The Laboratory Client Relations Specialist serves as the primary point of contact between the laboratory and its outreach clients, including physician offices, clinics, nursing homes, and other healthcare providers. This role ensures high-quality client service, promotes laboratory services, facilitates specimen collection and transport processes, and resolves issues related to testing, logistics, and results delivery. The Laboratory Client Relations Specialist plays a key role in strengthening client relationships and expanding the laboratory's outreach business.
EDUCATION: Associate's degree required; Bachelor's degree in medical laboratory science, business, or a related field preferred.
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE: Minimum of 3 years' experience in a clinical laboratory, healthcare outreach, or client services role required.
REQUIRED SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE: Familiarity with laboratory testing processes, LIS systems, and healthcare operations preferred. Strong communication and interpersonal skills. Excellent organizational and problem-solving abilities, ability to work independently and manage multiple client relationships. Proficient in Microsoft Office and laboratory information systems (LIS). Customer-service oriented with attention to accuracy and confidentiality.
LICENSES & CERTIFICATIONS:
MLT or CLT(ASCP) certification or equivalent preferred.
Customer Focus
- Act as the main contact for outreach clients, providing timely and professional support for all laboratory-related inquiries.
- Coordinate and oversee specimen pickup and delivery schedules with couriers and logistics staff.
- Ensure accurate and efficient handling of client test orders, specimen labeling, and transport requirements.
- Collaborate with laboratory departments to resolve client concerns related to test performance, turnaround time, or results.
- Conduct client site visits to assess needs, provide training on test ordering systems, and promote laboratory services.
- Assist in onboarding new clients by coordinating setup, account activation, and workflow integration.
- Monitor client satisfaction through surveys and feedback and develop action plans to address service gaps.
- Communicate updates on new tests, changes in procedures, or billing information to clients.
- Work with laboratory leadership and marketing to identify and pursue new business opportunities.
Test Results
- Accurately provides test results to the appropriate personnel.
- Adheres to policies regarding the communication of verbal results.
- Follows guidelines for faxing test results.
- Utilizes established protocols and independent judgment to assess the credibility and accuracy of test results.
- Recognizes and addresses any abnormal or unusual patient results, investigates inconsistent findings, and communicates significant patient data or results to the relevant individuals.
- Evaluates and identifies the necessary specifications for specimen collection, ensuring clarity on the type, quantity, and handling procedures to support accurate and reliable testing outcomes.
Training & Technical Assistance
- Develop and deliver training programs for clients, staff, and partners on laboratory policies, procedures, and services.
- Create educational materials, manuals, job aids, and online modules to support learning and compliance.
- Conduct onboarding training for new clients or sites on test ordering systems, specimen collection, labeling, and transport procedures.
- Provide refresher training to ensure continued compliance with laboratory standards and best practices.
- Customize training sessions to address specific client or department needs (e.g., point-of-care testing, new test implementation).
- Serve as a subject matter expert (SME) for laboratory processes, specimen handling, and test utilization.
- Provide real-time troubleshooting and problem-solving assistance to clients and staff regarding testing workflows or system issues.
- Support implementation of new laboratory information systems (LIS) or electronic health record (EHR) interfaces by guiding clients through setup and use.
- Maintain a log of technical assistance requests, responses, and resolutions to track trends and identify areas for improvement.
Department Support
- Facilitate the development and implementation of quality improvement initiatives by diligently tracking key metrics, including client satisfaction and retention rates, response times to inquiries, effectiveness in issue resolution, growth in outreach test volume and new account formation, as well as adherence to laboratory and regulatory standards.
- Support data entry, billing inquiries, and account setup as needed.
- Assist business as required, to include independent execution of special projects of moderate complexity.
- Participate in divisional process improvement work, and the development of alternative approaches to business operations.
Accreditation
- Assist with policy updates, document control, and staff communication within the department.
- Support the development and implementation of quality improvement initiatives.
- Help ensure compliance with CLIA, CAP, and another regulatory standard.
Professional Development
- Maintains currency in the field, including maintenance of any necessary licensure/certification, through continuing education, conferences, meetings, in-services, networking, literature, and/or seminars.
Performs other duties assigned.
Customer Focus
- Act as the main contact for outreach clients, providing timely and professional support for all laboratory-related inquiries.
- Coordinate and oversee specimen pickup and delivery schedules with couriers and logistics staff.
- Ensure accurate and efficient handling of client test orders, specimen labeling, and transport requirements.
- Collaborate with laboratory departments to resolve client concerns related to test performance, turnaround time, or results.
- Conduct client site visits to assess needs, provide training on test ordering systems, and promote laboratory services.
- Assist in onboarding new clients by coordinating setup, account activation, and workflow integration.
- Monitor client satisfaction through surveys and feedback and develop action plans to address service gaps.
- Communicate updates on new tests, changes in procedures, or billing information to clients.
- Work with laboratory leadership and marketing to identify and pursue new business opportunities.
Test Results
- Accurately provides test results to the appropriate personnel.
- Adheres to policies regarding the communication of verbal results.
- Follows guidelines for faxing test results.
- Utilizes established protocols and independent judgment to assess the credibility and accuracy of test results.
- Recognizes and addresses any abnormal or unusual patient results, investigates inconsistent findings, and communicates significant patient data or results to the relevant individuals.
- Evaluates and identifies the necessary specifications for specimen collection, ensuring clarity on the type, quantity, and handling procedures to support accurate and reliable testing outcomes.
Training & Technical Assistance
- Develop and deliver training programs for clients, staff, and partners on laboratory policies, procedures, and services.
- Create educational materials, manuals, job aids, and online modules to support learning and compliance.
- Conduct onboarding training for new clients or sites on test ordering systems, specimen collection, labeling, and transport procedures.
- Provide refresher training to ensure continued compliance with laboratory standards and best practices.
- Customize training sessions to address specific client or department needs (e.g., point-of-care testing, new test implementation).
- Serve as a subject matter expert (SME) for laboratory processes, specimen handling, and test utilization.
- Provide real-time troubleshooting and problem-solving assistance to clients and staff regarding testing workflows or system issues.
- Support implementation of new laboratory information systems (LIS) or electronic health record (EHR) interfaces by guiding clients through setup and use.
- Maintain a log of technical assistance requests, responses, and resolutions to track trends and identify areas for improvement.
Department Support
- Facilitate the development and implementation of quality improvement initiatives by diligently tracking key metrics, including client satisfaction and retention rates, response times to inquiries, effectiveness in issue resolution, growth in outreach test volume and new account formation, as well as adherence to laboratory and regulatory standards.
- Support data entry, billing inquiries, and account setup as needed.
- Assist business as required, to include independent execution of special projects of moderate complexity.
- Participate in divisional process improvement work, and the development of alternative approaches to business operations.
Accreditation
- Assist with policy updates, document control, and staff communication within the department.
- Support the development and implementation of quality improvement initiatives.
- Help ensure compliance with CLIA, CAP, and another regulatory standard.
Professional Development
- Maintains currency in the field, including maintenance of any necessary licensure/certification, through continuing education, conferences, meetings, in-services, networking, literature, and/or seminars.
Performs other duties assigned.