CLINICAL LABORATORY SCIENTIST I (Non-Competitive)

Full Job Description

SPECIAL SALARY INFORMATION:

Manpower Shortage Recruitment

New appointments and current incumbents shall be compensated at Step 5 of the applicable salary range. This is in effect until June 30, 2026, or until it is determined that a shortage no longer exists, whichever is sooner.

Correctional Health Services – 20% Recruitment and Retention Bonus:
The County of Los Angeles is currently offering a 20% bonus for full-time Clinical Laboratory Scientist I hired by Correctional Health Services and working on-site in a designated facility to meet critical healthcare needs for the uniquely underserved jail population.

Critical Shortage Recruitment Range – 20% Night Shift:

In addition, pursuant to County Code Section 6.10.050 and 6.10.060, a Critical Shortage Range of 20% has been approved for full-time Clinical Laboratory Scientist I assigned to the night shift.

ABOUT LOS ANGELES COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SERVICES:
The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) is the second largest municipal health system in the nation. DHS operates as an integrated health system, operating 25 health centers and four acute care hospitals, in addition to providing health care to youth in the juvenile justice system and inmates in the LA County jails. Across the network of DHS' directly operated clinical sites and through partnerships with community-based clinics, DHS annually provides direct care for over 600,000, unique patients, employs over 23,000 staff, and has an annual operating budget of over $6.9 billion. For additional information regarding DHS please visit www.dhs.lacounty.gov.

Through academic affiliations with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the University of Southern California (USC), and the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Sciences (CDU), DHS hospitals are training sites for physicians completing their Graduate Medical Education in nearly every medical specialty and subspecialty. In addition to its direct clinical services, DHS also runs the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Agency and the County's 911 emergency response system, as well as Housing for Health and the Office of Diversion and Re-entry, each with a critical role in connecting vulnerable populations, including those released from correctional and institutional settings to supportive housing.

THE MISSION:
To advance the health of our patients and our communities by providing extraordinary care.

DEFINITION:
Performs a variety of standardized clinical laboratory tests within a specialized area (such as biochemistry, hematology, microbiology, or immunohematology) or across specialty lines using manual or automated methodology, under the supervision of a physician or a Supervising Clinical Laboratory Scientist in a general or a specialized medical laboratory on any shift.

Requirements

Calibrates laboratory instruments following prescribed methods and performs other quality control and improvement procedures to assure the operational accuracy of equipment and test reproducibility; performs manufacturer recommended period routine maintenance on such equipment.Oversees the work of Laboratory Assistants assigned to assist with testing.Performs specific biochemical tests on body specimens such as whole blood, blood plasma, serum, urine, spinal fluid, gastric secretions and similar products to determine the presence and quantity of metabolic and endocrine substances such as glucose, albumin, protein, urea, electrolytes, enzymes, acetone bodies, thyroid proteins, reproductive hormones, and tumor markers or to identify the presence and amount of toxic substances such as drugs and poisons.Performs macroscopic and microscopic examination of urine samples for the determination of blood glucose and albumin; to detect the presence of acetone bodies, blood, bile derivatives, Bruce-Jones protein, drugs and poisons in the urine using a urinometer and determines specific gravity of urine.Conducts hematological tests such as red blood cell count, reticulocyte, platelet, eosinophil, and leukocyte counts; microscopically examines blood smears for abnormal cells, and performs blood sedimentation tests, hemoglobin determinations, and hematocrits.Cultures, isolates, and identifies enteric pathogens, parasites, tubercle bacilli, pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and other micro-organisms in blood, sputum, urine, feces, exudates, tissues, spinal fluid and similar substances using standardized laboratory procedures.Draws, groups, types, and cross-matches donor-recipient blood; performs antibody screening tests and antibody identification tests to resolve cross-matching problems; issues whole blood and blood components for transfusion purposes and performs related blood bank activities.Performs immuno serological test methods such as flocculation, agglutination, complement filtration, direct and indirect fluorescence, enzyme immuno assays, molecular pathology, and serologic tests to determine the efficacy of test performed and to identify the presence and measure the quantities of antibodies associated with various medical conditions.Utilizes computer programs that operate in conjunction with laboratory equipment; enters test results, quality control and improvement data.Provides instructions to medical personnel on specimen collection requirements such as the type of container and appropriate volume, type of preservative and other handling instructions.Provides bench-level instruction on the detailed aspects of assignment to licensed trainees and new laboratory scientists and medical personnel in training.

Qualifications MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS: Clinical Laboratory Scientist license -OR- Limited Clinical Laboratory Scientist Licenses issued by the State of California Department of Public Health in one of the following specialties when assigned to a specialized area such as chemistry, microbiology, hematology, toxicology, and immunohematology.

Clinical Chemist Scientist LicenseA clinical chemist scientist is authorized to perform clinical laboratory tests or examinations classified as high complexity under CLIA in the specialty or subspecialties of chemistry, including routine chemistry, clinical microscopy, endocrinology and toxicology; immunology, including diagnostic immunology and syphilis serology; and molecular biology.

Clinical Microbiologist Scientist License A clinical microbiologist scientist is authorized to perform clinical laboratory tests or examinations classified as high complexity under CLIA in the specialty or subspecialties of microbiology including bacteriology, mycobacteriology, mycology, parasitology, and virology; immunology, including diagnostic immunology and syphilis serology; and molecular biology.

Clinical Immunohematologist Scientist License A clinical immunohematologist scientist is authorized to perform clinical laboratory tests or examinations classified as high complexity under CLIA limited to the specialty of immunohematology including ABO/Rh Type or Group, unexpected antibody detection, compatibility testing and antibody identification.Clinical Toxicologist Scientist License A clinical toxicologist scientist is authorized to perform clinical laboratory tests or examinations classified as high complexity under CLIA limited to the subspecialty of toxicology.

