Medical Lab Technician

Lexington Health, Inc.; Columbia (SC); On-site; USD 52,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

Lexington Health, Inc. invites applications for a Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) to provide high-quality laboratory services for both inpatient and outpatient populations.

The role emphasizes accuracy, rapid testing, and collaboration with clinicians to improve patient outcomes. The ideal candidate holds an Associate’s Degree in Medical Laboratory Technology and active MLT certification (ASCP or equivalent).

Qualifications

• Associate’s Degree from an accredited educational institution.
• Active MLT Certification (ASCP or equivalent) required.
• Ability to perform both manual and automated laboratory testing.
• Knowledge of quality control procedures and documentation.

Responsibilities

• Perform manual and automated laboratory testing to support patient diagnosis and treatment.
• Collect specimens and perform venipuncture when needed.
• Ensure accuracy of results through quality control and instrument maintenance.
• Maintain proper records for quality control and compliance.
• Communicate clearly with supervisors and clinical staff regarding results and any issues.
• Train new staff or students as assigned.

Skills

Venipuncture

Quality control

Manual testing

Automation testing

Troubleshooting

Teamwork

Education

Associate’s Degree in Medical Laboratory Technology

Job description

Select how often (in days) to receive an alert:

LH Northeast Lab
PRN
AM/PM Shift
7:00 AM - 8:00 PM

Lexington Health is a comprehensive network of care that includes six community medical and urgent care centers, nearly 80 physician practices, more than 9,000 health care professionals and Lexington Medical Center, a 607-bedteachinghospital in West Columbia, South Carolina. It was selected by Modern Healthcare as one of the Best Places to Work in Healthcareand was first in the state to achieve Magnet with Distinction status for excellence in nursing care. Consistently ranked as bestin the Columbia Metroarea by U.S. News & World Report, Lexington Healthdelivers more than 4,000babies each year, performs more than 34,000surgeries annually and isthe region's third largest employer.

Lexington Health also includes an accredited Cancer Center of Excellence, the state’s first HeartCARE Center, the largest skilled nursing facility in the Carolinas, and an Alzheimer’s care center.Its postgraduate medical education programs include family medicine and transitional year residencies, as well as an informatics fellowship.

Job Summary

The Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) provides laboratory services for both inpatient and outpatient populations. The MLT ensures excellent quality in laboratory testing and accurate forms of analysis that improve patient outcomes. Performs routine testing that ensures fast, precise information for patient diagnosis and treatment. All responsibilities are carried out in accordance with the mission, vision, and strategic imperatives of Lexington Medical Center

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum Education: Associate’s Degree from a national or international accredited educational institution.
Minimum Years of Experience: None
Substitutable Education & Experience (Optional): None
Required Certifications/Licensure: Must actively hold Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) Certification from the American Society of Clinical Pathologist (ASCP) Board of Certification (BOC) or an equivalent state or governmental certification including:
- National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel (NCA) or
- American Medical Technologies (AMT) or
- American Association of Bioanalysts Board of Registry (AAB)
National certification may be at the medical laboratory science (MLT) level or a categorical certification in a recognized discipline of clinical laboratory science (i.e., chemistry, hematology, blood bank, microbiology). With a categorical certification, the employee’s practice at LMC will be limited to the category or categories listed by the certifying board.
Candidates without active MLT certification that are registry eligible may be considered, but must obtain certification within 6 months of hire.
Required Training: None

Essential Functions

• The Medical Laboratory Technician performs the following:
  a. Manual laboratory testing (no or little automation).
  b. Automated laboratory testing (requiring instrumentation to complete).
  c. Collection of specimens: May be required to perform venipuncture to include capillary punctures for blood specimens from patients of various ages requiring developmentally appropriate techniques.
• Performs established laboratory testing according to accreditation requirements and LMC Laboratory established procedures.
• Exhibits the knowledge and expertise in the following job duties:
  a. Evaluate specimen preparation and handling for test analysis.
  b. Select, perform, evaluate, and monitor the performance of test procedures using manual and /or instrumental techniques.
  c. Conduct quality control procedures on equipment and reagents and reviews and interpret results for acceptability. Perform basic troubleshooting to correct problems.
  d. Perform independently all testing assigned and multi-task as necessary.
  e. Meet and exceed productivity in laboratory testing; promote teamwork among coworkers.
  f. Recognize and react to indicators of malfunctions; locates and implement corrections; verify correct instrument operation using protocols and quality control checks.
  g. Recognize normal and abnormal values; evaluate and correlate data with other test results/diagnosis and report results and problems to appropriate individuals as necessary.
  h. Maintain instruments to include daily, weekly, and periodic maintenance as assigned.
  i. Identify the causes of common problems and make simple repairs; perform troubleshooting of selected equipment, communicate with service, and relay appropriate information.
  j. Maintain proper records for quality control reports, etc.; review such documents as abnormal results, overdue logs/pending logs and take appropriate action.
  k. Perform correct notification of abnormal results per policy.
  l. Perform additional assignments independently as assigned by the supervisor.
  m. Train new employees/students as assigned.
  n. Achieve and maintain competency for waived, moderate and potentially selected high complexity testing. Competency is evaluated semi-annually the first year of hire and annually thereafter.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Works with others (e.g. coworkers, nurses and physicians and other healthcare workers, laboratory and hospital administration, patients and families) in a teamwork approach that promotes/encourages each person’s contributions toward achieving optimal goals.
• Informs other personnel of circumstances that may affect the quality of testing and takes the responsibility to initiate appropriate follow-up.
• Notifies appropriate personnel of critical test results or results that are deemed “alert” values.
• If interpretation or explanation of test results is sought, the MLT takes the responsibility that the appropriate information is given or referred to a supervisor/pathologist.
• Courteous and accurate in all communications and follows LMC confidentiality policies.
• Demonstrates the ability to facilitate learning for coworkers, students, and other members of the
  health care team and community. This could include both formal and informal facilitation of learning.
• Maintains established continuing education requirements for national certification and for MLT LMC level requirements.
• Possesses sensitivity to recognize, appreciate, and incorporate differences into the provision of care. Differences may include, but are limited to, cultural differences, spiritual beliefs, gender, race, ethnicity, lifestyle, socioeconomic status, age and values.
• Demonstrates clinical reasoning and informed experiential knowledge and skill.
• Exhibit initiative and leadership skills in problems solving and independent decision-making.
• Pharmaceuticals are discarded, stored, and managed with other compatible waste streams in containers that are properly labeled and closed prior to being shipped offsite for proper disposal. Initial RCRA training is received within 6 months of the hire date and continuing with annual RCRA training.
• Performs all other duties as assigned.

We are committed to offering quality, cost-effective benefits choices for our benefit eligible employees and their families:

• Day ONE medical, dental and life insurance benefits
• Health care and dependent care flexible spending accounts (FSAs)
• Employees are eligible for enrollment into the 403(b) match plan day one. LHI matches dollar for dollar up to 6%.
• Employer paid life insurance – equal to 1x salary
• Employee may elect supplemental life insurance with low cost premiums up to 3x salary
• Adoption assistance
• LHI provides its full-time employees employer paid short-term disability and long-term disability coverage after 90 days of eligible employment
• Student loan forgiveness

Equal Opportunity Employer
It is the policy of Lexington Health to provide equal opportunity of employment for all individuals, and to remain compliant with applicable state and federal laws and regulations. Lexington Health strives to provide a discrimination-free environment, and to recruit, select, on-board, and employ all employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, including but not limited to, lactation. Lexington Health endeavors to upgrade and promote employees from within the hospital where possible and consistent with the employee’s desires and abilities and the hospital’s needs.