Career Center

A higher degree of healthcare.

All across UW Medicine, our employees collaborate to perform the highest quality work with integrity and compassion and to create a respectful, welcoming environment where every patient, family, student and colleague is valued and honored.

UW Medicine’s mission is to improve the health of the public by advancing medical knowledge, providing outstanding primary and specialty care to the people of the region, and preparing tomorrow’s physicians, scientists and other health professionals.

The Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology - Virology Division has an outstanding opportunity for a fixed duration, full-time, variable shift, COVID RESEARCH PHLEBOTOMIST.

The Research Phlebotomist will play a critical role in the study of COVID-19 prevalence and immune response. The Research Phlebotomist will spend their days out in the field, obtaining COVID-related data for a large-scale, multidisciplinary study. The Research Phlebotomist will serve in the Virology Division of Laboratory Medicine for statewide longitudinal SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) virologic and serologic surveys for Washington done in partnership with state and county-level public health authorities. We are actively collaborating with other groups to perform analysis of immunity, host and viral factors.

The Research Phlebotomist will be supervised by the Research Coordinator and the Research Nurse Supervisor and assist medical staff such as doctors, registered nurses, medical assistants, and other survey collaborators. The research phlebotomist will collect, prepare, and transport blood specimens and provide qualitative survey data collection for this community-oriented research program. Specimen and data collection will include approaching and interviewing participants in local communities and designated survey sites. The Research Phlebotomist will assess participant eligibility according to protocol. Data collection and specimen transport will require them to travel within and between counties.

SCHEDULE:
This is a fixed duration position with an anticipated duration of 6-8 months. This position requires regular travel throughout the various identified counties.

General Duties:

• Support acquiring research data alongside research project staff and public health collaborators; interview participants using scripted electronic questionnaire
  
• Assist research nurses and project collaborators by collecting specimens in diverse environments (e.g. households, mobile vehicles, pop-up sites) including travel to survey sites – navigating using GPS and address information
  
• Adhere to safety guidelines, including but not limited to, correctly donning and doffing personal protective equipment (PPE) and ensuring sterile specimen collection
  
• Utilize electronic devices such as tablets to collect and input quality data using scripted questionnaire; accurately capturing participant demographic, symptom assessment, medical history, socioeconomic and behavioral factors related to exposure and transmission, etc.
  
• Perform venipuncture in pediatric and adult populations under the guidance of nurses and physicians
  
• Process, prepare and transport laboratory specimens as required
  
• Schedule subject participation and specimen collection
  
• Collaborate with support staff such as nurses and clerical support personnel, scheduling assistants, laboratory couriers and other external collaborators to achieve research objectives
  
• Adhere to the research protocol to assess eligibility of survey participants; obtain informed consent; ensure compliance with research protocol of survey staff and external collaborators
  
• Provide or describe information regarding research protocol to participants; answer participant and community questions regarding the research; provide basic public health education related to COVID-19 using scripted FAQs; refer participants to Research Registered Nurse for specific questions and or clarification not listed on FAQs 
  
• Interact with external collaborators to include public agencies, private organizations, community liaisons and volunteers supporting the survey
  
• Ensure return of results to participants per protocol
  
• Collect data and produce timely logistical reports on field data collection progress
  
• Perform related duties as required

Requirements:
High school graduation AND completion of a phlebotomy course OR equivalent education/experience.

Legal Requirement:
Obtain State of Washington certification as a Health Care Assistant Level A within sixty days of employment date.

Desired:

• Valid driver’s license
  
• Medical Assistant - Phlebotomy Certification with the Washington State Department of Health.
  
• Experience interacting with and collecting specimens from pediatric populations
  
• Language skills, especially fluency in Spanish, Chinese (Mandarin, Cantonese), Tagalog, Vietnamese, etc.
  
• Ability to exercise good judgement regarding personal safety and the safety of others.
  
• Experience interviewing and collecting specimens in research settings, especially outside of a clinic environment.
  
• Experience working with diverse populations and settings
  
• Professional communication skills in-person, via email, and over the telephone
  
• Demonstrated ability to work and contribute as part of a team

As an employee you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs. For detailed information on Benefits for this position, click here.

Conditions of Employment:

• It will be necessary to work in other departmental and field locations in order to meet patient service requirements
  
• Will be considered essential staff and as such will be required to report to work when scheduled despite inclement weather
  
• Must be able to meet with all shifts on a regular basis
  
• Travel estimated around 75%
  
• Work different shifts to attain adequate response rates for the survey, including afternoons, evenings and weekend work
  
• Must operate motor vehicle for travel to and from sites, transport of survey personnel, and transport specimens for processing and delivery to courier
  
• Work outdoors in different seasons in hot and cold environments
  
• Regular teleconference work and possible travel required to Seattle for meetings with research leadership team and collaborators