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Position Description – Director, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Our highly prestigious client, Children’s Hospital & Research Center at Oakland (CHRCO), located in Oakland, California, is the oldest, largest, busiest and most comprehensive children’s hospital between Los Angeles and Seattle. The Hospital is a separately governed, free-standing facility.

Our client has the largest pediatric intensive care unit in Northern California, the only pediatric emergency department and the only designated Level I pediatric trauma center between Los Angeles and Seattle. The 47-bed intensive care nursery is the State-designated regional referral center for high-risk newborns in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

Founded in 1912, Children’s Hospital & Research Center at Oakland meets the medical, developmental, and psychological needs of all children, from premature infants to teenagers, with expertise in 30 pediatric subspecialties from adolescent medicine to urology. With a staff of 2,300+ employees specially trained to care for children, CHRCO serves as both a regional referral center and a medical safety net for East Bay children, with more than 176,000 visits each year from patients from throughout California as well as other states and countries.

The Outpatient Center is the only freestanding pediatric outpatient center in Northern California. The Hospital works closely with community physicians to bring pediatric expertise to outlying areas through satellite offices. The Hospital has a Foundation that raises funds to help support these specialized services and programs.

Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI) is among the nation’s top ten pediatric research facilities in the US in terms of Federal funding, it is ranked 11th in the US for all hospital based research organizations and it is rated first in the US for a non-academic affiliated Research Program. Close collaboration between clinical and research services at Children’s has resulted in advances in the treatment of cancers, sickle cell disease, thalassemia, AIDS/HIV and many other life-threatening diseases.

Our client’s annual revenue is approximately $250 MM; it controls assets of nearly $250 MM and operates on a net margin of 1.2%. The balance sheet and other operating ratios indicate that it is in a strong financial position. The organization’s income is a combination of standard medical reimbursement by the State and Federal Governments, private payors, grants and donations.

Management

The style of management and the organizational culture of excellence are deeply rooted in teamwork and mutual support. The commitment of the management team to the mission, which is “Kids”, is outstanding and highly effective in keeping the management and staff focused on the big picture. To complement the management team an individual must be able to blend their individual success into that of the entire team and share in the commitment and the satisfaction of taking care of very sick kids.

Anatomic Pathology and Clinical Laboratory – Highlights

Director, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine reports to the Vice President, Ancillary and Support Services and works closely with the Chairman, Department of Pathology. This position has eight direct supervisory reports and an Administrative Assistant, with a total staff of 50 FTE’s.

The Molecular HLA Laboratory in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine is a highly acclaimed molecular HLA laboratory. It is one of four referee laboratories used for national proficiency exams required of all clinical Histocompatibility labs, a research laboratory with the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP) for over 8 years, and one of six laboratories nationally recognized and chosen for rapid BMT workup allelic typing of servicemen and government officials in the event of radioactive warfare or acts of terrorism.

The Blood Bank and Hematology sections serve as critical elements in the treatment of patients from the Comprehensive Sickle Cell Center and the only NIH funded Thalessemia center on the West Coast. The department includes the state reference laboratory for hemoglogin disorders. The presence of the only regional pediatric trauma center and a regional neonatal intensive care nursery also require extensive services from the blood bank.

The Immunology and Special Coagulation section is well recognized as a center of excellence. Comprehensive flow cytometry services are provided, including stem cell quantitation for the Bone Marrow Transplant Program and leukemia cell phenotyping for the large children’s oncology program. Research activities include development of flow cytometric techniques for measurement of cytokine production in transplant patients. Recently implemented special coagulation tests include platelet function analysis and platelet aggregation.

Position Description

The Laboratory Director is responsible for the administrative operation of the department; the maintenance of all policies, procedures, and quality control practices; the management and supervision of the laboratory technical and clerical staff; the administration of the department budget; and the maintenance of effective physician and interdepartmental relations.

Key Responsibilities

Develops an annual written Quality Improvement Plan which satisfies the expectations of the Medical Director and addresses all regulatory requirements and important aspects of laboratory services.
Develops and maintains systems to monitor deviations from expected performance.
Maintains records for unusual occurrences reports.
Oversees and is accountable for staff compliance with JACHO, CAP, State of California and CLIA regulations.
Maintains written documentation as required by regulatory agencies.
Oversees the development and implementation of new procedures.
Works with Medical Director, laboratory staff and clinicians to identify opportunities for improvement and implement these changes.
Manages the laboratory information system.
Measures financial performance of the department.
Develops annual capital and operating budgets that reflect current needs and anticipated changes.
Monitors budget variances and implements corrective action plans when necessary to ensure laboratory operations remain within budget.
Performs strategic planning for department. Identifies pertinent goals and develops departmental objectives to reflect and support these goals.
Demonstrates effective managerial decision making through problem identification and resolution skills.
Demonstrates effective leadership skills of delegation, organization, and coordination in managing daily operations.
Develops and maintains effective communication mechanisms and working relationships between staff physicians, other hospital departments and laboratory personnel.
Ensures the departmental safety plan meets all regulatory requirements and that all staff comply with the plan.
Monitors effectiveness of departmental materials management system. Acts to maintain efficient, cost-effective processes that satisfy needs of the department.

Experience Required

B.S. in medical technology of life science, a current CA Laboratory Scientist license is desirable
A minimum of 8 years of laboratory experience, 5 years of supervisory experience or 2 years of management experience
Experience with department budgets, inventory logistics, instrument acquisition and personnel and labor laws, regulatory requirements and accreditation of laboratory operations.
Master’s Degree in Public Health, Hospital Administration or Business is preferred

Personal Characteristics and Traits

First and foremost he/she needs to be a team player, be a superb communicator, and have the style of a diplomat, i.e., able to work in harmony with other operational entities and to negotiate agreements so each party benefits. It is imperative that he/she be skilled in bringing together the staff functions in a spirit of harmony and with a single-minded purpose.

A hands-on leader, who can develop a strategic vision of the department and has the expertise to develop values and goals for a diverse group of constituents, will be successful. The successful candidate will have a proven record of accomplishment of strong leadership skills to ensure that the improvement process within the department continues, that priorities are established, and the goals are met.

He/she needs to be a person who possesses a strong work ethic, rejects setbacks, and values accomplishments highly. An action-oriented personality that deals with specifics within a broad conceptual framework will be most effective in this position. He/she will have an appropriate sense of urgency to allow him/her to react to situations quickly and decisively.

Compensation

The compensation plan is based on a competitive base salary commensurate with the experience and the demonstrated accomplishments of the successful candidate, and will reflect the opportunity at the Company. The organization has an excellent employee benefits package, consisting of medical coverage, a dental plan, life insurance, Defined Benefit Retirement Plan and a 403 b program with employer matching.