Medical Technologist or Medical Lab Technician - Core Lab

Advocate Health Care; Des Plaines (IL); On-site; USD 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Advocate Health Care in Des Plaines, IL seeks a Medical Technologist/MLS to perform and evaluate laboratory tests, ensuring quality and timely results across transfusion services, microbiology, chemistry, and hematology, with support to critical care areas.

The role requires ASCP or AMT certification within 1 year, a Bachelor's in Clinical Laboratory Sciences, and strong communication skills; a collaborative, detail-oriented professional is ideal for this acute-care setting.

Qualifications

• Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Performs, evaluates, and monitors laboratory tests within established protocols and adjusts workflow for timely completion.
• Evaluates results for clinical significance, validity, and appropriateness; reports and notifies test results per policy.
• Calibrates, maintains, and repairs instruments; identifies malfunctions and implements corrections.
• Documents and reviews quality control and quality assurance for improvement; takes corrective action when indicated.
• Collects specimens from newborn, pediatric, and adult patients per protocol.
• Provides training and technical assistance to medical laboratory staff; assists in education and training protocols.
• Improves quality and efficiency of laboratory procedures; ensures compliance with accrediting standards in acute settings.
• Performs internal and external proficiency testing like patient samples.
• Performs specialty testing in areas including transfusion services, microbiology, chemistry, hematology, histology, coagulation, and flow cytometry.
• Supports critical care departments with timely, accurate lab results during high acuity events (ED, ICU, OR).
• Demonstrates knowledge to provide care appropriate to age of patients served.

Skills

Lab testing

Quality control

Documentation

Interpersonal skills

Procedural compliance

Education

Bachelor's in Clinical Laboratory Sciences

Bachelor's or Associate's in Medical Technology

Job description

• Performs, evaluates, and monitors laboratory tests as authorized within established protocols, selecting and performing additional procedures when indicated. Monitors workflow and makes necessary adjustment to complete work in an appropriate time frame.
• Evaluates results for clinical significance, validity and appropriateness. Follows prescribed policy in the reporting and notification of test results.
• Performs and documents calibration, maintenance and repair of instruments and equipment. Recognizes indicators of test and/or instrument malfunction; evaluates and implements appropriate corrections.
• Performs, documents and reviews quality control and quality assurance for improvement according to established protocol. Evaluates quality control results and takes corrective action when indicated.
• Ascertains that specimens are properly labeled and suitable for testing. Collects specimens from newborn, pediatric, and adult patients according to established protocol.
• Provides general direction, training, competency review and technical l assistance to medical laboratory technicians, phlebotomists, and support staff. Assists in the development of education and training protocols; instructs students, residents and new team members as assigned.
• Assists in improving the quality and efficiency of laboratory procedures, policies, and processes. Ensures compliance with all accrediting agency standards, supporting CAP Regulatory requirements in an acute setting.
• Performs internal and external proficiency testing in the same manner as patient samples.
• Performs specialty testing in areas including transfusion services, microbiology, chemistry, hematology, histology, coagulation, and flow cytometry. Supports the disease specific accreditations of an institution by meeting turn- around time goals.
• Provides direct support and timely, accurate laboratory results for critical care departments such as the ED, ICU and OR during a high acuity patient event. This includes transfusion services, attending codes, performing testing on irretrievable samples, tissue grinding and gram stains, mass casualty procedures, and mass transfusion procedures.
• Must be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served.

Major Responsibilities

• Performs, evaluates, and monitors laboratory tests as authorized within established protocols, selecting and performing additional procedures when indicated. Monitors workflow and makes necessary adjustment to complete work in an appropriate time frame.
• Evaluates results for clinical significance, validity and appropriateness. Follows prescribed policy in the reporting and notification of test results.
• Performs and documents calibration, maintenance and repair of instruments and equipment. Recognizes indicators of test and/or instrument malfunction; evaluates and implements appropriate corrections.
• Performs, documents and reviews quality control and quality assurance for improvement according to established protocol. Evaluates quality control results and takes corrective action when indicated.
• Ascertains that specimens are properly labeled and suitable for testing. Collects specimens from newborn, pediatric, and adult patients according to established protocol.
• Provides general direction, training, competency review and technical l assistance to medical laboratory technicians, phlebotomists, and support staff. Assists in the development of education and training protocols; instructs students, residents and new team members as assigned.
• Assists in improving the quality and efficiency of laboratory procedures, policies, and processes. Ensures compliance with all accrediting agency standards, supporting CAP Regulatory requirements in an acute setting.
• Performs internal and external proficiency testing in the same manner as patient samples.
• Performs specialty testing in areas including transfusion services, microbiology, chemistry, hematology, histology, coagulation, and flow cytometry. Supports the disease specific accreditations of an institution by meeting turn- around time goals.
• Provides direct support and timely, accurate laboratory results for critical care departments such as the ED, ICU and OR during a high acuity patient event. This includes transfusion services, attending codes, performing testing on irretrievable samples, tissue grinding and gram stains, mass casualty procedures, and mass transfusion procedures.
• Must be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills necessary to provide care appropriate to the age of the patients served.

Licensure, Registration, And/or Certification Required

• Medical Technologist (MT) certification issued by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), or
• Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) certification issued by the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification (ASCP BOC) needs to be obtained within 1 year, or
• Medical Technologist (MT) certification issued by the American Medical Technologists (AMT) needs to be obtained within 1 year.

Education Required

• Bachelor's Degree in Clinical Laboratory Sciences.
• Bachelor's or Associate's Degree in Medical Technology or related field.

Experience Required

• No experience required.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required

• Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills.

Physical Requirements And Working Conditions

• Frequently lifts up to 10 lbs. Will occasionally be required to lift up to 50 lbs.
• Must be able to sit, stand and walk for the majority of the workday.
• May be exposed to mechanical, electrical, chemical, explosive, radioactive and/or infectious agents.
• Will be exposed to human blood and body fluids.
• Must wear appropriate lab coat, gloves, gowns and eye and face protection as needed.
• Operates all equipment necessary to perform the job.

This job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected of the incumbent. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of the incumbent. Incumbent may be required to perform other related duties.