Medical Technologist Mycobacteriology (TB)

Description

Pay Grade: K

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Who we are. We protect lives. The Georgia Department of Public Health is the lead agency entrusted by the people of Georgia to proudly protect lives and promote healthy lifestyles in diverse communities statewide. We are committed to preventing disease, injury, and disability; promoting health and well-being; and preparing the State of Georgia for responding to disasters.

What we offer.As a member of the Georgia Department of Public Health team, you will join a passionate group of individuals who are dedicated to making an impact. No matter your role, you will individually contribute to protecting the lives of all Georgians while receiving a wide range of benefits, so you can:

• Make a Professional Impact – Build your career where it matters and protect lives in the community where you live, work, and play
• Enjoy Workplace Flexibility –Experience flexibility in how you work so you can be your best self for you and Georgia Residents
• Work with a Dynamic and Diverse Team –Collaborative and inclusive way of working where employees share ideas and leverage collective strengths
• Achieve Career Longevity –Countless opportunities for continuous learning/development that support a long-term career
• Take Part in a Hands-on Working Culture – Unique culture of active engagement and problem-solving, no matter your role
• Feel Pride in Where you Work – Be part of making an impact in public health alongside dedicated people just like you

As an accredited public health department, we're seeking a highly qualified candidate for the position of Clinical Laboratory Technologist to join the Division of Medical/Clinical Services, Public Health Laboratory located in Decatur, GA.

The Division of Microbiology at the Georgia Public Health Laboratory (GPHL) is responsible for detecting, identifying, and reporting communicable diseases in the State of Georgia. The Division is responsible for maintaining expertise and capability in a wide variety of public health microbiology specialties including Mycobacteriology. The Mycobacteriology/TB laboratory is a reference laboratory providing smear examination, isolation, and identification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and primary drug susceptibility testing for the State of Georgia.

The GPHL is seeking a laboratory professional to join the Mycobacteriology unit in the Microbiology Department. The incumbent will serve as a Clinical Laboratory Technologist for Mycobacteriology. This position reports directly to the Associate Manager of Mycobacteriology.

The incumbent will perform a wide range of duties that include all aspects of specimen receipt, processing, and testing. The incumbent also will ensure the completeness, accuracy, and timeliness of reporting results and help with tracking the lab inventory. The candidate will collaborate with internal and external partners including laboratory colleagues in various departments, the quality assurance team, epidemiologists, medical professionals in the State TB Program, local clinical labs, and professionals at the CDC. To be considered for this position, the individual must meet the qualifications for testing personnel in a high-complexity laboratory under CLIA.

Job Responsibilities

1. Perform steps in the pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical phases of both diagnostic and surveillance testing on human clinical specimens.
2. Perform procedures to isolate and identify Mycobacteria from clinical specimens (primarily sputum) and referral isolates. These procedures include processing specimens, inoculating cultures, reading cultures, performing molecular testing, and HPLC to identify the organisms, and performing susceptibility testing.
3. Perform and document quality control and quality assurance in all areas.
4. Review and evaluate data before the release of results.
5. Utilize customer service skills when reporting verbal results to submitters.
6. Ensures compliance with local, state, and federal regulatory standards such as the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA), OSHA, and other federal and state regulations.
7. Assist in training new staff.
8. Adhere to policies and principles regarding the proper use and storage of laboratory reagents and supplies.
9. Adhere to policies and principles regarding the use, maintenance, and calibration of laboratory equipment.
10. Complies with institutional biosafety and chemical hygiene plans and works safely with hazardous (physical/chemical/biological) materials within a laboratory facility.
11. Participate in required workplace training regarding the safety of the physical environment.
12. Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Associate degree in a related science area from an accredited college or university, certification as a Medical Technologist, MT (ASCP), and three (3) years of job-related science experience

OR

Associate degree and two (2) years of experience at the lower level Medical/Clinical Specialist 2 (LSP011) or equivalent position.

