Northwestern Medicine · 1 week ago
Medical Laboratory Technician-Casual Rotating
Huntley, IL, US
Full-time
Onsite
Entry Level
1+ years expNorthwestern Medicine is a leader in the healthcare industry, committed to providing patient-first care. The Medical Laboratory Technician plays a crucial role in performing test procedures in a clinical laboratory and ensuring accurate results are conveyed to physicians for patient diagnosis and treatment.
Emergency MedicineHealth CareHospitalMedicalNutritionRehabilitation
Responsibilities
Performs all aspects of pre-analytic workflow appropriate for the specific laboratory section to ensure orders are entered correctly, specimens collected are appropriate for the test ordered and are correctly processed/transported
Verifies order where necessary
Verifies non-patient information (e.g., collection time) according to established protocol
Handles unresolved orders, troubleshoots where needed. Informs senior staff of resolutions. Escalates promptly when unable to resolve
Verifies with physicians and/or nurses prior to laboratory information system (LIS) order entry to resolve unclear, duplicate or otherwise ambiguous orders
Verifies specimens for add-on tests are available and acceptable and generates add-on test orders
Recognizes when fraud and abuse compliance issues require adjustments to the test order
Collecting, receiving and processing of specimens:
Verifies specimens are correctly and completely labeled upon receipt. Evaluates specimens for appropriateness and takes necessary corrective action. Appropriately documents unacceptable specimens and proper notifications as needed
Prioritizes specimen processing based on established priorities
Aliquots specimens according to established protocols
Performs all aspects of analytical testing appropriate for the specific laboratory section, following established written protocols and standard operating procedures (SOP)
Maintains test system integrity:
Performs preventive maintenance on instruments/equipment in a timely fashion according to defined schedule
Verifies reagents and supplies meet defined acceptability criteria upon receipt and prior to use; takes action to ensure unacceptable items are removed from use
Ensures that sufficient reagents and supplies necessary for test performance are available. Notifies senior staff when minimum inventory level is encountered
Performs and records all necessary quality control (QC) required for test system performance
Evaluates QC results and takes necessary corrective actions according to established protocol
Performs specimen preparation:
Performs any necessary pretest specimen preparation according to protocols (e.g., microbiology plating, cell cultures, filtering, extraction, separation, elution, absorption, etc.)
Transfers or ships specimens to approved testing locations according to SOPs
Performs waived, moderate, and high complexity testing
Prioritizes testing based on assignment or established priorities, completes testing within defined turn-around-times (TAT)
Recognizes the need for and follows any age-specific protocols
Responds effectively to changes in the workflow by coordinating a simultaneous series of tests when needed or adjusting work to incorporate STAT tests or fluctuations in work volume
Monitors daily workflow and priorities to assure meeting service levels
Performs technical review and interpretation, according to defined SOPs:
Reviews results for completeness, correctness, and consistency within defined test system
Evaluates test results/reactions and provides accurate interpretations as appropriate to include correlation with, and integration of, other patient data as necessary
Performs visual interpretation/identifications as appropriate
Recognizes unusual test results/interpretations and completes indicated reflex testing or other follow-up actions
Follows established notification protocols for critical values, phone/fax/e-mail results requests, abnormalities
Troubleshoots and solves problems:
Recognizes test system performance problems and takes necessary corrective actions
Recognizes when unresolved problems need to be escalated and takes necessary follow-up action
Prints pending logs and follows-up to ensure pending tests are completed or cancelled when appropriate
Post-test specimen storage:
Stores specimens and related materials (blood, slides, tissues, etc.) according to protocols for location and duration
Retrieves specimen and related materials when needed
Ensures quality of operations:
Follows written SOPs
Operates instruments/equipment according to protocol
Uses computers according to established protocol; follows downtime procedures as required
Performs required quality system responsibilities
Meets proficiency and competency standards of the department
Participates in the training of new employees and students, under the direction of Medical Laboratory Scientist trainers Performs operational review of new SOPs
Participates in new test development, validations and implementation
Attends at least one personal development session per year
Performs other duties as assigned, or as needed, to ensure continued quality operations Ensures safety of operations:
Follows all required safety procedures, uses personal protective equipment (PPE) appropriate for tasks performed
Maintains cleans and organized work area
Provides service excellence:
Answers telephone when needed, using NM telephone etiquette
Maintains patient confidentiality including protected health information (PHI)
Assists patients, visitors and other contacts whenever need occurs
Performs all aspects of the post-analytical workflow appropriate for the specific laboratory section to ensure accurate results are reported within established time frames, specimens are retained appropriately, test results and/or current status are available upon inquiry, and billed charges are correct for testing performed
Verifies results according to procedure
Performs computer functions necessary for releasing results
Generates written reports according to established protocol
Reviews electronic or printed reports when applicable, recognizes problems and escalates according to protocol
Corrects erroneous reports and amends reports according to procedure
Responds to requests for information according to established protocol for confidentiality and release of information
Recognizes when unresolved inquiries need to be escalated and takes action
Stores documents and records according to established protocol
Performs billing and/or enter credits for tests and services when applicable
Recognizes billing problems and escalates accordingly
Qualification
Required
Associates Degree in Medical Technology, Medical Laboratory Technician, Clinical Laboratory Science, Chemistry, Biology, or Allied Health qualifying the applicant to take the national ASCP certifying exam
Must obtain Medical Laboratory Technician (MLT) (ASCP) or equivalent certification within 1 year of hire date
Preferred
1 year of laboratory experience
Benefits
Tuition reimbursement
Loan forgiveness
401(k) matching
Lifecycle benefits
Company
Northwestern Medicine
Northwestern Medicine is the collaboration between Northwestern Memorial HealthCare and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine around a strategic vision to transform the future of health care.
10001+ employees
H1B Sponsorship
Northwestern Medicine has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (75)
2024 (66)
2023 (70)
2022 (78)
2021 (35)
2020 (39)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$25M2018-06-26Grant· $25M
Leadership Team
Howard Chrisman, MD
President and CEO
John A. Orsini, CPA
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Recent News
2026-01-13
Near North Health
2025-12-01
Company data provided by crunchbase