Interim Laboratory Director
Resume:
ROBERT L. WITT, DPM
Barrington, Illinois 60010
************@*****.***
CAREER SUMMARY
Clinical Laboratory professional with 20 plus years of diversified management experience. A visionary individual with an eye for applying modern laboratory concepts and techniques to create successful outreach laboratory programs. Demonstrated ability to blend the needs of hospital settings with continued outreach expansion to produce highly efficient, state-of-the-art laboratory environments. A change agent with strong ability to build and nurture highly effective organizations. Additional experience in various patient care roles and venues.
Laboratory Outreach Reference Laboratory
Interim Director Space Planning/Construction
WORK EXPERIENCE
Holy Cross Hospital, Taos, New Mexico 7/2026-10/2026
25 bed Critical Access Hospital with full-service laboratory
Accelerated the acquisition of Sysmex XN 2000
Upgraded safety standards throughout the lab
Modified schedule to include 5-8s, 4-10s and 3-12s
Interim Director, Laboratory Services
University of Massachusetts, Marlborough Hospital 6/2024-9/2024
Marlborough, Massachusetts
79-bed acute care facility minus microbiology
Acquired Iris analyzer
Filled three lead tech positions
Converted highly per diem phlebotomy staff to 90% permanent staff
Interim Director, Laboratory Services (13 weeks)
Ventura County Medical Center - Ventura, California 12/2023-3/2024
229-bed acute care facility with a full-service laboratory.
Laboratory Consultant (11 weeks)
Dignity Health System – San Francisco, California 11/2022-4/2023
St. Mary’s Medical Center 403 beds
St. Francis Memorial Hospital 323 beds
Acquired Cepheid GenXpert instrument
Interim Director, Laboratory Services (20 weeks)
Mena Regional Health System – Mena, Arkansas 4/2022-7/2022
A 65-bed acute care facility with a full-service laboratory minus microbiology
Acquired Siemens 2500 and 660 coagulation instruments.
Rebuilt the phlebotomy team
Interim Director, Laboratory Services (13 weeks)
West Hills Hospital - West Hills, California 11/2021-1/2022
237-bed acute care facility with a full-service laboratory
Purchased Siemens ADM middleware
Interim Director, Laboratory Services (11 weeks)
Santa Paula Hospital – Santa Paula, California
Ventura County Medical Center - Ventura, California 3/2021-7/2021
229-bed acute care facility with a full-service laboratory.
49-bed community hospital with limited lab service.
Filled seven lab leadership positions.
Helped adjust CLS salary ranges for competitive recruitment.
Received approval for Sysmex hematology/Cellavision track systems
Interim Director, Laboratory Services (4 1/2 months)
Mena Regional Health System – Mena, Arkansas 6/2020-11/2020
A 65-bed acute care facility with a full-service laboratory.
Acquired Cepheid GenXpert, Accelerate Pheno and Ortho ECI.
Coordinated lab response to COLA inspection.
Interim Director, Laboratory Services (5 months)
Community First Medical Center – Chicago, Illinois 8/2019-3/2020
A 269-bed acute care facility with a full-service laboratory.
Acquired Biomerieux Virtuo and Accelerate Pheno for blood cultures.
Interim Director, Laboratory Services (7 months)
Riverside Community Hospital – Riverside, California 5/2019- 8/2019
A 478-bed acute care facility with a full-service laboratory.
Interim Director, Laboratory Services (13 weeks)
FHN Memorial Hospital – Freeport, Illinois 1/2019 – 4/2019
A 100-bed acute care facility with a full-service laboratory.
Interim Director, Laboratory Services (13 weeks)
Doctors Medical Center – Modesto, California 8/2018 – 11/2018
A 461-bed acute care facility with a full-service laboratory.
Participated in a successful Joint Commission inspection.
Coordinated the remodeling of the Hematology Laboratory.
Acquired Cellavision
Responsible for 70 FTEs and 8 direct reports.
Interim Director, Laboratory Services (13 weeks)
Thorek Memorial Hospital - Chicago, Illinois 3/ 2014 – 8/2018
A 218-bed, not-for-profit, acute care facility with a full-service laborator,y
having an expanding outreach program.
Director of Laboratory Operations
Responsible for the acquisition of the following instruments: Osmometer, BioFire Filmarray, Bioplex and Sysmex XNL. Implemented a temperature monitoring system.