Preferred Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in a related science area from an accredited college or university AND Two years of experience in a clinical laboratory AND Certification as a Medical Technologist (MT) by a nationally accredited certifying agency such as American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP), the American Medical Technologists (AMT), the National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel (NCA), the American Association of Bioanalysts (ABB), or another agency approved by the Department.ORCompletion of ONE of the following academic and/or training requirements listed below, in order to be temporarily classified as a technologist for eighteen (18) months to afford the opportunity to successfully complete an approved qualifying MT examination to earn a ASCP, AMT, AAB certification or equivalent listed above as required of the position:

• Successful completion of a full course of study which meets all academic requirements for a bachelor's degree in medical technology from an accredited college or university; OR
• Successful completion of three years of academic study (a minimum of 135 quarter hours or equivalent) in an accredited college or university and the successful completion of a course of training of at least 12 months in a school of medical technology accredited by an agency recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) or the U.S. Department of Education; OR
• Successful completion in an accredited college or university of a course of study which meets all academic requirements for a bachelor's degree in one of the chemical, physical, or biological sciences, and have at least one year of pertinent laboratory experience or training accepted by the Department; OR
• Successful completion of 135 quarter hours in an accredited college or university, including 24 quarter hours of chemistry, 24 quarter hours of biology, and 5 quarter hours of mathematics, (thirty quarter hours of the total, with a minimum of fifteen in science, must be at the third or fourth year level), and have at least two years of pertinent laboratory experience; OR
• Successful completion of a full course of study which meets all academic requirements for an associate's degree in medical technology from an accredited college or university, or successful completion of two years of academic study (a minimum of 90 quarter hours or equivalent) in an accredited college or university which included at least 20 quarter hours of lecture and laboratory courses in chemical, physical, or biological sciences acceptable toward a major in science, with at least three years of pertinent laboratory experience; OR
• Graduation from high school and successful completion of a formal technician training course which is accredited by an accrediting agency accepted by the Department with at least four years of pertinent laboratory experience

OR

Other provision as listed here: http://rules.sos.state.ga.us/GAC/111-8-10-.06?urlRedirected=yes&data=ad…;under the Rules and Regulations of the state of Georgia (Rule 111-8-10-.06).In order to be legally recognized as a medical technologist in the state of Georgia, a medical technologist (MT) certification must be obtained.*ACADEMIC TRANSCRIPTS ARE REQUIRED* Please upload a copy of all relevant transcripts to this application.

Preferred Qualifications (based on the needs of the position):

These preferred experiences, competencies, and abilities are highly desirable for this position and will be considered when selecting a successful candidate.

• Effective organizational and time management skills.
• Ability to think critically and strategically.
• A collaborative team player with an open mindset who exhibits emotional intelligence.
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing with federal, state, and regional partners.
• The ability to work in a fast-paced team environment, remain positive and poised under pressure, and handle sensitive situations diplomatically and professionally.
• Exhibit professionalism, honesty, and integrity, as well as, the ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Ability to build and maintain good working relationships with multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary teams.
• Ability to foster an environment of inclusion where all employees are treated respectfully and are valued for their strengths.

Additional Information

Georgia Department of Public Health Commissioner and leaders encourage all employees to engage in regular wellness activities and to make lifestyle choices that promote health and well-being.

The use of physical activity breaks during the workday is authorized to support this philosophy and assist employees in meeting their wellness goals. A maximum of 30 minutes in a given workday may be used to engage in physical activities, generally in the form of two 15-minute breaks or one 30-minute break.

Employment Information
All approved teleworking employees must reside within the state of Georgia and depending on the responsibilities of the position, must live within reasonable driving distance of the agency’s primary worksite and beable to report to the office when required.

Current State employees are subject to State Personnel Board rules regarding salary.

DPH accepts educational credential recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and/or the US Department of Education (DOE) will be considered. DPH will contact educational institutions to verify degree, diploma, licensure, etc.

The candidate selected for this position may be subject to pre-employment drug screening and a criminal background check.

Relocation assistance will not be provided.

As an employee of DPH, in the event of an identified emergency you may be required, as a term and condition of employment, to assist in meeting the emergency responsibilities of the department.

If you require accommodations under the American Disability Act (ADA), email request by the closing date of this announcement to: DPH-HR@dph.ga.gov.

DPH is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Due to the volume of applications received, we are unable to provide information on application status by phone or e-mail. All qualified applicants will be considered, but may not necessarily receive an interview. Selected applicants will be contacted by the hiring agency for next steps in the selection process. Applicants who are not selected will not receive notification.

This position is subject to close at any time once a satisfactory applicant pool has been identified.