Technical Laboratory Assistant: Hrly, FT

Firelands Health; Sandusky (OH); On-site; USD 34,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Firelands Health in Sandusky, OH seeks a Technical Laboratory Assistant to coordinate clerical and technical tasks within the clinical laboratory. You will handle specimen accessioning, processing, quality checks, and inventory, supporting the lab team.

Responsibilities include loading specimens on automated lines, logging into the LIS, triaging STAT tests, and performing waived tests with basic QC. Attention to detail and reliable attendance are essential.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required; hospital lab experience preferred.
• Basic clerical skills including typing, filing, medical terminology, and computer literacy.
• Past lab experience and/or medical background preferred.
• Able to lift up to 25 lbs; CPR/BLS certification preferred.

Responsibilities

• Coordinates and performs clerical and technical tasks in the clinical laboratory, including specimen accessioning, processing, and inventory maintenance.
• Load specimens on automated line and perform specimen storage and retrieval.
• Visually inspect specimens for quality and proper labeling; log into the lab information system.
• Distribute specimens to testing areas and follow triage guidelines for STAT tests.
• Perform clerical duties: short-registration, order entry, scanning, and filing orders for patients and specimens.
• Investigate and resolve problems on orders and specimens; handle specimen types and processing procedures.
• Prepare and label specimen slides (Gram stains, peripheral blood smears, bone marrow aspirations).
• Lab supply inventory management and preparation/ documentation of reagents and controls.
• Ability to load specimens onto automated processors and initiate testing; monitor for errors and mitigate as needed.
• Perform waived tests and analyzer calibrations; execute quality control and ensure testing guidelines are followed.
• Understand resulting guidelines, including critical values and triaging STAT results.
• Setup of specimen plates in Microbiology; dispose of biohazardous material.

Skills

Clerical skills

Typing

Medical terminology

Computer literacy

Customer service

Phone etiquette

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

CPR/BLS certification

Job description

Position Highlights:

• Lifestyle: Sandusky was voted “Best Coastal Small Town in America”. You will have the opportunity to enjoy living and working in this growing area along the beautiful shores of Lake Erie.
• Work/life: You will find support to help you manage your personal life while building a career, flexible scheduling may be available
• Employee-centric: 401(k), health and wellness offerings, monthly employee events, and more.
• Career Progression: Higher wage earning potential for certified phlebotomists

About Firelands Health:

Our goal at Firelands Health is to be the best & preferred independent healthcare employer for the Sandusky Bay region.

Firelands Health is the area’s largest and most comprehensive resource for quality medical care. We are “big enough to care for you, and small enough to care about you”. We are locally managed and governed as a not-for-profit healthcare facility, serving the counties of Erie, Ottawa, Sandusky, and Huron, covering a regional service area with over 300,000 residents. Our mission is to provide excellent healthcare, promote community wellness, and improve the lives we serve.

Our Core ACE Values: Attitude: We choose to be positive and inclusive every day. Commitment: We are committed to exceed the expectations of those we serve. Enthusiasm: We will work passionately to make a difference.

What you will do:

• The Technical Laboratory Assistant coordinates and performs both clerical and technical tasks in several areas of the clinical laboratory, to include, but not limited to, specimen accessioning, specimen processing, technical support functions, and inventory maintenance.

• Load specimens on automated line.
• Perform specimen storage and retrieval activities.
• Visual inspection of specimens for quality to include review for volume and gross clots.
• Answer the pneumatic tube system and log specimens into the lab information system as needed. Assure all specimens received are labeled appropriately for testing.
• Help distribute specimens to testing areas within the laboratory.
• Follow proper specimen/patient identification process in the execution of all job duties.
• Perform clerical duties to include short-registration, order entry, scanning, and filing orders for patients and specimens.
• Investigate and resolve problems on orders and specimens.
• Familiar with correct specimen types, specimen stability, and basic specimen processing procedures.
• Prepare and label specimen slides (Gram stains, peripheral blood smears, bone marrow aspirations)
• Lab supply inventory management.
• Preparation, integrity assessment and documentation of reagents and controls.
• Ability to load specimens onto automated processors, understanding how to initiate testing, recognize testing errors, and basic understanding of how to mitigate testing errors.
• Perform waived tests across the department.
• Perform analyzer calibrations
• Perform quality control for test systems and assure proper guidelines are met for continued testing.
• Understand resulting guidelines, including critical values, delta checks and triaging STAT results. Follows all established resulting guidelines for tests performed.
• Setup of specimen plates in Microbiology.
• Visual inspection of specimens for quality to include review for volume and gross clots.
• Answer the pneumatic tube system and log specimens into the lab information system as needed. Assure all specimens received are labeled appropriately for testing.
• Help distribute specimens to testing areas within the laboratory following appropriate triage guidelines for STAT and other time sensitive tests.
• Dispose of biohazardous material.

What you will need:

• High school diploma or equivalent required. Previous hospital laboratory experience preferred.
• Must have basic clerical skills, such as typing, filing, medical terminology and computer literacy.
• Previous lab experience and/or medical background preferred.
• Able to lift objects up to 25 lbs.
• CPR/BLS certification preferred.
• Excellent phone etiquette and customer service skills.
• Punctual attendance at assigned work location is required.
• Outstanding attention to detail.
• Successful completion of a 90-day probationary period.