Communicable Disease Spec 2-Chatham

Description

Pay Grade: I

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Who we are. We protect lives.The Georgia Department of Public Health is the lead agency entrusted by the people of Georgia to proudly protect lives and promote healthy lifestyles in diverse communities statewide. We are committed to preventing disease, injury, and disability; promoting health and well-being; and preparing the State of Georgia for responding to disasters. 

What we offer. As a member of the Georgia Department of Public Health team, you will join a passionate group of individuals who are dedicated to making an impact.  No matter your role, you will individually contribute to protecting the lives of all Georgians while receiving a wide range of benefits, so you can:

• Make a Professional Impact – Build your career where it matters and protect lives in the community where you live, work, and play
• Work with a Dynamic and Diverse Team– Collaborative and inclusive way of working where employees share ideas and leverage collective strengths 
• Achieve Career Longevity – Countless opportunities for continuous learning/development that support a long-term career
• Take Part in a Hands-on Working Culture – Unique culture of active engagement and problem-solving, no matter your role
• Feel Pride in Where you Work – Be part of making an impact in public health alongside dedicated people just like you

Plans develops and conducts HIV/AIDS as well as other communicable disease-related investigations within the health district. Ensures implementation of timely disease intervention strategies to promote disease control including the interviewing of patients, contact tracing, and notifying partners of exposures. Collects, analyzes, and interprets data and disease-related information and prepares epidemiologic reports for programmatic purposes. Provides limited training, technical assistance, and consultative services regarding the control of diseases. The Linkage Coordinator is responsible for marketing the linkage program to community partners, performing data collection activities, and using non-ARTAS or ARTAS interventions to link HIV-positive individuals to care and to re-engage them back in care. Performs various other duties as assigned in support of section and district operations.
 
May require occasional daytime travel throughout the eight-county Coastal Health District (Bryan, Camden, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Long, and McIntosh)
All Coastal Health District County Health Department employees are deemed essential employees in the event of an emergency. As such, you may be called on to participate in an event not limited to but including, staffing a shelter, a Specimen Point of Collection Site (SPOC) and/or Point of Dispensing site (POD). When you are called on to participate, you are expected and it will be a part of your job requirement to participate, whether the emergency occurs during or outside regular work hours.

Job Responsibilities

• Assists in the implementation of timely disease intervention strategies to decrease the prevalence of communicable diseases. 

• Performs timely disease intervention activities to include contact tracing and partner notification.
• Refers all patients/contacts to appropriate clinics in a timely manner.
• Initiates timely field investigations and conducts home visits when appropriate.
• Conducts searches for medical records and initiates serologic reactors for follow-up in accordance with district guidelines.
• Provides disease-specific counseling and other appropriate patient education as required.

• Performs investigations, data collection and analysis, and interpretation.

• Provides pre-and post-test counseling services to all public health patients receiving HIV/AIDS tests.
• Provides all sensitive diagnostic and therapeutic services in a non-judgmental manner (i.e. sexual histories, patient lifestyle, etc.)
• Strictly adheres to the standard of patient and medical records confidentiality and professional conduct in all cases.
• Performs reporting and surveillance activities.

a. Ensures timely and thorough reporting of all patients infected or at risk of being infected with a communicable disease to implement early disease intervention techniques.
b. Coordinates communicable disease surveillance within the health district through collection and monitoring of morbidity data. Enters all data gathered into accepted surveillance systems (i.e. SendSS).
4. Prepares documentation of all communicable disease case investigations
occurring within the district
a. Provides current information on CDC treatment guidelines to public and private health care providers.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university AND Six months of related experience OR Associate's degree from an accredited college or university AND Two years of experience in a related area OR Four years of experience in a medical related field OR licensure as a registered nurse AND One year of nursing experience OR One year of experience at the lower level Communicable Disease Spec 1 (HCP080) or position equivalent.

Preferred: experience providing HIV/AIDS case management services. Good working knowledge of best practice counseling approaches, interventions, and strategies that have been proven effective with the HIV- positive population. Working knowledge of HIV/AIDS and treatment and linkage to care services.  Experienced with a multi-disciplinary team approach.

Additional Information

For more information on the State of Georgia Benefits visit http://team.georgia.gov/
  
 Benefits for Full Time Eligible Employees
  
 •            13 Paid Holidays
 •            Generous Leave Package-Educational Support Leave and 3 weeks each accrued Annual and Sick Leave
 •            Defined Benefit retirement plan
 •            Health Insurance
 •            Dental Insurance
 •            Vision Insurance
 •            Health Care Spending Account
 •            Dependent Care Spending Account
 •            Life Insurance
 •            AD&D Insurance
 •            Disability Insurance
 •            Legal Insurance
 •            Long-Term Care Insurance
 •            Specified Illness
 •            Deferred Compensation (401K & 457 Plans)
  Additional Perks
 •            A supportive and rewarding work environment
 •            Physical Activity Breaks
 •            Employee Assistance Program
 •            Employee discount program
 •            Tuition Assistance
  
 To learn more about the Coastal Health District visit -https://coastalhealthdistrict.org
Applicants chosen for employment will be subject to the following
 Criminal Background Check/Fingerprinting
 Reference Checks & Immunizations Required
* May be subject to pre-employment drug screen
Due to the volume of applications received, we are unable to provide information on application status by phone or email. All qualified applicants will be considered but may not necessarily receive an interview. Selected applicants will be contacted via email by the hiring agency for next steps in the selection process. Applicants who are not selected will not receive notification. This position is subject to close at any time once a satisfactory applicant pool has been identified.
 *Coastal Health District is an Equal Opportunity Employer*
The State will not unlawfully consider an applicant's race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, sex, genetic information, political affiliation, protected uniformed service, or other legally protected category when making selections.
If you require accommodations under the American Disability Act (ADA), notify this agency of your request by the closing date of this announcement.