Laboratory Manager

Halifax Health is seeking a Laboratory Manager.

The Laboratory Manager directs the overall activities of both the Clinical and Anatomical Pathology Laboratories which perform testing on newborn, pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients.  This is done by preparing and maintaining budgets, staffing, and scheduling of personnel and functions, purchasing supplies and equipment, and ensuring compliance with regulatory bodies. 

Formal Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Medical Technology or other related science and formal management education required.

Related Experience
- Five years’ experience in a hospital laboratory with at least three years in a supervisory capacity.

Other Skills and Abilities
- Five years’ experience in a hospital laboratory with at least three years in a supervisory capacity

• Supervisor’s license with the State of Florida ASCP Registry or equivalent
• Ability to work long hours to meet a deadline, to receive a large amount of input and make administrative decisions.
• Must be skilled and knowledgeable about testing for newborn, pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients.
• 1. Department Manager functions, including, but not limited to:
     • Provide strategic leadership and management for laboratory services across all Halifax Health locations.
     • Manages department to accomplish department and hospital goals and objectives efficiently and effectively.
     • Develops and monitors annual budget and departmental goals. Consistently remains within budget.
     • Interviews, selects, and oversees the training of new employees.
     • Monitors turnover and productivity of staff focusing on improvement and maintenance.
     • Holds departmental meetings on a regular basis.
     • Procures equipment and ensures maintenance is done to keep equipment in good working order.
     • Maintains an adequate, but minimal inventory of departmental supplies and ensures the integrity of their use and distribution.
     • Develops, implements, and monitors departmental goals, objectives, policies, procedures, methods, and philosophy.

   

  2. Laboratory Leadership & Strategy:
     • Foster a collaborative environment, promoting teamwork and effective communication among laboratory staff and physicians.
     • Develop supervisory staff’s leadership attributes and accountability standards so that they align with the organization's goals and regulatory standards.
     • Monitor and analyze laboratory service outcomes, adjusting programs as needed.
     • Serves as a liaison and coordinator between the expressed needs of the Pathologist and the policy decisions of administration.
     • Keeps abreast of new theories and advances in laboratory sciences for testing on newborn, pediatric, adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients by keeping up with journals, articles, and seminars alike.

   

  3. Supervision & Development:
     • Recruit, train, and mentor clinical laboratory staff, residents, and students if applicable.
     • Conduct performance evaluations and facilitate professional development opportunities through constructive feedback to enhance team effectiveness.
     • Supervises and evaluates departmental employees giving praise, promotion, and discipline as necessary while maintaining a pleasant, fair, equitable and harmonious working environment.
     • Does corrective action counseling per our just culture standards.

   

  4. Compliance & Safety:
     • Ensure compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations as well as institutional policies. Organizations include, but are not limited to CLIA, CAP, ACHA, CMS, The Joint Commission, and any other State of Florida applicable requirements.
     • Maintain accreditation standards for clinical services and ensure adherence to safety protocols.
     • Lead efforts in laboratory safety, quality assurance, and adverse event reporting.

   

  5. Financial & Operational Management:
     • Monitor and manage budgets for laboratory services, inpatient and outpatients alike, optimizing resource utilization.
     • Participate in cost-containment and reimbursement strategies, including test menu formulary management, reviewing reference labs sent out for the possibility of bringing them in-house.
     • Develop proposals for new laboratory services and lead initiatives to improve operational efficiency.
     • Reviews and submits to administration a variety of statistical reports in a timely and accurate manner including but not limited to cost analysis reports.
     • Represents the laboratory in contract management; collaborates with vendors on contract negotiations and renewals; reviews and submits contracts for processing and approvals.

   

  6. Quality Improvement
     • Maintains standard of defect-free work by laboratory
     • Participates in department QI projects and monitors.
     • Suggest QI needs to Team Leaders that will enhance performance/service of the laboratory.
     • Ensures competency of staff
     • Provides quality assurance and management reports to Laboratory System Director
     • Chairs laboratory improvement meetings as needed.
     • Attends and contributes to system laboratory meetings.
     • Directs laboratory Team Leaders and staff to prepare for CAP and JCAHO inspections.
     • Facilitates unit/department/hospital/system-wide Patient Safety Initiatives applicable to the departments patient population &/or services provides.

   

  7. Safety and Infection Control (The laboratory manager is the acting SAFETY officer for CAP)
     • Ensures that laboratory adheres to biological/hazardous materials exposure protocol.
     • Ensures use of designated personal protective equipment (PPE).
     • Inspects equipment regularly for proper function and notifies Team Leader of problems.
     • Conducts safety inspection; identifies safety problems and suggests new safety measures.
     • Ensures that Team Leaders monitor adherence to all safety policies by employees in section.
     • Periodically reviews and revises system laboratory safety manual to meet new OSHA guidelines.

   

  8. Collaboration & Consultation:
     • Collaborate with medical, nursing, and administrative staff to integrate laboratory services into patient care.
     • Provides for in-service in conjunction with Nursing Service and other hospital departments.
     • Serve as a resource for lab information, test menu management, and decision-making.
     • Participate in committees related to clinical care, quality improvement, and risk management.
     • Maintains good relationships with area funeral homes, morticians, and medical examiner’s offices.
     • Maintains good relationship with and develops back-up emergency laboratory service with other area hospital laboratories.
     • Provides continuing education for laboratory personnel, area schools and other civic organizations.
     • Consult with other hospital departments such as Information Technology to improve efficiencies and coordinate laboratory services in support of hospital projects both interdisciplinary and community driven.

   

  9. Leadership and Interdisciplinary Collaboration:
     • Collaborate with interdisciplinary healthcare teams to identify new clinical learning opportunities and integrate laboratory practice into patient care models, i.e., Point of Care devices.
     • Represents the laboratory in inter-departmental meetings such as management staff meetings and serves on various committees.
     • Continually works on self-improvement/development as a leader for self and supervisory team alike.

   

   

  PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

   

  Standing or sitting for periods of eight hours or longer resulting in moderate fatigue. Fine motor skills and manual dexterity required. Works with computer terminal, keyboard, and light pen for periods of eight hours or longer. Lifting, pushing, pulling required of 50 pounds or greater. Clear verbal communication skills in person and via telephone are required.  Pleasant inside environment. 

   

  WORKING CONDITIONS

   

  Exposure to hazardous risks. Potential for bodily injury related to lifting and laboratory chemicals. Exposed to constant interruptions and/or noise due to proximity of workers.

   

  SUPERVISION

   

  Works in collaboration with the Director of Pathology services and the lab sections supervisors.  Is under the supervision of the Vice President of Clinical Operations.

   

  SPECIAL EQUIPMENT/WORK AIDES:

  N/A

Recognized as one of the 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals™ in the United States by IBM Watson Health™, Halifax Health serves Volusia and Flagler counties, providing a continuum of health care services through a network of organizations including a tertiary hospital, two community hospitals, urgent care clinics, psychiatric services, a cancer treatment center with five outreach locations, the area’s largest hospice, a center for inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient rehabilitation clinics, primary care walk-in clinics, a clinic specializing in women’s health, a pediatric care community clinic, five pediatric medical practices, a home health care agency and an exclusive provider organization. Halifax Health offers the area’s only Level II Trauma Center, Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center (TSC), Center for Transplant Services, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Child and Adolescent Behavioral Services, complete Neurosurgical Services, OB Emergency Department and Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that cares for babies born earlier than 28 weeks. For more information, visit halifaxhealth.org.