At Houston Methodist, the Manager Laboratory Services department position is responsible for the delivery of quality laboratory services in an efficient and effective manner meeting the needs of patients and attending clinical staff. Under general direction, this role is responsible for functional and operational aspects of a laboratory. This position provides leadership, guidance and direction to staff and maintains accountability for the laboratory's performance and results. The Manager Laboratory Services is responsible for quality, functional excellence and contribution to accomplishment of strategic and operational objectives. This position also fulfills the duties of Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) General Supervisor when required.
The Manager position responsibilities include managing the daily work activities of the work unit/department staff, ensuring quality, productivity, functional excellence and efficiency while assisting management in accomplishing strategic and operational objectives. In addition, this position provides guidance to staff and is responsible for staffing, budget compliance, contributing to staffing decisions such as hiring and terminating employment, coaching and counseling employees on work related performance, and assisting in the development and implementation of policies and procedures to ensure a safe and effective work environment. This position also implements training, monitoring and operations initiatives that assure compliance with ethical and legal business practices and accreditation/regulatory/ government regulations.

PATIENT AGE GROUP(S) AND POPULATION(S) SERVED
Refer to departmental "Scope of Service" and "Provision of Care" plans, as applicable, for description of primary age groups and populations served by this job for the respective HM entity.

HOUSTON METHODIST EXPERIENCE EXPECTATIONS

• Provide personalized care and service by consistently demonstrating our I CARE values:
  • INTEGRITY: We are honest and ethical in all we say and do.
  • COMPASSION: We embrace the whole person including emotional, ethical, physical, and spiritual needs.
  • ACCOUNTABILITY: We hold ourselves accountable for all our actions.
  • RESPECT: We treat every individual as a person of worth, dignity, and value.
  • EXCELLENCE: We strive to be the best at what we do and a model for others to emulate.

• Practices the Caring and Serving Model

• Delivers personalized service using HM Service Standards

• Provides for exceptional patient/customer experiences by following our Standards of Practice of always using Positive Language (AIDET, Managing Up, Key Words)

• Intentionally collaborates with other healthcare professionals involved in patients/customers or employees' experiential journeys to ensure strong communication, ease of access to information, and a seamless experience.

• Involves patients (customers) in shift/handoff reports by enabling their participation in their plan of care as applicable to the given job

• Displays cultural humility, diversity, equity and inclusion principles

• Actively supports the organization's vision, fulfills the mission and abides by the I CARE values

PEOPLE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Performs management responsibilities of selection, scheduling, supervision, retention, and evaluation of employees in the Laboratory Services department. Provides development and mentoring of staff. Meets or exceeds threshold goal for department turnover. Develops direct reports to perform these same functions.

• Provides leadership and communication to maintain a competent and engaged employee group by conducting regular department meetings to review policies and procedures and operational matters, rounding on all employees, completing performance appraisals, conducting new hire feedback sessions, coaching/corrective counseling, and providing recognition/commendations to achieve desired outcomes. Provides timely guidance and feedback to help others strengthen specific knowledge/skill areas needed to accomplish a task or solve a problem.

• Facilitates the promotion of teamwork within and between departments; participates and/or leads and facilitates department process improvements as needed.

• Meets or exceeds threshold goal for department and/or system metrics on employee engagement indicators.

• Makes and executes decisions within delegated authority. Communicates issues as appropriate. Participates in resolving issues outside of normal scope as appropriate.

SERVICE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Plans and organizes day-to-day Laboratory Services department operations, schedule and activities. Sets priorities and functional standards, giving direction to staff as necessary to ensure the best possible delivery of service and high customer/patient satisfaction.

• Drives department service standards and activities to impact department and/or system score for patient/customer-based satisfaction, through role modeling and fostering accountability. Serves and actively participates on various entity committees as a voice for the Laboratory Services department.

QUALITY/SAFETY ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Ensures a safe and effective working environment; monitors and/or revises the Laboratory Services department safety plan and/or any specific accreditation/regulatory required safety guidelines, including infection control principles. Monitors and confirms staff maintain their required credentials that demonstrate competency per accrediting agency or department guidelines as applicable.

• Uses and optimizes information systems to enhance operations; supports entity-specific performance improvement and data management/analysis functions.

• Employs a proactive approach in the optimization of safe outcomes by monitoring and improving the department workflow, using peer-to-peer accountability, reporting near misses and/or adverse events immediately and identifying solutions via collaboration. Adopts lean principles in driving process improvements. Role models situational awareness, using teachable moments to improve safety.

• Monitors self and employee compliance to policies and procedures and performs associated actions upon non-compliance (i.e., focal point review requirements, disaster plan, inservices, influenza immunization, wage and hour, standard hours, timely termination submission, timely timecard approval, etc.).

• Ensures that the laboratory meets quality standards of accreditation and regulatory agencies and that business practices comply with federal and state law. Reviews monthly reports and addresses variances.

