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Job Information
Exemption Status: Non-Exempt

A Brief Overview
The Clinical Microbiologist performs medical and clinical microbiology testing on patient specimens to aid in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of infectious diseases. This position is responsible for the pre-analytical, analytical, and post-analytical phases of clinical microbiology testing, including specimen evaluation, culture setup and incubation, microscopy and stains, culture workup, organism identification, antimicrobial susceptibility testing, quality control, troubleshooting, biosafety, documentation, and accurate result reporting. The role supports accurate and timely patient care through adherence to established procedures, regulatory and accreditation requirements, laboratory safety practices, and quality management expectations.

Education Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree Microbiology, biology or medical lab science or related field Required

Experience Qualifications

• 1 year Experience performing specimen collecting or testing. Preferred

Skills and Abilities

• Follows all applicable OSHA guidelines. Follows all hospital and departmental safety procedures.
• Proficient in scientific principles, procedures, and protocols.
• Ability to organize work and establish priorities.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent and to draw and interpret graphs.
• Ability to follow directions accurately.

Licenses and Certifications

• Microbiology ASCP Certification required within 18 months of hire date.
• Medical Laboratory Scientist - ASCP Required or
• Persons licensed by a state requiring laboratory personnel licensure may be accepted. Required or
• Single discipline technologist or specialist certification in Microbiology may be considered. Required or
• Certification eligible person may be considered. Required

What you will do

• Processes and handles blood, body fluids, respiratory specimens, urine specimens, wound specimens, tissue, genital specimens, gastrointestinal specimens, sterile body site specimens, and other biological specimens submitted for clinical microbiology testing according to established procedures.
• Evaluates microbiology specimen acceptability, collection and transport conditions, labeling, source/site information, prioritization, and rejection criteria before testing. Communicates specimen problems or delays according to laboratory procedure.
• Performs culture setup using appropriate media, inoculation techniques, incubation conditions, atmosphere, temperature, and duration based on specimen source and requested testing.
• Performs, interprets, and reports direct microscopic examinations and microbiology stains, as applicable to assigned duties, including Gram stain and other approved stains used in the clinical microbiology laboratory.
• Examines microbiology cultures for growth and performs culture workup using specimen source, colony morphology, Gram stain correlation, normal flora recognition, organism pathogenicity, and clinical significance. Performs and reports organism identification using approved manual, biochemical, automated, MALDI-TOF, molecular, or other validated microbiology methods
• Performs and reports antimicrobial susceptibility testing using approved methods, instruments, and interpretive criteria. Reviews, verifies, and reports susceptibility results according to current laboratory procedures and applicable standards.
• Recognizes clinically significant organism and resistance patterns, including results that require additional testing, confirmation, review, escalation, notification, or reporting.
• Performs quality control for microbiology media, reagents, stains, identification systems, antimicrobial susceptibility testing systems, instruments, and equipment. Recognizes unacceptable quality control or test system performance, takes appropriate corrective action, documents actions taken, and notifies laboratory leadership as required.
• Assists with evaluation, verification, validation, implementation, and maintenance of new or revised microbiology tests, procedures, media, reagents, instruments, workflows, interfaces, and analytical equipment as directed by laboratory leadership.
• Supports microbiology stewardship, antimicrobial stewardship, and laboratory utilization initiatives as directed by laboratory leadership, including appropriate testing, accurate reporting, and effective communication of microbiology results.
• Inventories microbiology supplies, media, reagents, stains, identification materials, susceptibility testing materials, quality control materials, and consumables as directed by laboratory leadership. Alerts leadership to supply concerns, expired materials, backorders, or opportunities to conserve supplies and improve workflow efficiency.
• As directed by department leadership, provides education and training to new team members, students, and interns. Provides a welcoming environment to learners by practicing open communication, constructive feedback tailored to specific behaviors, goal-setting, and competency evaluation. Assists learner with documentation and competency as required. Prepares lectures and study material for clinical interns as needed.
• Assesses competency of other technical staff on non-waived test systems as directed by lab leadership, in accordance with federal rules under CLIA.

Required for All Jobs

• Complies with all policies, standards, mandatory training and requirements of Stormont Vail Health
• Performs other duties as assigned

Patient Facing Options

• Position is Not Patient Facing

Remote Work Guidelines

• Workspace is a quiet and distraction-free allowing the ability to comply with all security and privacy standards.
• Stable access to electricity and a minimum of 25mb upload and internet speed.
• Dedicate full attention to the job duties and communication with others during working hours.
• Adhere to break and attendance schedules agreed upon with supervisor.
• Abide by Stormont Vail’s Remote Worker Policy and will review and acknowledge the Remote Work Agreement annually.

Remote Work Capability

• On-Site; No Remote

Scope

• No Supervisory Responsibility
• 
  
• No Budget Responsibility No Budget Responsibility

Physical Demands

• Balancing: Rarely less than 1 hour
• Carrying: Rarely less than 1 hour
• Climbing (Ladders): Rarely less than 1 hour
• Climbing (Stairs): Rarely less than 1 hour
• Crawling: Rarely less than 1 hour
• Crouching: Rarely less than 1 hour
• Eye/Hand/Foot Coordination: Occasionally 1-3 Hours
• Feeling: Occasionally 1-3 Hours
• Grasping (Fine Motor): Occasionally 1-3 Hours
• Grasping (Gross Hand): Occasionally 1-3 Hours
• Handling: Frequently 3-5 Hours
• Hearing: Frequently 3-5 Hours
• Kneeling: Rarely less than 1 hour
• Lifting: Occasionally 1-3 Hours
• Operate Foot Controls: Rarely less than 1 hour
• Pulling: Occasionally 1-3 Hours
• Pushing: Occasionally 1-3 Hours
• Reaching (Forward): Occasionally 1-3 Hours
• Reaching (Overhead): Rarely less than 1 hour
• Repetitive Motions: Occasionally 1-3 Hours
• Sitting: Occasionally 1-3 Hours
• Standing: Frequently 3-5 Hours
• Stooping: Rarely less than 1 hour
• Talking: Rarely less than 1 hour
• Walking: Occasionally 1-3 Hours

Working Conditions

• Burn: Rarely less than 1 hour
• Chemical: Rarely less than 1 hour
• Dusts: Rarely less than 1 hour
• Electrical: Occasionally 1-3 Hours
• Extreme Temperatures: Rarely less than 1 hour
• Infectious Diseases: Rarely less than 1 hour
• Mechanical: Rarely less than 1 hour
• Noise/Sounds: Occasionally 1-3 Hours
• Other Atmospheric Conditions: Rarely less than 1 hour
• Poor Ventilation, Fumes and/or Gases: Rarely less than 1 hour
• Risk of Exposure to Blood and Body Fluids: Rarely less than 1 hour
• Vibration: Rarely less than 1 hour
• Wet and/or Humid: Rarely less than 1 hour

Stormont Vail is an equal opportunity employer and adheres to the philosophy and practice of providing equal opportunities for all employees and prospective employees, without regard to the following classifications: race, color, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, religion, national origin, citizenship, age, marital status, uniformed service, disability or genetic information. This applies to all aspects of employment practices including hiring, firing, pay, benefits, promotions, lateral movements, job training, and any other terms or conditions of employment.

Retaliation is prohibited against any person who files a claim of discrimination, participates in a discrimination investigation, or otherwise opposes an unlawful employment act based upon the above classifications.