Expanded molecular department to include the following: Filmarray’s GI, Respiratory, Meningitis and Positive Blood Culture Panel and Accelerate Phenol. Expanded testing on the Cepheid GenExpert
CHI SOLUTIONS, Ann Arbor, Michigan 11/2013 - 2/2014
Laboratory consulting and management servicesInterim Laboratory Director
Three-month interim laboratory director position at Silver Cross Hospital, New Lenox, Illinois acute care hospital (289 beds) with 65 FTEs and 2 direct reports
ACL LABORATORIES, Rosemont, Illinois 2008- 2013
Illinois Central Laboratory for Advocate Health System
Administrative Laboratory Director
Coordinated the build-out of the MicroMolecular Laboratory. Upgraded all conference rooms with wireless phone system and multiple ceiling projectors and added a lab-wide digital signage system
Helped coordinate the Data Innovations project to allow for over 40 interfaced Core Lab instruments to have dual interfaces allowing for reading both Commercial Lab and Sunquest bar-coded labels
Helped bring all Advocate blood culture specimens to the Central Lab and installation of the MYLA middleware from Biomerieux
Replaced and expanded the Sysmex HST Hematology track system, acquired Biomerieux’s automated streaker and instrumentation for Microarray
Assisted with the decreased turn-around-time in specimen processing from 8AM to 5:30 AM from the night’s previous outreach specimens
Manager, Core Lab, Molecular Pathology and Cytogenetics
Coordinated the build-out of the new 6,000 sq. ft. Cytogenetics Department, Pathology offices, Cytology Department, Logistics Department and expansion of Specimen Processing Department
Designed the 3rd floor conference room for presentations, audio conferencing, video conferencing, and use of smartboard technology
Acquired the following instrumentation- #2 Vistas, MiniVidas, DSX, Variant, #2 Architects, Bioplex, Automated Cytogenetics ASI scanning microscope.
University of California, San Diego Medical Centers, Hillcrest and Thornton Hospitals, and the Immunogenetics and Transplant Laboratory,
San Diego/La Jolla, California 2006 - 2008
Two acute care hospitals (510 beds total) located in Southern California with 280 FTEs and 11 direct reports
Administrative Laboratory Director
Acquired the following instrumentation: 4 Beckman Tops, 2 Iris IQ200 Elites, 8 Bayer ABG 1625, 2 Centaur XP, 2 Centaur CP, Ortho Provue, BD Phoenix, ABI Gene Sequencer, Pathos Microwave Tissue Processor, Roche Integra, and the Isensix Temperature Monitoring System at all three locations
Relocated the Immunogenetics and Transplant Laboratory from Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla to an 8,000 square foot off-site laboratory in Torrey Pines, California
Successfully passed the first unannounced CAP inspection with minimal deficiencies at both Thornton Hospital and the Transplant Laboratory, and for the first time with zero deficiencies at Hillcrest Hospital
Helped prepare an automation proposal for two chemistry and hematology robotic track systems as well as a new Laboratory Information System, resulting in a preliminary approval from the Hospital Senior Management Team
Worked with Human Resources to increase salaries for phlebotomists, histology techs, and sign-on bonuses for medical technologists to help with recruitment and retention
Prepared the completed CAP checklists to be online for the new, unannounced CAP inspection process and established a standardized Human Resource file system at all three laboratory sites
Initiated the conversion of all forms of laboratory manuals to a standardized electronic format
Northwest Community Hospital, Arlington Heights, Illinois 1996-2005
A 563-bed acute care hospital located in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with a full service laboratory having an expanded outreach program
Administrative Laboratory Director
Directed the administrative, operational, and personnel functions of the Laboratory having 130 FTEs and 9 direct reports. Budget responsibility for $13M
Initiated/planned remodeling of 75% of the entire lab including creating a Molecular Diagnostics Department.
Selected the instrumentation for the automated, hematology laboratory
Generated $105+M in annual gross revenue with $9M from the outreach program via physician offices, draw sites and nursing homes
Successfully passed the last two College of American Pathology inspections with zero deficiencies.
Designed outpatient laboratory for Center for Specialty Medicine
Helped establish the medical technology student-training program with Northern Illinois University
Established pricing strategies for services incorporating market and competitive analysis information
Started hospital-wide delivery of specimens via the pneumatic tube system
Elmhurst Memorial Hospital, Elmhurst, Illinois 1986 – 1996
A 427-bed acute care hospital with 120+ employees and a full -service laboratory with an active outreach program
Reference Laboratory Director
Established an extensive five-county courier service employing hospital staff and agency courier service for routine and stat service
Helped acquire and provided Immunology and Virology services to 30 hospitals in direct competition with area commercial reference laboratories
Initiated and implemented the Flow Cytometry program statewide to meet the needs of the Illinois Department of Public Health Aids Program
Introduced outreach programs for lead screening to area youth in the five-county Chicago area, which significantly contributed to annual revenues
Directed the Phlebotomy and Specimen Receiving Department
Coordinated the marketing plan for the outreach program that included: Client Specimen Handling Guide, customized client request forms, trade show demonstrations, and initial sales calls
Modified the hospital patient billing system to accommodate laboratory client billing
Opened two, off-site phlebotomy draw stations
Lutheran General Hospital, Park Ridge, Illinois 1975 – 1986
A 609-bed teaching, research and tertiary care hospital with a Level I trauma center
Senior Medical Technologist in Immunology and Virology
Performed tests in immunology, virology, serology, and hepatitis
Helped coordinate the Immunovirology Outreach Program to other hospitals
Medical Technologist in Microbiology
Performed tests in bacteriology, mycology and mycobacteriology
Podiatry Practice, Chicago/Elk Grove, Illinois 1973 – 1975
Private solo podiatry practice
Podiatrist
Sole operator of General Podiatric practice
EDUCATION AND ADDITIONAL TRAINING
Illinois College of Podiatric Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
Doctor of Podiatric Medicine – DPM
Loyola University, Chicago, Illinois Pre-Med
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