Ocular Processing Technician

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With over 75 years of excellence in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, UT Southwestern is committed to excellence, innovation, teamwork, and compassion. At UT Southwestern, we invest in you with opportunities for career growth and development that align with your future goals and help to provide security for you and your family. Our highly competitive benefits package offers healthcare, PTO and paid holidays, on-site childcare, wage, merit increases and so much more that are all available on the day you start work. UT Southwestern is honored to be a Veteran Friendly work environment that is home to approximately 800 veterans. We value your integrity, dedication, and the commitment you've made to our country. We're proud to support your next mission. Ranked by Forbes as one of the Top 10 National Employers, we invite you to be a part of the UT Southwestern team where you'll discover teamwork, professionalism, and consistent opportunities for growth. The #1 Best Hospital in DFW | UT Southwestern Medical Center (utswmed.org)
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Job Summary
Works under close supervision to develop the skills necessary to perform the technical aspects of human tissue recovery, evaluation, and processing in accordance with the policies and procedures of Transplant Services Center and the standards of the American Association of Tissue Banks and the Eye Bank Association of America.
Shift Schedule
Sun-Thursday 8a-5p. This position requires individual to work on holidays.
Experience and Education

• Completion of two years of college to include at least six (6) hours in basic science; OR High School diploma or GED equivalent, and completion of LVN, ORT, EMT, Mortician, MLT program, or six (6) months of experience in ocular and/or tissue recovery.
• Bachelor's degree in basic science such as Biology or Chemistry and completion or progression to certification as an Eye Bank Technician preferred.

Job Duties

• Depending on area of specialization (ocular or tissue), assists with and develops the skills necessary to perform the following functions: Tissue Transplant Track: Assists with and develops the skills to perform the aseptic surgical recovery of skin, bone/connective tissue, and cardiovascular tissue.
• Functions as a team member for tissue recovery which includes performing the following functions: Gathers needed supplies and equipment for tissue recovery; Performs pre- and post-recovery cleaning of recovery site; Obtains blood sample and/or tissue samples for testing; Performs physical assessment of body; Performs donor preparation including shaving and cleansing of donor; Assists with or performs aseptic surgical recovery of tissues; Packages and labels recovered tissues; Assists with or performs donor reconstruction upon completion of recovery; Packages tissues for shipment to tissue processing facilities.
• Develops skills to independently perform the aseptic surgical recovery of ocular tissues (corneas/sclera). Assists with and develops skills to evaluate, process, package and label tissue allografts including split thickness skin, costal cartilage and fascia.
• Ocular Track: Assists with and develops skills to perform slit lamp and OCT evaluations of corneas. Assists with and develops skills to perform aseptic processing of corneas and sclera.
• Cornea processing includes DSAEK, DMEK, ALK and glycerol preservation. Assists with and develops skills to perform post-processing evaluation of corneas.
• Ocular or Tissue Track: Applies final labels and moves ocular and tissue allografts to released inventory. Assists with or performs specular microscopy of corneas.
• Performs cleaning, packaging and sterilization of instruments and supplies according to operating room standards and Transplant Service Center policies and procedures.
• Assists with or performs supply inventory and rotation of supplies. Assists with or performs packaging of tissues for shipment to end users using methods appropriate to storage requirements for each type of tissue being shipped.
• Performs pick-up and delivery of tissue allografts as needed. Performs cleaning and routine maintenance of laboratories, clean rooms and equipment (refrigerators, freezers, autoclaves and laminar flow hoods). Ensures accurate and complete documentation for all functions performed.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Work requires ability to read, write, and understand English.
• Work requires basic knowledge of science, medical terminology, and/or laboratory procedures.
• Work requires ability to communicate effectively with various levels of internal and external contacts.
• Work requires ability to sit and/or stand for extended periods of time and lift or transport fifty pounds.
• Work requires ability to reach with hands and arms, use hands to finger, handle, or feel.
• Work requires ability to maintain fine hand/eye coordination and hear, walk, stoop, kneel, and balance.
• Work requires ability to work in extreme coldness (i.e. tissue freezer). Work requires ability to operate state vehicle.
• Work requires ability to read and comprehend specific procedures and protocols and use basic math formulas for volumes and weighing of solutions and measuring allografts.
• Work requires internal contact with physicians, nurses, departmental personnel, other university personnel.

Working Conditions

• Work is performed primarily in laboratory, clean rooms, operating room environment, morgue, or funeral home with potential for exposure to one or more disagreeable elements, such as working with cadavers, unpleasant odors, communicable disease(s), airborne particles, or caustic chemicals.

NOTE: This position is intended for the purpose of training only. It is expected that the incumbent will meet all of qualifications of Tissue Transplant Specialist or Ocular Transplant Specialist within one (1) year of training and will be promoted at that time. If the incumbent has not satisfactorily completed the training process in one (1) year, training may be extended for up to six (6) months. If at that time, the incumbent has not satisfactorily completed the training process, he/she will be demoted or discharged from the Transplant Technician position. Any qualifications to be considered as equivalents in lieu of stated minimums require prior approval of Vice President for Human Resources or his/her designee.
This position is security-sensitive and subject to Texas Education Code • 51.215, which authorizes UT Southwestern to obtain criminal history record information. UT Southwestern Medical Center is committed to an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community. As an equal opportunity employer, UT Southwestern prohibits unlawful discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or veteran status. To learn more, please visit: https://jobs.utsouthwestern.edu/why-work-here/diversity-inclusion