Health Care Privacy and Security Officer - Promotional

Full Job Description

This recruitment is promotional only.

You must presently be a full or part-time regular or probationary County of Sonoma, Community Development Commission, Sonoma County Fairgrounds, or Sonoma County Water Agency employee in order to apply for this position.

The Department of Health Services (DHS) has requested a department promotional certification to fill a Health Care Privacy and Security Officer position.

Only qualified permanent and/or probationary DHS employees on the eligible list may be eligible for referral to the department for the advertised position.

This employment list may also be used to fill future full-time or part-time positions as they occur during the active status of the list.

Qualified County employees who wish to be considered for future positions should consider applying to this recruitment.

The Civil Service title of this position is Health Care Compliance/Privacy and Security Officer.

About the Position:

Reporting to the Assistant Director of Health Services, the Health Care Privacy and Security Officer is an integral position that will direct and administer DHS's comprehensive Health Care Privacy, Security, and Records Management Program to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. This position works collaboratively with staff in Administration, Public Health, Behavioral Health, and Homelessness Services Divisions on healthcare privacy, security, and records \management issues. They will also consult periodically with the County Information Security Department, County Counsel, external legal counsel specializing in health care, and executive management. The selected person for this role will resolve issues at a systemic level while paying attention to details of operational implementation. In addition, the Health Care Privacy and Security Officer will:

• Serve as a subject-matter expert on state and federal privacy and security laws, advising leadership, managers, and staff on complex privacy and security issues
• Oversee program monitoring, auditing, and risk assessment activities, in order to mitigate vulnerabilities and ensure program compliance
• Manage and update county-wide policies and procedures related to the security, use, access, disclosure, and integrity of protected health information
• Provide privacy and security related training to managers and staff
• Provide technical assistance to HIPAA-regulated subcontractors
• Investigate and respond to privacy and security incidents, including complaints regarding health information privacy violations
• Administer privacy and security risk management strategies, including security risk assessments and process evaluations
• Directly supervise staff members in the Privacy and Security unit

As the ideal candidate to join the team, you will bring your comprehensive knowledge of federal and state laws and regulations pertaining to the privacy and security of health information. In addition, you will possess many of the following:

• Proficiency in the elements of an effective privacy compliance program, with demonstrated experience in health care compliance
• The ability to lead a diverse team and motivate and train your staff to be successful in their roles
• Significant experience developing, implementing, and updating policies and/or procedures related to the privacy and security of protected health information
• Professional-level analytical skills to research, interpret, and implement regulatory mandates
• Understanding of risk management models and the ability to utilize data-driven insights for decision-making
• Advanced proficiency in writing, communication, collaboration, and problem-solving
• High integrity and strong moral principles with a commitment to ethical conduct
• An ability to gain trust and "buy-in" from stakeholders to cultivate a culture of information protection
• Strong skills in conflict resolution, resilience, and confidence in managing challenging situations
• The ability to be highly flexible and adaptable to change

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire to be completed.

Requirements

Experience and Education: Any combination of education, training, and experience which would likely provide for the possession of stated knowledge and abilities. Normally this would include, significant academic course work in business/public administration, health administration, systems analysis, finance, economics, or a closely related field, and three years of professional level experience in a health care setting that included significant responsibility in any of the following areas: regulatory compliance or privacy, quality assurance and control, legal analysis of health care administration, and/or fiscal operations; including at least one year of supervisory experience. A Bachelor's or Master's degree in any of the above fields is highly desired.

License: Possession of a valid driver's license at the appropriate level including special endorsements, as required by the State of California, may be required, depending upon assignment, to perform the essential job functions of the position.

The position advertised on this announcement does not require possession of a valid California Driver’s License.

Certificate: The position designated as the Health Care Compliance Officer must possess or obtain within eighteen (18) months of appointment a healthcare compliance certificate from a certified association (e.g. Certified in Healthcare Compliance) and maintain certification while in the job classification. The position designated as the Privacy and Security Officer must possess or obtain within eighteen (18) months of appointment a health care privacy compliance certificate from a certified organization (e.g. Certified Information Privacy Professional, Certified in Healthcare Privacy and Security, Registered Health Information Administrator), and maintain certification while in the job classification.

