Gracine Shaw

High‑Volume Clinical Testing — Performed 1,000+ daily laboratory tests across chemistry, urinalysis, hematology, blood bank, immunology, and microbiology to support accurate patient diagnosis and treatment.

Quality & Instrument Performance — Ran standards and controls, verified instrument function through routine maintenance and advanced troubleshooting, calibrated analyzers, and monitored QC/QA measures to maintain CLIA‑compliant accuracy.

Pathologist Collaboration — Worked directly with pathologists to isolate abnormalities, interpret complex findings, and narrow differential diagnoses.

Technical Improvement & Feasibility — Proposed technical solutions for new laboratory system designs and recommended performance improvements for analytical workflows.

Laboratory Setup & Training — Established laboratory operations, trained personnel, and performed clinical testing across TN, GA, OR, WA, MT, and VA, leveraging molecular‑diagnostics expertise, PCR background, military discipline, and adaptability.

PCR‑Driven Deployment Capability — Specialized PCR experience enabled rapid onboarding and operational support in diverse laboratory environments, including pandemic‑response assignments.

Recognition & Awards — Received a surprise recognition award in Washington for exceptional generosity and team support during night shifts; awarded a formal commendation in Virginia (recognized before 50+ staff) for behind‑the‑scenes contributions, SOP development, and assisting a helicopter trauma team while managing the blood bank during a life‑saving surgery.

Laboratory Generalist Operations — Performed testing across hematology, chemistry, microbiology, blood bank, urinalysis, and serology; assisted with autopsy procedures during 68K training at JBLM.

Deployment Readiness Support — Prepared and debriefed Soldiers and government contractors for deployment‑related laboratory testing, ensuring full medical readiness before and after missions.

Equipment & Property Management — Maintained laboratory equipment inventories, property accountability, and crew assignments to support uninterrupted mission operations.

Resource & Method Evaluation — Assessed when additional resources, alternate techniques, or changes in approach were required to maintain testing accuracy and mission effectiveness.

Reporting & Documentation — Delivered detailed reports to leadership outlining squad activities, laboratory findings, and operational outcomes.

Data Analysis — Analyzed large datasets to identify performance trends and develop improvement projections for laboratory and squad operations.

Clinical Coordination — Collaborated with medical officers and clinical staff to resolve issues affecting laboratory accuracy, ensuring reliable results that directly influenced treatment decisions.

Reserve Readiness — Maintained all annual Army Reserve standards, including MOS proficiency, medical readiness, and physical fitness.

Active‑Duty Training — Completed active‑duty training from March 2015 to July 2016, including the accelerated 68K Medical Laboratory Specialist program.

Basic Leader Course — Completed Basic Leader Course (BLC) during the COVID‑19 pandemic (virtual format) with excellent performance remarks, demonstrating adaptability and strong leadership development.

Clinical Laboratory Operations — Responsible for immunoassays, chemistries, hematology, and histology biopsies; ensured accuracy of test results and delivered clear, timely findings to physicians.

Quality & Regulatory Compliance — Performed equipment validations, calibrations, quality controls, and statistical monitoring of data; documented all operations in alignment with CLIA standards.

Clinical Laboratory Operations — Responsible for immunoassays, chemistries, hematology, and histology biopsies; ensured accuracy of test results and delivered clear, timely findings to physicians.

Quality & Regulatory Compliance — Performed equipment validations, calibrations, quality controls, and statistical monitoring of data; documented all operations in alignment with CLIA standards.

Histology & Grossing — Dictated and grossed tissue samples from multiple physician offices and surgical facilities, ensuring precise specimen handling and documentation.

Quality Reporting — Documented laboratory findings and generated reports used by management to identify, assess, and correct quality concerns.

Clinical Collaboration — Worked directly with physicians, nurses, and oncology teams to resolve issues affecting laboratory accuracy, particularly for cancer‑related diagnostics, where complete precision was essential for guiding treatment decisions.

Diagnostic Accuracy — Maintained uncompromising accuracy in all testing processes, providing clinicians with reliable, high‑stakes results critical to patient care and therapeutic planning.

(Provided advanced PCR‑based diagnostic support for Tennessee Urology Associates; molecular expertise later enabled national‑level COVID‑19 deployment roles)

Molecular Diagnostics Oversight — Oversaw bacterial DNA extraction workflows using advanced PCR technology, ensuring precision and reliability in high‑complexity molecular testing.

Antibiotic Resistance Testing — Performed antimicrobial‑resistance assays on pathogenic bacterial isolates to support targeted therapeutic decisions.

Procedure Development — Developed and refined laboratory guidelines for viral and molecular testing processes to improve accuracy and standardization.

Specialized Molecular Instrumentation — Operated and maintained instrumentation specific to DNA extraction and antimicrobial‑resistance workflows, including automated extraction platforms, thermocyclers, and PCR‑based detection systems.

Experiment Design & Interpretation — Designed molecular and cellular laboratory experiments, oversaw execution, and interpreted results for clinical and operational use.

Analytics & Reporting — Compiled tailored monthly analytics and performance reports for senior management using Excel to guide operational improvements.

PCR Expertise Applied Nationally — Specialized PCR experience at Pathnostics led to selection for national COVID‑19 response roles, supporting PCR lab setup, staff training, and instrumentation initialization during the global pandemic.

Clinical Integration — Provided molecular‑diagnostic support for Tennessee Urology Associates, contributing to the foundation that later enabled management of their primary laboratory serving East Tennessee and surrounding regions.

Patient Registration — Collected and entered patient demographic and insurance information to establish accurate medical records.

HIPAA Compliance — Secured confidential patient data and maintained strict adherence to HIPAA privacy standards.

EMR Data Entry — Utilized electronic medical record systems and medical terminology to complete diverse data‑entry and administrative tasks.

Financial Processing — Received deductibles and co‑pays, discussed payment options, and assisted patients in understanding financial obligations.

Medical Coding & Billing Support — Reviewed patient records, identified appropriate medical codes, and generated invoices for billing accuracy.

Insurance Verification — Examined claims forms and documentation to determine insurance coverage and resolve eligibility issues.