Director of Laboratory

Organization Overview, Mission, Vision And Values

Our mission is to improve the health of people in the communities we serve through compassionate, high-quality care, prevention, and wellness education. Washington Regional Medical System is a community-owned, locally governed, non-profit health care system located in Northwest Arkansas in the heart of Fayetteville, which is consistently ranked among the 10 Best Places to Live in the country. Our 425-bed medical center has been named the #1 hospital in Arkansas for three consecutive years by U.S. News & World Report. We employ 3,400+ team members and serve the region with over 45 clinic locations, the area’s only Level II trauma center, and five Centers of Excellence - the Washington Regional J.B. Hunt Transport Services Neuroscience Institute; Washington Regional Walker Heart Institute; Washington Regional Women and Infants Center; Washington Regional Total Joint Center; and Washington Regional Pat Walker Center for Seniors.

Washington Regional is seeking a Hospital Laboratory Director to join our team. In 2020, the laboratory moved into a 12,000 square foot space meticulously designed with the laboratory team in mind. We seek a healthcare professional who is enthusiastic about the future of laboratory medicine.

The ideal candidate has worked as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist in a high complexity, peer-reviewed accredited laboratory. We seek an empathetic leader who can support an engaged team of clinical supervisors, and 70+ technical and clerical personnel.

The candidate will join a collaborative and supportive team of ancillary services directors that report to the Vice President of Ancillary Services.

Click on the links below for additional information about our Washington Regional Medical Laboratory:

• Laboratory Overview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvafg-gGzyA
• Phlebotomy Team Overview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saKgyKj5f68
  
  

Position Summary

This position is responsible for planning and administering directly, and through subordinate supervisory personnel, the effective operations of the laboratory. This position oversees the management and delivery of laboratory testing in accordance with all medical center and regulatory standards, to include the selection of the test methodology that is appropriate for the clinical use of test results. This position has leadership responsibilities over the following areas of Lab Client Services, Blood Bank, Point of Care, Chemistry, Hematology, Microbiology, Phlebotomy, and reference lab. This position will develop and lead departmental goals and objectives, and the development of process improvement interventions that solve operational problems, drive cost-effective business practices, and improve quality, service, and productivity. This position will also collect and analyze data to effectively lead through planning, implementing, and evaluating patient experience strategies designed to improve the overall care experience.

Essential Position Responsibilities

• Develop, secure, implement, monitor in adherence to and administer departmental policies and procedures, and ensures same are in compliance with all federal and state laws and regulations, and applicable accrediting bodies.
• Recommend and implement agreed-upon long- and short-term departmental goals and objectives in order to enhance department services.
• Prepare, secure approval of and administer departmental capital expense and operating budgets. Monitor in adherence to budgets and initiate corrective action as necessary.
• Evaluate laboratory testing, supplies and equipment, and make recommendations for acquisition of new or additional laboratory equipment and supplies.
• Implement organizational strategies to achieve system goals including patient experience and satisfaction goals.
• Interview, hire, evaluate the performance of and, when necessary, discipline and discharge subordinate supervisory personnel. Provide guidance and direction to subordinate supervisors in resolving complex employee relations matters. Ensure the ongoing competence of medical lab scientists and technologists through assessment and training.
• Actively participate in medical center quality assessment programs in order to ensure the continuous improvement of laboratory services within the system.
• Initiate and maintain inventory control procedures. Supervise maintenance of appropriate stock levels. Assign personnel to process purchase orders, maintain inventory and purchasing records, monitor usage and dating of supplies and inventory.
• Develop and maintain an effective communication for physicians and other Medical Center personnel in order to disseminate such information as changes in testing methodology, applicable equipment changes and new laboratory tests and so forth.
• Maintain knowledge of current trends and development in the field by reading appropriate books, journals and other literature and attending related seminars, conferences and the like.
• Monitor processing of laboratory charges, ensuring tests and supplies are properly entered to each patient's account.
• Consult with other department directors, System administration, and other System personnel as needed. Initiate appropriate action to correct problem areas and supervises.
• Collaborate with members of hospital leadership teams to implement improvement optimization strategies.
• Monitor and analyze ongoing performance and productivity and implement necessary corrective action, as needed.
• Implement patient experience guidelines and provide coaching to staff to achieve desired outcomes.
  
  

Other Duties And Responsibilities

• Integrate the department into the primary function of the Medical Center, including being responsive to changing needs or unusual/urgent events that occur within the Medical Center and participating in cross-organizational activities designed to improve organizational performance, as appropri­ate.

• Coordinate and integrate inter- and intra-departmental services. Define, in writing, the scope and goals of the services provided specifically addressing:
• The type(s) and age(s) of the patients served.
• The scope and complexity of the patients' care needs
• The extent to which the level of care provided will meet the patients' needs.
• The appropriateness, clinical necessity, and timeliness of support services provided directly by the organization or through referral services.
• The availability of necessary staff
• The recognized standards or guidelines for practice, when available
• The methods that will be used to assess and meet patients' needs.
• Develop, gain Administrator approval of, and implement policies and procedures that guide and support the provision of departmental services.
• Recommend an appropriate number of qualified and competent persons to provide departmental services and assist in the Medical Center's recruiting and retention efforts to provide the number of staff recommended.
• Determine the qualifications and competence of department personnel.
• Continually assess the needs for and strive to improve the performance of care and quality of the services provided.
• Maintain, as appropriate, quality control and quality im­provement programs.
• Provide directly or provide access to orientation and con­tinuing education of all personnel in the department.
• Make recommendations for space and other resources needed by the department as necessary.
• Participation in the selection of off-site resources needed for services related to the department but not provided by the department.
• Conduct regular staff meetings to communicate issues regard­ing the Medical Center's mission, values, operational plans, safety, quality, and other relevant inter- and intra-depart­mental issues.
• Provide timely and effective feedback to individuals respon­sible for coordinating organizational performance improve­ment activities and, on an individual and departmental level, actively participate in those activities, as appro­priate
  

Qualifications

• Education: Master’s degree in business, healthcare administration or related field, preferred. Bachelor’s degree in medical technology, required.
• Certifications: Registered as a Technologist or Clinical Laboratory Scientist by a national certification agency.
• Minimum of seven (7) years of directly related healthcare leadership experience including data collection and analysis, leading teams and personnel to success around a common goal, experience and success in developing and implementing systematic changes and experience in implementing policy and procedures that perpetuate a customer centric environment.
• Understand and appropriately applies procedures, requirements, regulations and policies related to specialized expertise on technical matters of the laboratory.
• Must meet requirements for a Technical Supervisor per Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act (CLIA) specifications. Have at least four years of laboratory experience in high complexity testing.
• Possession of a valid Arkansas driver's license is a requirement for this job.
  
  

Professional Skills

• Approximately seven to ten years progressively more responsible related work experience which includes five to seven years supervisory and managerial experience, in order to effectively direct and manage activities within patient and customer experience and services.
• Advanced interpersonal skills necessary in order to provide effective leadership to subordinate personnel and effectively communicate with a wide variety of hospital personnel, community residents and outside agencies personnel.
• Advanced analytical skills necessary in order to develop and implement new policies techniques and procedures, determines need for capital equipment, personnel, expense and revenue budgets, and prepare special and recurring reports or analyses.