HISTOLOGY TECHNICIAN OR TECHNOLOGIST, WDL; FULL TIME - 1ST SHIFT

Position Overview

Come join our team of innovative and unparalleled lab and support staff at Wisconsin Diagnostic Laboratories (WDL), a wholly owned subsidiary of The Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin regional health network. Our mission centers on patient care, innovation, medical research, and education. In this role you will perform routine and special procedures on patients’ tissue specimens in preparation for pathological examination – including advanced skills and special stains – ensuring accuracy and quality throughout the process.

Location: US:WI:MILWAUKEE | FTE: 1.0 (Full-Time) | Shift: 1st shift (2:00 am - 10:30 am; Monday - Friday)

Key Responsibilities

• Consistently receive, accept, and identify specimens while ensuring proper transport conditions and maintaining specimen identification throughout the process, including proper handling of STAT specimens.
• Accession specimens accurately, make cassettes, and assign cases; handle special testing requests per protocol, including decals and processing for bone marrows.
• Set up and process tissue specimens according to differing protocols; operate Peloris and VIP processors with daily maintenance and troubleshooting.
• Evaluate processing adequacy and identify/correct issues from labeling or accession errors; ensure proper mold size selection and correct embedding techniques.
• Operate and maintain the microtome; determine acceptable versus unacceptable sections and obtain diagnostic quality microscopic slides.
• Select appropriate stains/reagents, prepare staining solutions, and verify control tissues for accurate routine staining, ensuring quality coverslipping.
• Utilize Cerner for case assembly to adjust blocks, stains, decals, etc., and resolve discrepancies before slide distribution.
• Pull recut and pending worklists from Cerner to verify order completion and manage slide/block retrieval.
• Maintain and service laboratory instruments in line with QA/QC protocols, monitoring performance and addressing malfunctions.
• Operate a cryostat with correct settings to obtain representative sections, including proper labeling, cutting, and maintenance of the frozen section area.
• Adhere to histology policies and maintain compliance with local, federal, CLIA, and CAP regulations.
• Participate in and complete competency assessments/challenges, ensuring all documentation is maintained.
• Perform all duties for producing special stains: load, unload, troubleshoot Artisan Links, process orders, and update records in Cerner.
• Verify H&E control slide acceptability and apply advanced tissue identification skills.
• Retrieve IHC orders and appropriately select and prepare blocks, controls, and slides; complete QC documentation.
• Develop, execute, and validate new procedures as necessary.
• Provide guidance and training to junior histotechnicians, students, and lab assistants, serving as a resource in advanced technical procedures.
• Perform work up of IHC antibodies including optimization, troubleshooting, and validation of protocols.
• Execute work up of H&E and special stain assays, ensuring proper optimization and validation of protocols.

Required Qualifications

• Histology Technician: Possess an Associate’s Degree in Histotechnology or a High School Diploma with HT/HTL ASCP certification or eligibility.
• Successful completion of a NAACLS accredited Histotechnician program within the last 5 years, OR completion of at least 60 semester hours (90 quarter hours) of academic credit with a minimum of 12 semester hours in both biology and chemistry, OR an associate degree with the same credit requirements. If eligible under the latter criteria, one year of full-time acceptable histopathology laboratory experience in the U.S. or Canada within the last ten years is required.
• If not certified at the time of hire, successful ASCP Certification must be obtained within one year of hire (note: ASCP Certification is required for HT II).
• Histotechnologist: Possess a Bachelor’s degree in Histotechnology or a Bachelor’s degree supplemented with at least 12 semester hours (18 quarter hours) in both biology and chemistry, along with current HTL ASCP certification and evidence of certification maintenance if required.

Benefits & Perks

• Paid Time Off
• Growth opportunity – Career Pathways, Career Tuition Assistance, and CEU opportunities
• Academic Partnership with the Medical College of Wisconsin
• Referral bonuses
• Retirement plan - 401K
• Comprehensive Insurance – Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Short & Long Term Disability, plus Free Workplace Clinics
• Employee Assistance Programs including Adoption Assistance, Healthy Contributions, Care@Work, Moving Assistance, and discounts on gym memberships, travel, and other work-life benefits