clinical laboratory scientist

laboratory assistant

technologist

phlebotomist

supervisor

TriCore Reference Laboratories

I use to work the night shift from 5pm till 1am except on Fridays I would work from 9am till 5:30pm. A typical work day was coming into work and going through my email along with my In Box to see what the day held for me. Each day was different, but the information that I needed to get accross was always important.

Working for a Lab you have to realize that with each specimen you receive that is someone's life your holding in your hands. I taught all the new hires how to data entry requisitions, how to receive specimens, how to process specimens, the requirments for each specimen, and in other cases how to draw blood needed for a specimen. This job is the job that taught me how to become a teacher, how to deal with different personalities, how to handle many different situations, and how to be calm when giving a presentation to upper management when the Lab was in need of new and better equipment.
In this job, I would work hand in hand with co-workers, floor workers, and management to make sure that we all were making the best workplace enviroment possible and not slack on patient needs.

The harderst part of this job was first starting out. It was my supervisors boss that came to me and asked if I would like to become a Department Trainer, so they knew they were taking someone and training them from scratch to become a trainer. It turned out that I enjoyed this job and was very good at it. Now, I did have some hiccups along the way, but as they say we learn from our mistakes.

The most enjoyable part of this job was the satisfaction I felt when someone understood what I was talking about and could preform thier job without someone always looking over thier shoulder. It also felt good when they would say "she taught me everything I know."

I started off as a Lab assistant at Woodward working in the Histology dept. which I did enjoy. It can get pretty stressful, but that's what to expect. I liked my manager and co-workers. Starting pay was not great, but they ended up raising it and it was still difficult to hire more people because the pay was low. It always felt like people were coming and going, but we had travel techs as well that temporarily filled the gaps. My biggest mistake was transferring to Tricore over at UNMH lab. I did like some of the people I worked with, but management however was the worst. A lot of the staff act immature and gossip. You will feel like you're back in high school. I worked evening shifts and every time night shift came in, all they would do is complain. God forbid they had the slightest bit of work to do when starting their shift. (Keep in mind this is a hospital lab, so there will always be work) The lead techs did more than management. I respected them the most. If you left even a bit of work, expect the next shift to complain to the lead tech and onwards. It's like they forget that you can only do so much. I felt like I couldn't take breaks at times because I was so stressed trying to catch up on covids and anything thing else that needed to be done.  It was ridiculous. I would always be contemplating on leaving during my shifts. One day I was driving home crying because of how overwhelmed I felt. Anybody working there definitely wants to leave and find work elsewhere, you'll hear it everyday.

They do provide benefits like medical, dental, 401k, etc. which was a plus. Other than that I felt like I did learn a lot and was able to gain some knowledgeable experience. Unfortunately, leaving was best option for me. 

Working at TriCore has thus far been my favorite place to work in. 

The work can be a bit gross, but if you don't mind getting your gloves dirty it's very easy to get used to it, and very easy to get used to it when you know everything you do is helping someone in need. I loved sitting down to prepare a specimen or standing up to go load our machines, and each one I put in was another person receiving the help they need. Despite the massive number of specimens that TriCore receives, I never felt overwhelmed while I was working there and always could find the help I needed.

The management in my department was shockingly good. They were extremely understanding and lenient when they needed be, but always implemented changes when it looked like changes had to be made. You could always find them helping out their department nearby, and it never felt like you couldn't get their help. Truly the most dependable managers I have ever worked with.

I would have likely stayed with TriCore as long as possible if it weren't for one problem: the pay. Per hour, I was making the same money as I would have been working fast food. Granted, the amazing work and workplace certainly made TriCore the superior choice, but unfortunately the pay just wasn't enough to get the bills paid.

Working in a hospital can be challenging due to the workload and difficulty of sticks. If you can't finish all your draws during your shift (whether there are hard sticks, refusals, or just too many patients to keep up with) supervisors and shift leads are understanding and realistic with expectations, at least where I work. Just like any other job there are easy chill days and insanely hard days. I'm not sure if the starting wages are different for phlebotomists at outpatient draw sites but base pay for hospitals here is $16.50 with 10% 15% and 20% differentials for night/weekend shifts. I think the raises are 55 cents every 6 months or $1-something per year but I can't remember. CLA-1 is the entry-level position and you can advance to levels 2, 3 etc by getting trained in additional modalities. Coworkers are generally nice and friendly and people try to help each other whenever possible. When 3 or 4 people call out on the same day you end up with an impossible workload though. Sometimes you deal with rude patients (or their families) and rude/demanding hospital staff but most people are pretty cool.

