Jose R. Castro, CTBS

As Supervisor of Tissue Services, I am responsible for the day-to-day operations, activities of tissue recovery staff and ensures all aspects of the tissue recovery are in compliance with STA policies and procedures, the standards and regulations as outlined by the FDA and AATB. Duties include: performs tissue recoveries and train staff, interviewing and hiring recovery personnel, ordering and maintaining supply inventory, implement internal policies and procedures, evaluate recovery data, collaborate with Quality Services, employees yearly evaluations, maintain Quality Control documentation, and take call as AOC.

Manage the day to day operations, Liaison for the El Paso Medical Examiner, coordinate and team lead eye and tissue cases, assist supervisor with training development and tracking employee performance, supervise local staff, tissue procurement, maintain supply inventory, materials management documentation, obtain all medical records for tissue donors, maintain and update all manuals and ensure office is in compliance with AATB, FDA, and OSHA standards.

During this time I worked part- time with TBI, Red Cross Tissue Services and STA Tissue. I was responsible for the day to day operations, call families to obtain consent for tissue donation, maintain supplies and documentation, team lead on tissue and eye cases and coordinate tissue recoveries.

Worked as Pathology Assistant, Histology Technician, and Cytoprocessor. Responsible for cutting gross, processing, staining tissue slides for pathologist, preparing frozen sections in OR for pathologist, and processing and staining cytology slides for pathologist to read.

I worked at Quest Diagnostics as Supervisor of Specimen Processing department. I supervised 16 employees that covered the day shift and graveyard shift. I was responsible for scheduling staff, yearly evaluations, interviewing job applicants, processing of clinical specimens for testing. Worked closely with the Manager to solve problems, implement new procedures and also gave in- services at doctors offices training their staff in phlebotomy and specimen handling and processing. I helped when under staffed in other departments such as Microbiology, Genetics, and customer services. The last 9 months a t Quest I transferred to Pathology to work as a Pathology Assistant/ Histotech. I cut gross, processed and prepared the tissue specimens for slides for the pathologist.