Position Overview
- Reporting to the Director of Laboratory, the Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) exercises sound clinical judgment, technical expertise, and collaborative teamwork to support comprehensive clinical laboratory services.
- This position is responsible for performing diagnostic testing across multiple laboratory disciplines, conducting specimen collections, maintaining rigorous quality assurance standards, and ensuring compliance with all regulatory guidelines in a patient-centered care environment.
Schedule & Shift Details
- Status: Full-Time, Non-Exempt
- Shift: Day Shift
- On-Call: Shared on-call rotation required to support emergency testing during nights, weekends, and holidays
Key Responsibilities
Diagnostic Testing & Laboratory Operations
- Perform analytical testing in Urinalysis, Chemistry, Microbiology, Coagulation, Serology, Hematology, and Transfusion Services (Blood Bank) using standard protocols approved by the Pathologist.
- Operate, maintain, calibrate, and troubleshoot clinical laboratory instrumentation and testing systems.
- Execute and document daily, weekly, and monthly preventive maintenance schedules; maintain clean, sanitized, and organized work areas.
- Recognize technical malfunctions or testing deviations, initiate corrective actions immediately, and withhold patient results until systems perform within acceptable limits.
- Apply efficient, LEAN operational practices to daily bench workflows.
Specimen Collection & Patient Registration
- Collect capillary, venous, and arterial blood specimens from patients ranging from pediatric to geriatric in diverse settings (bedside, outpatient clinic, and long-term care).
- Register patients into the Laboratory Information System (LIS) for scheduled and walk-in laboratory appointments.
- Review, validate, and enter written physician orders into the LIS with high accuracy.
- Properly label, process, centrifuge, store, and package specimens for retention or transport to reference laboratories.
- Coordinate with reference laboratories to ensure testing quality, timely reporting, and accurate billing for send-out tests.
Quality Assurance & Regulatory Compliance
- Maintain and deliver laboratory services in strict accordance with CLIA standards, hospital compliance policies, and departmental budgets.
- Follow established Quality Control (QC) and Quality Assurance (QA) protocols, monitoring analytical performance and documenting all corrective actions.
- Participate actively in Proficiency Testing (PT), testing PT samples identically to patient specimens, reviewing data, correcting identified issues, and signing documentation prior to submission.
- Review all departmental technical procedure manuals on an annual basis.
- Uphold patient privacy rights and strict HIPAA compliance, never discussing confidential patient clinical details outside appropriate healthcare channels.
Administration & Departmental Support
- Coordinate ordering, receiving, and stocking of laboratory reagents, controls, and testing consumables.
- Collect operational data, answer administrative correspondence, compile statistics, and post test charges accurately.
- Build and maintain collaborative, professional relationships with physicians, nursing teams, and hospital departments.
- Participate in staff meetings, in-service training, hospital committees, and ongoing continuing education.
Qualifications & Requirements Education & Licensure
- Education: Associate degree in Medical Technology, Medical Laboratory Science, or a related chemical/biological science from an accredited program.
- Certification: Active certification as an MLT through the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), American Medical Technologists (AMT), or equivalent national accrediting body; must maintain active standing.
- State Licensure: Current professional licensure in accordance with state regulations.
Technical & System Proficiencies
- Working proficiency with Laboratory Information Systems (LIS), Hospital Information Systems (HIS), and Electronic Medical Records (EMR).
- Demonstrated knowledge of standard laboratory methodologies, generalist bench skills, and phlebotomy techniques across all age groups.
Physical Demands & Working Conditions
- Physical Capabilities: Requires full range of body motion, manual and finger dexterity, hand-eye coordination, and prolonged standing/walking.
- Sensory Requirements: Normal visual acuity and normal color perception are required to differentiate specimens, reagents, and analytical reactions.
- Environment: Work is performed in an indoor, climate-controlled, smoke-free healthcare setting with moderate noise levels.
- Occupational Hazards: Regular exposure to biohazardous materials, infectious communicable diseases, blood and body fluids, sharps, chemicals, and laboratory reagents requiring adherence to universal precautions and personal protective equipment (PPE).