Genetic Counselor

Job Purpose

To ensure optimal test utilization management working in close collaboration with pathologists, physician providers, other genetic counselors, laboratory and clinical staff and payers involved in genetic and genomic testing.

Job Responsibilities

Texas Children’s Hospital and its Department of Pathology and Division of Genomic Medicine aim to ensure that the most appropriate, cost-effective testing is ordered for all patients.

The primary responsibility of the Genetic Counselor will be to evaluate genetic and genomic test orders working in close collaboration with pathologists, clinicians and genetic counselors in other institutional departments. This evaluation will involve performing patient chart reviews, assessing the clinical necessity of the test, consulting with other genetic counselors or genetic counseling services, reviewing prior-authorization from payers, selecting the most appropriate test and testing laboratory for the patient, and conveying this information to the clinicians. Additional responsibilities will include assisting the Department with the development of disease and gene-specific testing recommendations including selection of preferred testing laboratories for different indications, as well as assisting physician providers with interpretation of genetic and genomic test results.

Essential functions and duties

• Choosing the best test methodology and testing laboratory
• Choosing the best person in the family to test
• Facilitate the selection of the optimal test
• Ensuring that insurance prior authorization is in place
• Assisting providers with test results interpretation
• Working closely with laboratorians in genomic medicine and laboratory medicine divisions
• Working closely with other genetic counselors and genetic counseling services