FINANCE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Assists in the development of department budget and ensures that the department operates in a cost-effective manner. Manages/audits department expenses within approved budget parameters, ensuring that the Laboratory Services department meets the budgeted/flex revenue and/or expense targets on a monthly and annual basis. Develops staffing plans and schedules to meet department/patient care needs that reflect understanding of the importance of cost-effectiveness.

• Implements department strategies to achieve financial target and staffing needs, developing others to do the same, through optimizing productivity, supply/resource efficiency, minimizing incidental overtime and overtime percentage, and other areas according to department specifications.

• Utilizes and organizes financial data from multiple sources, identifying trends from financial data; investigates and corrects variances.

GROWTH/INNOVATION ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Identifies and implements innovative solutions for practice or workflow changes to improve department operations or other department-specific measures by leading unit projects and/or other department/system directed shared governance activities. Supports change initiatives, maintaining effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work responsibilities or environment; adjusts effectively to work within new work structures, processes, requirements or cultures.

• Proactively evaluates processes; recommends and implements action plan(s) for change. Participates in the development and implementation of new procedures and the review and revision of existing procedures.

• Identifies opportunities and takes action to build strategic relationships between one's area and other areas, teams, departments, and units to achieve business goals.

• Seeks opportunities to identify developmental needs of self and staff and takes appropriate action. Ensures own career discussions occur with appropriate management. Completes and updates My Development Plan (MDP) on an on-going basis. Conducts conversations with staff on their development and IDP.

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive; the employee will also perform other reasonably related business/job duties as assigned. Houston Methodist reserves the right to revise job duties and responsibilities as the need arises.

EDUCATION

• Bachelor's degree in a chemical, physical, biological or clinical laboratory science, or medical technology from an accredited institution

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Five years of laboratory experience, of which one year must have been in a managerial role in healthcare; may consider HM employee with five years of laboratory experience with HM performance that demonstrates leadership responsibility

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS - REQUIRED

• Must have one of the following required certifications:
•    • Certified as a Medical Technologist, Clinical Laboratory Scientist, Medical Laboratory Scientist, Histotechnologist (HTL), Histotechnician (HT) certification or categorical certification by Board of Certification (ASCP)
•    • Certified as a Medical Technologist by American Medical Technologists (AMT)
•    • Certified as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist by National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel (NCA)
•    • Clinical microbiology registry from American Society for Microbiology, RM(AAM)
•    • Certified Histocompatibility Technologist (CHT) by the American Board of Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (ABHI)
•    • Equivalent certification to the above based on educational requirements and examination

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Demonstrates the skills and competencies necessary to safely perform the assigned job, determined through on-going skills, competency assessments, and performance evaluations

• Sufficient proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing the English language necessary to perform the essential functions of this job, especially with regard to activities impacting patient or employee safety or security

• Ability to effectively communicate through a variety of channels with patients, physicians, family members and co-workers in a manner consistent with a customer service focus and application of positive language principles; engages the recipient(s) and helps them understand and retain the message

• Demonstrates the ability to interact with others in a way that gives them confidence in one's intentions and those of the organization

• Ability to use appropriate interpersonal styles and techniques to gain acceptance of ideas or plans; modifying one's own behavior to accommodate tasks, situations and individuals involved

• Demonstrates leadership qualities and critical thinking through self-direction initiative and effective interpersonal skills and oral/written communication skills

• Ability to identify and understand issues, problems and opportunities, comparing data from different sources to draw conclusions; using effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate solutions; taking action that is consistent with available facts, constraints and probable consequences

• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment

• Demonstrates flexibility and adaptability in the workplace

• Knowledge of managerial principles, process and procedures.

• Knowledge of relevant computer systems and data resources.

• Skill in planning, organizing and delegating functional activities

• Skill in coaching, counseling and developing the functional and supervisory skills of others.

• Ability to participate in strategic planning for the laboratory

• In depth knowledge of laboratory techniques, operations and procedures

• Demonstrates critical thinking skills by devising and applying innovative solutions

• Ability to work independently and collaborate with teams; seeks and expands on original ideas, enhances others' ideas, and contributes own ideas about the issues at hand

• Probes for and provides information to clarify solutions

SUPPLEMENTAL REQUIREMENTS

WORK ATTIRE

• Uniform No
• Scrubs No
• Business professional Yes
• Other (department approved) Yes

ON-CALL*
*Note that employees may be required to be on-call during emergencies (ie. DIsaster, Severe Weather Events, etc) regardless of selection below.

• On Call* Yes

TRAVEL**
**Travel specifications may vary by department**

• May require travel within the Houston Metropolitan area Yes
• May require travel outside Houston Metropolitan area Yes

Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital, located 35 miles east of Houston, is the area's only full-service hospital offering specialized medical care for patients at every stage in life. This 230-licensed bed hospital with 15 operating rooms and over 1,700 employees, brings Medical Center excellence and quality care close to East Harris and surrounding counties.