Cellular Therapy Specialist I

Position Summary:

As a top cancer care provider in Florida, Orlando Health Cancer Institute is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary

cancer program consisting of six treatment sites and more than 10 practice locations that serve the region's adult oncology needs. Specializing in more than 200 types of cancer, an expert team of medical professionals provides personalized care with the most state-of-the-art technologies, such as advanced radiation and proton therapies, and bone marrow transplant and cellular therapy. Through a robust research program, the institute also supports physician involvement in numerous research studies and clinical trials that give patients access to innovative diagnosis, treatment and symptom management options. In addition to being accredited by the Commission on Cancer, a program of the American College of Surgeons, Orlando Health Cancer Institute has earned accreditations and certifications in several areas — including medical oncology and hematology/oncology, radiation oncology, cellular therapy, rectal cancer, and breast care — from the respective accrediting organizations, and recently was named in the 2023 Becker's Hospital Review "60 Hospitals and Health Systems with Great Oncology Programs" list.

Orlando Health Cancer Institute is part of the Orlando Health system of care, which includes 24 award-winning hospitals and ERs, 9 specialty institutes, 14 urgent care centers, 100+ primary care practices and more than 60 outpatient facilities that span Florida's east to west coasts and beyond. Collectively, we honor our 100-year legacy by providing care for more than 142,000 inpatient and 3.9 million outpatient visits each year.

Orlando Health is committed to providing you with benefits that go beyond the expected, with career-growing FREE education programs and well-being services to support you and your family through every stage of life. We begin your benefits on day one and offer flexibility wherever possible so that you can be present for your passions. "Orlando Health Is Your Best Place to Work" is not just something we say, it's our promise to you.

Position Summary

Functions as a member of the clinical Bone Marrow and Cellular Therapy Program in a high-complexity clinical laboratory setting. The Cellular Therapy Specialist assists in the processing, concentration, cryopreservation, storing, thawing, flow cytometry analysis, and the infusion of cellular therapy products.

Located: 22 West Underwood Orlando FL 32806

Work schedule: second shift 2PM-10:30PM (full time with day shift or weekend if required).

Responsibilities:

Essential Functions

• Processes cellular therapy products, including autologous and allogeneic HPCs, immune effector cells, and/or gene therapies as

requested by the physician in accordance with developed procedures and protocols.

• Performs calculations during processing to assess product yields and uses aseptic technique while performing all cell processing

procedures.

• Assists with developing techniques for processing HPCs, MNCs, Immune Effector Cells (IEC's), and gene therapy products.
• Performs validation processes on new instrumentation and equipment.
• Communicates with physicians, transplant nurses, and transplant coordinators to schedule apheresis (HPC-A or MNC) collections, bone marrow harvests, cellular therapy infusions, and to report daily processing yields.
• Participates in multidisciplinary meetings to review and assess patient status and issues concerning patients or donors.
• Assists the marrow harvest team in the collection and filtering of marrow from normal donors and autologous patients in the

operating room.

• Identifies and transfers frozen cellular therapy products from the storage freezer to the transport container and ensures the secure transportation of products to the designated location.
• Verifies patient and component information for the infusion of stem cell products.
• Thaws the cryopreserved cellular therapy products and assists the nursing and medical staff during the infusion or transplantation of the HPCs or marrow.
• Performs proper and safe operation and maintenance of basic and complex lab equipment, including centrifuges, biosafety cabinets, liquid nitrogen freezers, and controlled rate freezers.
• Performs automated cell counts, trypan blue viability testing (manual cell count), and basic flow cytometry analysis (CD34, 7AAD viability).
• Tends to product storage in liquid nitrogen to ensure products are not compromised prior to infusion.
• Labels cellular therapy products while maintaining chain of custody and identity in collaboration with the clinical and product

transport teams.

• Utilizes reagents and supplies in accordance with manufacturer guidelines and/or standard operating procedures.
• Creates and maintains accurate and complete charts of patient and donor laboratory results, consents, prescriptions, processing

worksheets, and cryopreservation and infusion records.

• Performs internal assessments and develops outcome analysis forms for review by the medical director.
• Performs Hematopoietic Progenitor Cell, Apheresis (HPC-A), Mononuclear Cells, Apheresis (MNC-A), Bone Marrow, Cord Blood,

Immune Effector Cells (IECs) processing, receipt, release, and issue per standard operating procedures.

• Participates in drafting and developing standard operating procedures for tasks in which proficiency has been demonstrated with guidance from senior CTL staff.
• Performs quality control and preventive maintenance on instrumentation and equipment in the Cellular Therapy laboratory.
• Monitors and maintains a secure storage depository for cryopreserved HPCs. Performs inventory review of cryopreserved HPCs.
• Practices proper safety techniques in accordance with hospital and departmental policies and procedures.
• Maintains reasonably regular, punctual attendance consistent with Orlando Health policies, the ADA, FMLA and other federal, state and local standards.
• Maintains compliance with all Orlando Health policies and procedures.

Other Related Functions

• Performs other duties as assigned by CT laboratory management or the medical director.
• Completes initial and ongoing training and competencies as defined by the CLT department
• Assists with receiving cellular therapy product deliveries, including after hours, when needed.
• Participates in the review of treatment protocols and procedures.
• Maintains records of all maintenance performed.

Qualifications:

Education/Training

• Bachelor's degree in clinical laboratory science or a related field (required).
• Successful completion of an approved clinical laboratory training internship (required).

Licensure/Certification

• Maintains current Florida license as a Medical Technologist certified in the specialty or specialties required by the laboratory

section(s) assigned – renewed biannually (required).

• National Certification such as American Society of Clinical Pathology (ASCP), American Association of Bioanalysts (AAB), or

American Medical Technologists (AMT) (required).

Experience

• Minimum of one (1) year of relevant clinical laboratory experience or Good Tissue Practice (GTP), Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), or Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) experience (required).
• Cellular Therapy, blood bank, microbiology, or flow cytometry experience (preferred)