Vail Health has become the world's most advanced mountain healthcare system. Vail Health consists of an updated 520,000-square-foot, 56-bed hospital. This state-of-the-art facility provides exceptional care to all of our patients, with the most beautiful views in the area, located centrally in Vail. Learn more about Vail Health here.
About the opportunity:
The Laboratory Director is responsible for the strategic oversight and operational management of all laboratory and respiratory services within the Vail Health system. This includes ensuring the highest standards of quality, accuracy, compliance, and patient safety across hospital, outpatient (CMM), and affiliate settings. The Director will provide unified clinical and operational oversight for all laboratory services, supporting a cohesive system-level approach that aligns with organizational strategy, financial goals, and patient experience expectations for all.
What you will do:
Leads and supports the laboratory and respiratory managers and supervisors in an operational leadership role to ensure proper staffing, training, and professional development for laboratory personnel. Assists the supervisors in conducting performance evaluations, sets goals, and overseeing staff development programs.
Supports supervisors in oversight of daily laboratory and respiratory operations across multiple shifts and locations, ensuring accurate and timely specimen collection, processing, testing, results, and delivery of patient care. Leads departmental strategic planning and continuous improvement initiatives. Manages the development and implementation of new procedures, instrumentation, and technologies with dyad partners and direct reports. Works with other departments to ensure that laboratory and respiratory care services are seamlessly integrated into the broader patient care process. Participates in committees and special projects.
Serves as a resource for resolving issues related to physician orders, test results, and procedural discrepancies. Coordinates with reference labs and couriers for specimen handling.
Manages laboratory and respiratory budgets, billing, supplies, and resources to ensure that care/services are provided at the most desirable cost to meet fiscal targets. Provides oversight of them to ensure proper equipment maintenance and the implementation of new technologies.
Manages complex change processes and supporting system innovation.
Serves as a change agent for integrating with Colorado Mountain Medical laboratory operations and EPIC workflows, process automation, and advanced analytics. Champions standardization and shared governance across hospital and outpatient settings.
Ensures laboratory compliance with all applicable state, federal, and accreditation agency standards (e.g., CLIA, CAP, Joint Commission). Prepares for and participates in regulatory inspections and audits. Implements - and supports the supervisor in enforcing - laboratory policies and procedures.
Develops and maintains a culture of teamwork, excellence, and professionalism and works with other departments to ensure coordination and continuous improvement of patient care services.
Develops, implements and maintains quality control and quality assurance programs to ensure the reliability of laboratory results and patient safety. Enhances patient experience through improved access, turnaround times, and continuity of care.
Aligns laboratory operations with Vail Health's broader population health and value-based care initiatives.
Role models principles of Relationship-Based Care.
This description is not intended and should not be construed to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills and efforts or work conditions associated with the job. It is intended to be an accurate reflection of the general nature and level of the job.
What you will need:
Experience:
Five (5) years of experience in a highly complex laboratory required
Five (5) years of experience as a Laboratory Leader required
One (1) year of operational oversight respiratory therapy preferred
License(s):
Medical Laboratory Scientist (MLS) by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) OR Medical Technologist (MT) by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) preferred.
Vail Health, formerly Vail Valley Medical Center, is a nonprofit community health care system serving patients and guests from around the world. Locally operated and governed by a volunteer board of directors, Vail Health includes a 56-bed hospital, accredited by the Joint Commission. Our 24/7 emergency department in Vail is a Level III Trauma Center with a nearby helipad for necessary medical transports. Vail Health provides a wide array of services and access points including Beaver Creek Medical Center, urgent care clinics in Avon and Gypsum, our Edwards medical campus, Eagle Healthcare Center and a multispecialty clinic in Frisco. Howard Head Sports Medicine offers physical therapy services at 10 locations and works closely with our internationally renowned orthopaedic partners at The Steadman Clinic and Vail-Summit Orthopaedics. In addition, Vail Health's Shaw Cancer Center and Sonnenalp Breast Center are the region’s only fully accredited cancer treatment center and comprehensive breast center. The Vail Clinic, which was founded in 1965, officially became “Vail Valley Medical Center” in 1980, its first year as a full-service hospital. At that time, we had one primary locatio...n and 25 physicians. Today, Vail Health has locations in nine towns, nearly 1,000 employees, 260 physician partners and 85 volunteers. Vail Health is an equal-opportunity employer. The hospital is handicap accessible and adheres to the Americans with Disabilities Act. Smoking is prohibited in our facilities. This includes e-cigarettes.