Clinical Hematologist Scientist License A clinical hematologist scientist is authorized to perform clinical laboratory tests or examinations classified as high complexity under CLIA limited to the specialty of hematology including routine hematology and coagulation.LICENSE(S) AND CERTIFICATE(S):Clinical Laboratory Scientist license -OR- Limited Clinical Laboratory Scientist Licenses issued by the State of California Department of Public Health in one of the following specialties when assigned to a specialized area such as chemistry, microbiology, hematology, toxicology, and immunohematology.

Applicants must ensure the License and Certification Section of the application is completed.

Provide the title of your required license, the certificate number, date of issue, date of expiration, and the name of the issuing agency for the required license as specified in the selection requirements -OR- applicants must attach a legible photocopy of the license issued at the time of filing or email a copy to the analyst within 7 calendar days from the date of filing your application online.

All required licenses and certifications must be active and unrestricted, or your application will not be accepted.

Applicants claiming experience in a state other than California must provide their Clinical Laboratory Scientist License Number from that state on the application at the time of filing.

Out-of-State experience provided on the application without the required license number will not be considered.PHYSICAL CLASS II - Light This class requires light physical effort that may include occasional light lifting to a 10-pound limit and some bending, stooping, or squatting.

Considerable ambulation may be involved. Additional Information EXAMINATION CONTENT: This is a non-competitive examination. This examination is intended to merely qualify applicants.

Applicants will be placed on an eligible register without indication of relative standing in the examination.

ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION: Applications will be processed on an "as received" basis and those receiving a passing score will be promulgated to the eligible register accordingly.

The names of candidates receiving a passing grade on the examination will be placed on the eligible register and will appear in the order of their score group for a period of twelve (12) months following the date of eligibility.The appointing power may appoint any one of the names on the appropriate register, except that a person without veteran’s credit may not be appointed if there are three more names on the register of persons entitled to veteran’s credit.

NO PERSON MAY COMPETE IN THIS EXAMINATION MORE THAN ONCE EVERY TWELVE (12) MONTHS.

VACANCY INFORMATION: The eligible register resulting from this examination will be used to fill vacancies throughout the Department of Health Services as they occur.

AVAILABLE SHIFT: Appointees may be required to work any shift, including evenings, nights, weekends and holidays. APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION:APPLICATIONS MUST BE FILED ONLINE ONLY.

APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED BY U.S. MAIL, FAX OR IN PERSON WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Apply online by clicking on the green "Apply" button at the top right of this posting.

You can also track the status of your application using this website. This examination will remain open until the needs of the service are met.

Application filing may be suspended at any time with or without advance notice.IMPORTANT NOTES: ALL information in the application materials is subject to VERIFICATION at any point during the examination and hiring process, including after an appointment has been made.

We may reject your application at any point during the examination hiring process, including after the appointment has been made.

Falsification of any information may result in disqualification or rescission of appointment.

Utilizing VERBIAGE form the Class Specifications and Selection Requirements serving as your description of duties WILL NOT be sufficient to meet the requirements. Doing so may result in an INCOMPLETE APPLICATION and you may be DISQUALIFIED.

Fill out your application completely. The acceptance of your application depends on whether you have clearly shown that you meet the Minimum Requirements.

Provide any relevant education, training, and experience in the spaces provided so we can evaluate your qualifications for the job.

For each job held, give the name and address of your employer, your job title, beginning and ending dates, number of hours worked per week and description of work performed.

If your application is incomplete, it will be rejected.

This examination will remain open until the needs of the service are met. Application filing may be suspended at any time with or without advance notice.

NOTE: If you are unable to attach required documents, you must email the documents to the exam analyst, Christina Ramirez, at hbarrera@dhs.lacounty.gov within seven (7) calendar days of filing online. Please include the exam number and the exam title.

Plan to submit your online application well in advance of the deadline as you may be required to verify your email address. This only needs to be done once per email address, and if you already have a job seeker account on www.governmentjobs.com/careers/lacounty, you can verify at any time by logging in and following the prompts. This is to enhance the security of your online application and to ensure you do not enter an incorrect email address.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER:
Please include your Social Security Number for record control purposes. Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number.

NO SHARING OF USER ID AND PASSWORD:
All applicants must file their application online using their own user ID and password. Using a family member's or friend's user ID and password may erase a candidate's original application record.

COMPUTER AND INTERNET ACCESS AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES:
For candidates who may not have regular access to a computer or the internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County. Please refer to their website for more information: https://lacountylibrary.org/reopening.

FAIR CHANCE INITIATIVE:
The County of Los Angeles is a Fair Chance employer. Except for a very limited number of positions, you will not be asked to provide information about a conviction history unless you receive a contingent offer of employment. The County will make an individual assessment of whether your conviction history has a direct or adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job, and consider potential mitigating factors, including, but not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, recency of the offense(s), and age at the time of the offense(s). If asked to provide information about a conviction history, any convictions or court records which are exempted by a valid court order do not have to be disclosed.

ANTI-RACISM, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION (ARDI)
The County of Los Angeles recognizes and affirms that all people are created equal and are entitled to all rights afforded by the Constitution of the United States. The Department of Human Resources is committed to promoting Anti-racism, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts to address the inequalities and disparities amongst race. We support the ARDI Strategic Plan and its goals by improving equality, diversity, and inclusion in recruitment, selection, and employment practices.

ADA COORDINATOR PHONE: (323) 914-7111
CALIFORNIA RELAY SERVICES PHONE: (800) 735-2922

DEPARTMENT CONTACT
Hector Barrera, Exam Analyst
Telephone Number : (213) 288-7000
Email Address: hbarrera@dhs.lacounty.gov