NHSN Epidemiologist - Health Professional III - HAI/AR Program Communicable Disease Branch

Full Job Description

In addition to free parking, access to RTD bus lines, Cherry Creek bike path and flexible working arrangements, click the link below to review additional benefits and perks!!!! Careers

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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 monitor, investigate, and control epidemic and communicable diseases affecting public health in Colorado, as required under Colorado statute, including enteric diseases, invasive bacterial diseases, respiratory diseases, vaccine-preventable diseases, zoonotic diseases, foodborne and waterborne diseases, tuberculosis, and healthcare-associated infections.

The Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance (HAI/AR) Program has a mission to prevent health care-associated infections and control the spread of emerging antimicrobial-resistance threats in all health care settings in Colorado through surveillance, containment and response, infection prevention, and antimicrobial stewardship.

About the Position: This position supports the reporting of healthcare-associated infections to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment by licensed healthcare facilities according to Colorado Revised Statutes 25-3-601 — 25-3-607. This position conducts projects to validate healthcare-associated infection data reported by healthcare facilities into the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN).

What you will be doing:

• Complete training and develop expertise in the use of NHSN.
• Complete training on NHSN data validation methods.
• With supervisor and CDC, determine number and type of conditions to validate and the timeframe.
• Conduct outreach to healthcare facilities for participation in NHSN validation projects.
• Conduct medical record review and data abstraction.
• Conduct data analysis and summary for CDPHE and CDC.
• Report findings to participating healthcare facilities with guidance for improvement.
• Report findings to the HAI Advisory Committee.
• Report findings to CDC.
  
• Develop expertise in the use of NHSN and CDC’s Secure Access Service (SAMS) that houses NHSN.
• Organize and maintain health care facility reporting groups within NHSN.
• Enroll facilities to report healthcare-associated infections to CDPHE via NHSN and update health care facility reporting plans.
• Verify that health care facilities are fulfilling reporting requirements when applying for license renewal.
  
• Provide technical assistance to health care facilities required by statute to submit HAI data into NHSN.
• Guide health care facility staff on the NHSN enrollment process, access to the Secure Access Management Service (SAMS) that houses NHSN, how to join Colorado reporting groups, and how to navigate NHSN.
• Guide CDPHE staff through the NHSN enrollment process, access to SAMS, and how to navigate NHSN.
• Offer office hours to health care facilities for NHSN technical assistance.
• Provide NHSN technical assistance to health care facilities on-site, if needed.
• Provide NHSN technical assistance to health care facilities participating in HAI/AR Program training.
• Respond to public, provider, and staff inquiries about HAI surveillance and reporting.
• Provide technical assistance to health care facilities reporting antibiotic use and resistance data into NHSN.
• Maintain an up-to-date and accurate inventory of licensed healthcare facilities in Colorado.
• Obtain lists of licensed facilities from the Health Facilities and Emergency Medical Services Division and update the inventory every 3 months.
• Design and administer a survey of healthcare facilities annually to update contact information and determine NHSN reporting requirements and practices.
• Perform active outreach to facilities to encourage survey completion.
• Reconcile the healthcare facility inventory with the list of health care facilities reporting to NHSN.
• On assigned days, this position 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 such as 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.
• Participates in departmental emergency response/bioterrorism team (training and investigations) as assigned and responds to emergencies with the Communicable Disease Branch.

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 professional experience in public health, epidemiology, biostatistics, and reporting data of healthcare associated infections or closely-related field.

Education and Experience:

A combination of related education in public health, epidemiology, biostatistics or closely-related field and/or years of professional experience in public health, epidemiology, biostatistics, and reporting data of healthcare associated infections or closely-related field. 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
• 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 with a public health program.
• Experience managing and analyzing data.
• Graduate training in epidemiology.
• Experience working with healthcare providers.
• Experience with medical record abstraction.
• Experience with survey design and conduct.
• Experience with healthcare-associated infections or NHSN.
• Experience reporting epidemiologic findings in writing.
• Experience carrying out public health project protocols.

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.