Leadership for Healthy People and Communities

Position Title:

Epidemiologist

Agency Unit:

Health Planning and Promotion

Employment Status:

Full- Time

Reports to:

Director of Health Planning and Promotion

Pay Grade:

6

FLSA Status:

Non-exempt

Position Summary

The Epidemiologist is responsible for investigating patterns and causes of disease and injury in Seneca County and determining how to reduce the risk and occurrence of negative health outcomes through research, community education, and health policy. The position also organizes and administers epidemiology-related disaster preparedness activities.

Essential Duties (Include, But Are Not Limited To)

Under general supervision,

·        Plans, implements, directs, and/or coordinates epidemiological programs, including statistical analysis, health care planning, surveillance systems, and public health improvement, by:

o   Conducting epidemiological surveillance and investigation;

o   Interacting with people to collect disease-related data through field research, observation, questionnaires, and studies;

o   Investigating disease outbreaks;

o   Using analytic tools and technologies for data collection and reporting;

o   Performing data analyses and creating written and visual presentations of findings;

o   Gathering, reviewing, and interpreting data and information regarding cause, spread, and prevention of disease;

o   Advising advises agency leadership and collaborating agencies regarding diseases, outbreaks, and chronic and environmental health trends;

o   Preparing summaries and reports as required, such as health profiles, trends data, and after-action reports;

o   Providing data and information as requested by the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) to assist in completion of local, state, and federal reports;

o   Educating staff, physicians, hospitals, laboratories, schools, and general public regarding prevention, trends, and/or reporting requirements as appropriate;

o   Consulting with other agencies regarding epidemiological matters and health trends;

o   Engaging in public speaking regarding public health trends and epidemiological matters; and

o   Ensuring epidemiological plans and policies are consistent with laws and regulations.

·        Supports the Health District’s emergency preparedness and response efforts by:

o   Planning, developing, and training staff regarding emergency preparedness and epidemiological matters;

o   Providing technical assistance to agency leadership and staff regarding emergency preparedness;

o   Reporting information potentially relevant to the identification and control of an emergency to local and regional stakeholders and ODH;

o   Solving problems under emergency conditions;

o   Maintaining situational awareness;

o   Collecting and reporting data to ODH during incident responses;

o   Participating in state-sponsored site visits, meetings, and training activities when requested; and

o   Compiling meeting minutes and maintaining documentation of strategies, activities, and responsibilities.

·        Serves as a liaison for the Health District in the community by participating on community coalitions, committees, and task forces as assigned.

Other Duties & Responsibilities

·        Assists agency and community in the emergency management cycle for public health emergencies.

·        Contributes to a work environment where continuous quality improvement is pursued and supported.

·        Has the ability to drive to off-site locations, as required.

·        Observes confidentiality of client and agency information.

·        Complies with the policies and procedures of Seneca County General Health District, including motor vehicle and equipment policies.

·        Adheres to state and federal civil rights and anti-discrimination laws.

·        Engages in personal career growth and development activities.

·        Demonstrates regular and punctual attendance.

·        Completes other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Qualified employees shall possess the following:

·        Bachelor’s degree in public health or a related field of study, or non-epidemiology professional degree or registration (e.g., RN, REHS, RD) plus at least one graduate level course in epidemiology or biostatistics; master’s degree in public health epidemiology or similar field strongly preferred.

·        Two (2) years of relevant experience strongly preferred.

·        National Incident Management System (NIMS)/Incident Command System (ICS) 100, 200, 700, and 800 certifications required.

·        Graduate of an accredited program, if applicable.

·        Registration and/or licensure to practice in the state of Ohio, if applicable.

·        Excellent verbal and written communications skills.

·        Strong organizational, analytical, reasoning, and research skills.

·        High level of proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and other relevant software (e.g., statistical software for data analyses).

·        Ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with individuals and groups from a wide variety of work settings, diverse backgrounds, cultures, socio-economic status, interests, and experiences.

·        Valid Ohio driver’s license and insurability according to Health District policy.

·        Ability to successfully pass a background check.

Key Competencies

Qualified employees shall possess the following core competencies:

·        Accreditation: Actively assists in the development of policies and procedures of the organization in order to achieve accredited status of the organization.

·        Active Learning: Understands the implications of new information for both current and future problems in public health and decision-making in responding to public health matters.

·        Analytical Skills: Defines public health problems and variables giving rise to those public health problems; applies ethical principles to the collection, maintenance, use and dissemination of data and information; identifies public health problems and develops, evaluates, and implements solutions to matters pertaining to those public health problems.

·        Assessment Skills: Ability to determine the appropriate uses of quantitative and qualitative date relevant to public health problems; applies appropriate data collective processes, information technologies, and computer storage strategies; recognizes how data and variables illuminate the ethical, political, scientific, economic, and overall public health issues; recognizes when something is wrong, or likely to go wrong.

