Containment Epidemiologist - HP III - HAI/AR Program

Full Job Description

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Requirements

The Division of Disease Control and Public Health Response (DCPHR) is the department’s lead surveillance, planning and response arm for public events including communicable disease outbreaks and epidemics, pandemics, bioterrorism, and other public health and mass casualty events and disasters. The division includes the Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response; State Public Health Laboratory; Health Equity Branch, Communicable Disease Branch; Immunization Branch; Public Health Informatics, Reporting, Technology Branch; Refugee Branch; and Operations Branch. The Division exists to ensure that the Department has the ability to effectively prepare for, monitor, detect, diagnose, investigate, and nimbly respond to all types of conditions, events and disasters that impact the public’s health.

The Unit: The objectives of the Communicable Disease Branch are to monitors, investigates, and controls epidemic and communicable diseases affecting the public health in Colorado, as required under Colorado statute, including enteric diseases, invasive bacterial diseases, respiratory disease, vaccine preventable disease, zoonotic diseases, foodborne and waterborne disease, and healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). The Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance (HAI/AR) Program exists to prevent healthcare-associated infections and prevent the spread of emerging antimicrobial resistance threats in all healthcare settings in Colorado through surveillance, containment and response, infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship.

About the Position: Position is an epidemiologist that investigates and responds to cases and outbreaks of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) identified in healthcare settings. Position uses the Containment Protocol to guide efforts and provides recommendations to healthcare facilities.

What you will be doing:

• Investigates single cases of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in healthcare facilities.
• Identification of a case from surveillance or facility reports and conducts screening of patients for antimicrobialresistant bacteria.
• Coordinates collection and processing of specimens sent to the Colorado Public Health Laboratory and CDC’s Antibiotic Resistance Laboratory Network Lab surveillance for MDRO’s to identify additional cases and prevent ongoing transmission.
• Initiate initial response measures and conduct healthcare investigations
• Assurance of infection control recommendations and assessments with infection prevention team contain the MDRO.
• Summarizing data from containment efforts to inform our public health approach
• Identifies clusters and outbreaks of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria in healthcare facilities through surveillance and containment screening events.
• Interview healthcare facility staff and/or patients, medical record review, and data summary through line lists, epidemic curves, annotated maps, and descriptive statistics.
• Leads investigations with support from the outbreak lead and senior staff.
• Coordinates communication with affected facilities, referrals for infection prevention and response assessments.
• Coordinates additional screening in response to outbreaks in order to meet outbreak closure definitions.
• Assist with screening events and/or provide epidemiological findings to facilities participating in an onsite infection control assessment.
• Chooses appropriate epidemiologic methods to analyze, summarize, and present outbreak data and report to CDPHE team members, healthcare facility epidemiology or infection prevention staff, and CDC support members.
• Participates in the routine epi-call schedule by answering e-mail questions and telephone calls from healthcare providers, patients, and the public on a variety of communicable disease issues. Issues include diagnosis, case management, prophylaxis, prevention and control strategies.
• Brings complex calls to the attention of subject matter experts and senior staff for review and consultation.

Qualifications

An applicant may meet the minimum qualifications for this job in one of two ways: They may qualify through their work experience alone or through a combination of education and work experience.

Experience Only:

Six (6) years of health professional experience in public health, epidemiology, biostatistics, or closely-related field with proficiency in data analysis and data analysis and data analysis software, including R and R Studio.

Education and Experience:
A combination of related education in public health, epidemiology, biostatistics or closely-related field and/or health professional experience in public health, epidemiology, biostatistics, or closely-related field with proficiency in data analysis and data analysis software, including R and R Studio equal to Six (6) years

*This experience must be substantiated within the Work Experience section of your application. "See Resume" will not be accepted. In addition, part-time work will be prorated.

NOTE: Click on the link here to HOW TO APPLY and submit a complete application. That documents your work history giving details of your qualifications, including how your experience aligns with the minimum and preferred qualifications for this position when listing your work history.


CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
Must be willing to:

• A pre-employment background check
• Travel for to conduct chart reviews reviews and in response to cases, clusters, and outbreaks and MDROs.
• Be expected to work and/or remain at their worksite in delayed start, early release, or closure situations.
• Be available in the event of an emergency, (e.g., bio-terrorist attack, chemical attack, disease outbreak or all hazards) and be required to report to work immediately at the regular or alternate location. During this time, travel restrictions may be in place.
• Be available in the event of the activation of the Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) and be required to report to work immediately at the regular or alternate location. During this time, travel restrictions may be in place.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in a laboratory as a microbiologist with knowledge of testing
  practices and the interpretation of results
• Experience with antibiotic resistance, antibiotics, and antibiotic stewardship.
• Proficiency managing large datasets from the National Healthcare Safety Network,
  public health surveillance data, and administrative datasets such as Medicare data.
• Proficiency with statistical coding using R and R Studio.
• Experience with best practices of data display.
• Experience supporting team projects through data collection and analysis.
• Experience presenting and reporting data to stakeholders.
• Experience collaborating on projects with partners external to the organization.

Appeal Rights:

An applicant who has been removed from an employment list or removed from consideration during the selection process may request a review by the State Personnel Director.

As an applicant directly affected by the results of the selection or comparative analysis process, you may file a written appeal with the State Personnel Director.

Review of the completed, signed and submitted appeal will be timely on the basis of written material submitted by you, using the official appeal form signed by you or your representative.

This form must be completed and delivered to the State Personnel Board by email at dpa_state.personnelboard@state.co.us within ten (10) calendar days from your receipt of notice or acknowledgement of the Department’s action.

For further information on the Board Rules, you can refer to 4 Colorado Code of Regulations (CCR) 801-1, State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures, Chapter 8, Resolution of Appeals and Disputes, atspb.colorado.gov/board-rules.

Additional Information

A complete application packet must include:

1. A complete application that documents your work history giving details of your qualifications, including how your experience aligns with the minimum and preferred qualifications when listing your work history.
2. A copy of your transcripts if you are using education to meet the minimum qualifications. (unofficial copy acceptable)
3. If you are a veteran, attach a copy of your DD214 to your application.

The Selection Process:

1. Part of, or all of, the comparative analysis for this position may be a structured application review, which involves a review of the information you submit in your application by Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) against the preferred qualifications.
2. A top group, up to six (6) candidates, will be invited to schedule an interview with the hiring manager.

E-Verify: CDPHE uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States.

Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.ADAAA Accommodations:The State of Colorado believes that equity, diversity, and inclusion drive our success, and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply.

The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to building inclusive, innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them.

Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status (with preference given to military veterans), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals.

As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship.

If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to our ADAAA Coordinator, Dan McKenna, at daniel.mckenna@state.co.us or call 303-692-2060, option 5.

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