Qualifications

Considerable knowledge of: health care operations; federal and state laws and regulations pertaining to health care providers such as: Medicare and Medi-Cal, Sarbanes Oxley requirements; health information privacy laws, including those related to access, release of information, and release control technologies (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (as amended)); Office of Inspector General's compliance program, government compliance; regulatory audits; electronic security issues and technologies.

Knowledge of: principles and practices of general management and public administration, program management, and supervision; quality improvement principles; methods of legal and factual research; techniques of systems analysis; principles and practices of project planning, monitoring and evaluation; effective interviewing and investigation techniques; English grammar, usage, and syntax; computer software including word processing, spreadsheet and database programs; health care programs provided by the County.

Ability to: research, understand, interpret and apply health care rules, regulations, and ordinances and federal, state, and local legislation pertaining to health care and/or health information privacy; analyze problems and/or complex data, draw conclusions, explain implications, and make sound recommendations; plan, organize, and direct comprehensive programs including developing and implementing short and long-range project goals and objectives; plan organize, delegate, and prioritize work of self and others in order to meet deadlines; establish performance standards and evaluate performance; communicate effectively both verbally and in writing including the ability to draft complex documents and reports; effectively explain rules, regulations, and procedures; gain cooperation and compliance from staff; represent the County in an effective and professional manner and establish and maintain effective working relationships with the public, other departments and agencies, boards and commissions, public officials, community groups and others contacted in the course of work; interview effectively; maintain confidentiality.

Additional Information

• Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
• You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.
• You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.
• Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.

Please visit Getting a Job with the County of Sonoma to review more detailed information about the hiring process, including the application process, examination steps, and department selection process.

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire be completed.

Responses to supplemental questions may be scored using position-specific criteria.

Please provide specific and detailed responses of a reasonable length to allow for a thorough assessment of your qualifications.

Responses that state, "See Resume" or "See Application" may be considered insufficient and therefore may not be scored.

The selection procedure will consist of the following examination:

An Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination (weight 100%) will be conducted to evaluate each applicant's application and supplemental questionnaire for satisfaction of minimum qualifications (pass/not pass); and for educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities which relate to this position.

Personally identifiable information (PII) is removed from the standard application fields and applicable attachments.

This PII blind screening practice redacts a candidate’s personal information that could potentially influence or bias the scoring process.

Personal information includes the applicant’s name, former last name, address, phone number, email, driver's license number, school name, education start and end dates, age, date of birth, gender, and race.

This PII blind screening practice helps contribute to a fair and equitable examination process.

Each applicant will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Relevance of work history, related experience, and achieved level of education and/or training as described in the application and responses to the supplemental questions.

Candidates demonstrating possession of the minimum qualifications will be placed on an employment list in order of most qualified to least qualified based on the achieved score received in the Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination.

Scores may be adjusted based on such factors as the number of candidates, anticipated vacancies, past practice, and natural breaks in the scores achieved by this group of candidates.

Additional Information

A background investigation may be required prior to employment.

Candidates referred to departments for a selection interview are typically required to sign authorization and release forms enabling such an investigation.

Failure to sign prescribed forms will result in the candidate not being considered further for that vacancy. Reference information will not be made available to applicants.

Additional requirements, such as successful completion of a physical exam, drug screen, etc., may apply, depending on the duties and responsibilities of the position.

If you receive a conditional job offer for the position, the requirements upon which the offer is contingent will be outlined in the conditional job letter.

You may also review the Job Classification Screening Schedule to determine the requirements for this position.

How to Apply

Applications are accepted online at www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org. Paper applications may be submitted by person, fax (707-565-3770), email, or through the mail.

All applications and appropriate supplemental information as outlined in the job announcement must be received by the time and date specified on the first page of this job announcement.

Applications received after the recruitment closes will not be accepted.

The County of Sonoma values diversity and is dedicated to creating a workplace environment that provides individuals with a sense of belonging.

We are committed to having a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve.

The County is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer where all aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance, and business need.

HR Analyst: DP

HR Technician: PPB