Summary

Provide pre-conceptional and prenatal genetic counseling services to patients and their families at The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio (CHofSA) and other CHRISTUS affiliated hospitals.

Job Duties

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  Reviews, elicits, interprets and documents family, medical and psychosocial histories and provides medical documentation to the referring provider and patient where needed.
• Assesses individuals' and their relatives' chances of having or potentially having a genetic contribution to disease based on their medical and family history, test results and other pertinent information to aid in diagnosis and treatment of the disease.
• Provides education and counseling to patients and families about natural history, recommended screening options, prevention options, inheritance pattern, and resources of a specific genetic disease or condition.
• Uses a range of genetic counseling skills and models to facilitate informed decision-making and adaptation to genetic risks or conditions.
• Provides consultative perspective on relevant genetic conditions and genetic tests. Identify, assess, facilitate, and coordinate the genetic testing process with laboratory, providers, and patients/families.
• Provides pre-test and post-test counseling to patient/family and discloses genetic test results or screening results to patients/families.
• Provides preconception, pregnancy loss, grief, and crisis counseling from a genetics perspective.
• Participates in multidisciplinary clinics, departmental conferences, and meetings in collaboration with other healthcare professionals, business organizations and the community.
• Performs educational presentations to healthcare professionals and community groups regarding the role of genetics in health and disease.
• Mentors students, residents, fellows, program trainees and observers in relation to genetic counseling services within the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Division.
• Maintains continuing education units to stay current on genetics information.
• Assists in writing research protocols, applying for grants, implementing research protocols, recruiting and consenting patients for research, collecting data, and writing and reviewing publications.
• Initiates, develops, and recommends changes to policies, procedures, and patient care activities in the program specific area of maternal-fetal medicine.
• Ability to work at multiple geographical sites within the CHRISTUS Health System. Ability to perform genetic counseling consultations via telemedicine services

Position Qualifications

• Masters degree in genetic counseling from a program accredited or in probationary status by the Accreditation Council for Genetic Counseling (ACGC)
• Board certified or board eligible as a Genetic Counselor by the American Board of Genetics Counseling
• Willing to accept new graduates
• Does not directly supervise other Associates

Reports to Maternal-Fetal Medicine: supervised by the Director of Prenatal Genetic Counseling Services, The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio, with oversight by a Maternal-Fetal Medicine Physician