·        Attitudes: Respects and listens to others in an unbiased professional manner to promote the expression of diverse opinions and perspectives.

·        Communication Skills: Ability to communicate clearly and convey information to others effectively. Maintains appropriate professional relationships with directors, managers, supervisors, and employees.

·        Community Dimensions of Practice Skills: Demonstrates leadership in establishing and maintaining relationships with community, stakeholders, and public leaders for the purpose of promoting the health of the population.

·        Confidentiality: Maintain the confidentiality of client and agency records

·        Coordination: Adjusting actions and responses in relation to the action/inaction of others; organize, prioritize, and coordinate multiple tasks.

·        Cultural Competency Skills: Interacts sensitively, effectively, and professionally with others from diverse cultural, socioeconomic, educational, and professional backgrounds.

·        Deductive Reasoning: Applies general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense and provide effective, appropriate responses.

·        Decision-making and Problem-solving: Analyzes information and evaluates results to choose best solution to a problem.

·        Financial Planning and Management Skills: Ability to develop present and manage budgets and programs.

·        Inductive Reasoning: Ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions.

·        Instructing/Educating: Teaches others in a method that accommodates and recognizes alternate learning styles.

·        Interpersonal Skills: Develops and fosters cooperative working relationships with others.

·        Judgment: Chooses necessary actions based upon appropriate considerations.

·        Leadership: Helps develop key values and visions; creates a culture of ethical standards within the organization; identifies issues and problems that may impact the delivery of services; promotes team and organizational learning.

·        Listening Skills: Ability to provide full attention and listening to what other people are communicating; makes an effort to understand the viewpoints of others; asks questions as appropriate and in an appropriate manner.

·        Performance Management: Implements mechanisms for evaluating the performance of employees and programs for continued effectiveness and quality; evaluates results to improve the performance of employees and programs; integrates data and information to improve organizational processes and performance.

·        Policy Development: Collects, summarizes, and interprets information relevant to an issue in stating policy options and writing clear and concise policy statements; determines appropriate course of action in light of feasibility, public health laws, regulations and policies related to the specific programs.

·        Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (or like programs): Ability to use Microsoft Office, and like, programs.

·        Program Planning Skills: Assesses health, fiscal, administrative, legal, social, and political implications of policies and programs. Develops plans to implement policies, programs of processes to meet certain goals and objectives. Establishes methods to monitor and evaluate programs for effectiveness and quality.

·        Public Health Emergency Preparedness: Assists agency and community in preparing for, withstanding, and recovering from public health emergencies; engages and coordinates with other agencies and organizations to support the development of public health emergency response systems; promotes awareness of emergency response resources; assists in identifying populations and groups that may be at greater risk for a public health emergency.

·        Public Health Science Skills: Applies basic public health sciences in order to define, assess, and understand the health status of populations for general health promotion and disease prevention.

·        Quality Improvement: Implements organizational and system-wide strategies for continuous improvement of the organization; evaluates cost-effectiveness, cost-benefit, and cost-utility of programming in decision-making and prioritization; considers alternate program and systems thinking in public health.

·        Thinking Skills: Uses logic and reasoning to identify strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

In addition, possess a thorough knowledge of descriptive and analytical epidemiologic techniques, research and evaluation methodologies and biostatistics as described in national standards such as the Council for State and Territorial Epidemiologists’ Applied Epidemiology Competencies.

Public Health Core Competencies

·        Domain 1: Data Analytics and Assessment Skills- Tiers 1 and 2

·        Domain 2: Policy Development and Program Planning Skills- Tiers 1 and 2

·        Domain 3: Communication Skills- Tiers 1 and 2

·        Domain 4: Health Equity Skills- Tiers 1 and 2

·        Domain 5: Community Partnership Skills- Tiers 1 and 2

·        Domain 6: Public Health Science Skills- Tiers 1 and 2

·        Domain 7: Management and Finance Skills- Tiers 1 and 2

·        Domain 8:  Leadership and Systems Thinking Skills- Tiers 1 and 2

Work Environment

The Epidemiologist position requires an employee to:

·        Travel to off-site locations;

·        Work a general schedule of 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., although a flexible schedule may be required, including evening, weekends, and holidays;

·        Respond to emergency calls;

·        Come into contact with secondhand smoke, communicable diseases, blood, bodily fluids, allergens, dusts, cleaning supplies, insects, and animals;

·        Lift, climb, bend, twist, kneel, squat, push, roll, and support up to 55 pounds;

·        Sit, stand, stoop, and/or walk;

·        Grasp with manual dexterity;

·        Use a keyboard and other technology;

·        Operate a motor vehicle.