Pathology Lab Assistant

The General Hospital Corporation Mass General Brigham relies on a wide range of professionals, including doctors, nurses, business people, tech experts, researchers, and systems analysts to advance our mission. As a not-for-profit, we support patient care, research, teaching, and community service, striving to provide exceptional care. We believe that high-performing teams drive groundbreaking medical discoveries and invite all applicants to join us and experience what it means to be part of Mass General Brigham.

The Pathology Laboratory Assistant I performs a variety of clerical and technical duties, under technical supervision of senior technologists, which do not require an intensive knowledge of laboratory procedures or practices. Duties require the use of a laboratory information system, use of the lab’s telephone system, handling and processing of patient specimens, use of hazardous chemicals, and other general microbiology laboratory tasks.

Reports to:

Clinical Manager and Clinical Supervisor.

• Follows all safety (including infection control and hazardous material) policies and procedures. Notifies supervisor or Technical Director of unsafe conditions. Successfully participates in safety education and competency activities.
• Receives, verifies and enters patient data test, and compliance information from laboratory requisitions into Laboratory Information System (LIS) following prescribed coding procedures. Resolves any patient identification problems with appropriate patient care area. Assesses specimen quality and reports specimen problems (i.e. wrong type specimen container, leaking specimen containers, hemolyzed specimens, etc.) to appropriate patient care area.
• Prepares blood, urine, stool and other specimens for analysis by labeling requisition forms and specimen containers with appropriate patient data using labels generated by LIS.
• Processes specimens for analysis by culture, direct microscopic examination, serological tests or other test methodologies. Cultures specimens on prescribed media such as agar plates and broth tubes. Incubates the media in environments that are appropriate both to type of specimen and to the organisms routinely sought in those specimens. Processes blood specimens for serological tests or other non-culture test methods.
• Answer laboratory telephones. Answer inquiries for patient test results, turnaround time for test results, and other laboratory information. Screen calls, take messages, route calls, and page requested parties as appropriate.
• Respond to physicians’ or other healthcare professional’s requests for patient test results by using LIS to make result inquiries. Respond to physicians’ STAT test requests. May perform and document callback of critical results. May fax or print reports as requested
  -Checks requisitions for accuracy and completeness of lab orders. Sorts, alphabetizes, and files/scans lab requisitions.
• Performs other clinical laboratory assistant duties and responsibilities as required at the direction of a laboratory supervisor.
• Maintains safe working environment. Notifies supervisor of unsafe conditions. Successfully participates in safety education and competency assessment activities.
• Receives all shipments of media, reagents, quality controls, etc. Check packing slips for quantity, lot numbers, and expiration dates. Stocks received products in appropriate locations.
• Chooses samples for quality control check by Technologist and organizes samples and records new lots on quality control sheets.
• Rotates products by expiration date.
• Monitors and stocks supply in the various lab sections.
• Collects infectious wastes from all laboratory sections; decontaminates waste by steam sterilization. Reprocesses…