This sounds exactly like a position we created when I was still a supervisor 
at a major hospital in Michigan.  We rewrote her job description to include 
more technical details like the ones you mentioned.  I am not sure if you 
have this available to you, but  we submitted it to the job evalutation board 
and it certainly made a difference.  If the job details are outlined 
carefully, like we did, she came out way beyond a phlebotomist.  Not only did 
the lab asst. get more pay, but she was so thrilled we went to all this 
trouble for her she was VERY motivated to do a good job and kept taking on 
more duties!!
(It helps to have a lab manager that was as motivated as I was to get the lab 
assistant more $).

Hope this helps,
Dawn