Stacy Kast Email and Phone Number

▪ Manage analysis methods for microbiology and molecular testing, including effective procedures, validation, quality control, and staff training, ensuring consistent, accurate laboratory results.▪ Monitor, record, and analyze Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) documentation, improving procedures to maintain best practices. Obtain and collect biological samples to assist with diagnostic testing and ongoing assessments.▪ Collaborate with multi-functional teams to identify issues and root causes, research effective solutions, and implement health informatics for VA Healthcare, using information technology to organize and analyze health records, improving outcomes.▪ Lead microbiology for the Infection Prevention Committee, prepare and present data reports monitoring molecular TAT, specimen rejections, and blood septicemia rates, leading to evidence-based treatment of infections.▪ Collaborate with the pharmacy and the Antibiotic Stewardship Committee, improving usage of antibiotics and monitoring resistance trends. ▪ Proctor and advise college Medical Laboratory Technician students during clinical rotations in microbiology, promoting high-quality career development.▪ Develop procedural training for lab and nursing staff, monitor feedback, complaints, errors, trends, and risks, modifying and improving staff development.▪ Adhere to laboratory requirements, enforce compliance with regulations, perform inventory and purchasing requests, and monitor usage and expiration of supplies.▪ Led project to collect and monitor data and implement on-site analysis, improving urinalysis turnaround time. Maintain laboratory records in compliance with CLIA and VHA standards.▪ Developed collection kits for identifying Covid-19, decreasing delays, providing essential information for nursing and lab staff, and preventing rejection.

▪ Designed and developed curriculum, selected textbooks, and created video presentations for Pathophysiology, Principle of Disease, and Medical Biochemistry using slideshow presentations, lectures, written assignments, and Blackboard for junior and senior Clinical Lab Science students. ▪ Designed spreadsheets to monitor student learning progression through class discussion, test and quiz scores, and rubrics, resulting in 91% course completion and pass rates, positive student feedback over 90%, and an increased student enrollment of 30%, including pharmaceutical and pre-med students.

 Clinical Lab Scientist evenings, managed workloads, team scheduling, maintenance, supply purchasing, and staff training and monitored quality control, data-entry audits, and test counts, ensuring accuracy and high-quality results and decreasing employee turnover.  Communicated patient concerns and collaborated with an interdepartmental team, including Charge Nurses and department heads, implementing the most efficient and effective solutions.  Mediated communications between the lab, physicians, emergency department staff, and directors, decreased misunderstandings, increased interdepartmental cooperation, and boosted organizational awareness.▪ Assisted the Microbiology Lead in developing policy, POCT, LIS, clinical staff development, and new employee orientation and training. Assisted in monthly pathologist reviews and accompanied surveyors during inspections.▪ Wrote the Individual Quality Control Plans (IQCP) for the laboratory, recognized by the Joint Commission surveyor as one of the most complete IQCP.▪ As point-of-care testing supervisor, trained in-hospital and clinical staff, monitored quality control, maintained logs, and acted as the contact person to field questions or concerns, reducing non-urgent phone traffic, and freeing medical staff to focus on direct patient care. ▪ As Hematology Supervisor and assistant micro supervisor, selected and analyzed new equipment, maintenance, and quality control logs. Performed lot-to-lot comparisons of new reagents and software customization of the Lab Information System—SoftLab and SoftMic, interface analyzers with LIS, microbiology software, and hardware testing and development with Biomerieux.▪ Expedited the acquisition of a second hematology analyzer and training to solve backup problems, reducing downtime to almost zero and resulting in quick treatment decisions for patients.

▪ Led individual and group behavioral therapy sessions for youth, adult, and geriatric patient health.▪ Provided intake assessments for emergency room and urgent care presentations.

Generalist helping with all areas of workflow, calibrations, quality control, planning and implementation of updates and ongoing maintenance of analyzers.