs to improve patient care. Its goal is to enhance the quality of life in East Tennessee by expanding access to care and investing in services and technology that support better patient outcomes.

Company size: 1,001-5,000
Company stage: Not listed
Total funding: Not listed
Headquarters: Oak Ridge, TN
Founded: 1997

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