Let me just start by saying that this company does really have some good benefits and I’ve learned a lot here. 

With that being said there is mixed feelings about working here mainly in the CEC department. The pay is decent. Much better than the people in the lab make (who need degrees for most positions) but it’s not worth the stress leadership puts you through. 

The work is essentially the same day in and day out and between the metrics and the big brother mentality it’s just unbelievably draining. There really isn’t any opportunity to grow. Most of the people in the positions worth moving into have been here for years and have no intention on leaving anytime soon and it is really difficult to move into other areas of the company. They hasn’t provided raises in a few years. They spend the money on bad business ventures and then claim they have to think about what’s best for everyone. 

I used to really love the work we did here but after seeing people be praised for kissing up over those that actually work hard and make improvements is just discouraging. 

It’s a great job for someone in college or maybe just starting out in the workforce. It’s not great for someone looking to make a career and build themselves. 

The new management is overly focused on controlling every aspect of task performance. This implies lack of trust in the skills and knowledge of the employees. This company does not believe its workers are capable of meeting job expectations without constant critical supervision. Company has created an unfair system where advancement in pay is only achieved through completing and maintaining additional competencies. Yet, employees are not given necessary time or resources to complete any additional training. This is unachievable standard that limits growth and financial advancement. Cost of living adjustments took over a year and a half to roll out for only part of its employees. The rest of the company is still waiting. Entry level employees are not recognized or appreciated for the value they bring to the organization. The hiring process is extremely lengthy, and staff shortages create the feeling of being overworked due to the additional workload.

Don't expect much from this company. If you do not have the preferred degree you will be treated like you don't have a brain. People who don't do the job are in charge of all aspects of how the job is done. Its extremely frustrating to watch the waste that occurs because someone who "knows better" said so. You will be expected to do as you are told without question or complaint. If someone is abusive to you, humiliates you or hinders you from doing your job, well, that's your fault. Lets be clear here, this has nothing to do with demographics. People of all walks treat each other like trash here. There are a few great people who have somehow managed to hold on, but more and more even the good ones are turning. If you want to succeed here, you have to learn to kiss boots. Management has turned what used to be a great company into cesspool. 

Fast paced and always learning. The laboratory industry is a very intricate workforce based on patient care. TriCore's collaborative team members concentrate on the patient's well being which begins when the doctor orders lab work and ends when the charges are paid. A whole lot goes on in between such as system functions, specimen handling, demographics, insurance, resulting, further testing recommendations from results, geographical proactive care and studies for patients and diseases, and a lot of community service. The culture is fun and promotes education and knowledge. The Executive Management Team is personable and shares valuable information to educate and advance the employees to better themselves.

I have never worked in such a hostile, vindictive environment.  Techs that have ZERO credentials or qualifications are given important roles, techs that have caused the death of a patient are still working, and management is a joke.  There's no one to turn to for any kind of help because nobody cares about anything other than the bottom line.  We have to buy our own markers and pens and hope we have them the next day.  The procedure manuals should be turned over to CAP and AABB so they can see exactly what's lacking.  I'm glad I'm leaving before something happens and I lose my credentials because of something this company is doing wrong.  Now I understand why there was a mass exodus out of here when I started, and people continue to come and go.

Honestly, it’s pretty clear why there’s such a high turnover rate at Tricore. Lately, the changes have just made things worse. No one’s getting raises, and it feels like management is always hovering, micromanaging every little thing. Benefits are lacking too, sick leave and PTO are basically the same thing to them, so you end up using up your time off for one thing or the other. Whenever you try to share feedback or concerns, management is not listening. They know that you are replaceable and will treat you as they see fit. It’s tough to stay motivated when you don’t feel valued or supported, and it’s hard to see much room for growth here. All in all, it’s been a really draining experience. Co-workers are a vibe but higher ups, benefits,  environment work, growth, are not so much. 

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Clinical laboratory scientist 3 salaries reported	$25.67 per hour
Laboratory assistant 1 salary reported	$16.00 per hour
Technologist 3 salaries reported	$22.06 per hour
Phlebotomist 3 salaries reported	$14.87 per hour
Supervisor 4 salaries reported	$67,000 per year

Working at TriCore Reference Laboratories: Company Overview and Reviews

TriCore Reference Laboratories

TriCore Reference Laboratories Ratings

Popular jobs at TriCore Reference Laboratories

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected