HAI Developer 2 Biostatistician
Description
Pay Grade: N
What we offer.As a member of the Georgia Department of Public Healthteam, 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
- Enjoy Workplace Flexibility – Experience flexibility in how you work so you can be your best self for you and Georgia Residents
- 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
Job Responsibilities
The ADES (Acute Disease and Epidemiology Section) HAI AR Section of the Georgia Department of Public Health (GDPH) is seeking a Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI) Developer 2 to lead the analysis and reporting of HAI/AR data for the Healthcare Associated Infections/Antimicrobial Resistance (HAI/AR) team. The ADES HAI AR Team carries out a number of activities to identify, prevent, and mitigate certain communicable and/or notifiable infectious diseases. ADES HAI AR staff work closely with Georgia healthcare providers and associations, the Georgia Public Health Laboratory, and epidemiologists in our 18 health districts. ADES houses several infectious disease specific surveillance teams. The HAI AR Infection Prevention Team conducts surveillance for COVID19 and Multi-Drug-Resistant Organism (MDRO) cases in healthcare settings and investigates reports of disease clusters and outbreaks.
This position will work with a variety of data sources, including notifiable disease reporting for antimicrobial resistant disease, survey and outcome data reported in the CDC’s National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN), the State Electronic Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (SendSS), and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) federal data sets. This position will work with/on a team of epidemiologists and will have the opportunity to collaborate with academic partners as needed. Antimicrobial resistant disease reporting includes phenotypic, genotypic, and whole genome sequencing data.
Conducts statistical studies to generate data and develop insights on AR disease distribution and transmission within the state to support data-driven HAI/AR response and to evaluate impact of program activities. Analyzes federal data sources on antibiotic prescribing trends to inform antimicrobial stewardship program and evaluate impact of interventions. Designs and implements data dashboards/analytical platforms to support HAI/AR epidemiologists and report data to the public. Prepares and evaluates analysis plans to ensure appropriate statistical methods are used. Writes specifications for rules, consistency checks, tables, and calculations used to collect and analyze data from a variety of sources. Interprets analyses and prepares data for reports and presentations based on stakeholder needs. Interfaces with non-technical users to assist with data interpretation and understanding of results. Proficient with statistical computer applications such as SAS, R, and mapping tools.
The biostatistician will be responsible for:
- Gather and join datasets from various sources, perform data analysis, and produce data visualizations and periodic summaries of findings; data sets include laboratory, genomic, epidemiologic, clinical, and health equity data.
- Design and manage databases for the surveillance of HAI/AR to ensure scalability and adaptability of databases to new data types and sources.
- Contribute to data modernization initiatives (DMI) in collaboration with academic partners and contactors.
- Analyze complex healthcare data using statistical and geospatial software (like R, SAS, Python, and ArcGIS) to identify trends, risk factors, and outcomes associated with HAI/AR.
- Provide technical assistance and develop analytical and data management programs to help HAI/AR epidemiologists customize and optimize tools and dashboards tailored to specific user needs.
- Support the department in the response to outbreaks to develop real-time analytics solutions and interpretation.
- Develop and apply statistical models (such as predictive, regression, or machine learning) to forecast trends in antimicrobial resistance and infection rates and evaluate the effectiveness of control measures.
- Contribute to the development and refinement of surveillance definitions and methodologies in collaboration with multidisciplinary teams by participating in local, state, and national forums focused on HAI/AR surveillance and analytics.
- Prepare detailed reports and presentations for partners such as healthcare providers, epidemiologists, and policy makers that clearly communicate findings, implications, and recommendations.
- Conduct special studies to evaluate the impact of HAI/AR program activities.
- Innovate ways to improve data quality, ease of access, analysis and reporting to providers and the public.
- Incorporate health equity data into analytics for HAI AR surveillance to support targeted interventions aimed at improving health outcomes for vulnerable populations.
- Assist in the training of department staff on statistical methods and data interpretation through workshops, seminars, and regular training sessions.
- Work closely with IT specialists to ensure data quality, security, and compliance with relevant regulations.
- Review and stay updated with the latest statistical techniques and best practices in public health surveillance by attending conferences, workshops, and continuing education courses.
- Collaborate with GDPH Biostatistics Team to assist with projects as needed.
- Other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with coursework in computer science or management information systems AND Two years of related experience.
Additional Information
Georgia Department of Public Health Commissioner and leaders encourages all employees to engage in regular activities and to make lifestyle choices that promote health and well-being.
The use of breaks during the workday is authorized to support this philosophy and assist employees in meeting their goals. A maximum of 30 minutes in a given workday may be used to engage in physical activities, generally in the form of two 15-minute breaks or one 30-minute break.
Employment Information
Current State employees are subject to State Personnel Board rules regarding salary.
DPH accepts educational credential recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and/or the US Department of Education (DOE) will be considered. DPH will contact educational institutions to verify degree, diploma, licensure, etc.
The candidate selected for this position may be subject to pre-employment drug screening and a criminal background check.
As an employee of DPH, in the event of an identified emergency you may be required, as a term and condition of employment, to assist in meeting the emergency responsibilities of the department.
If you require accommodations under the American Disability Act (ADA), email request by the closing date of this announcement to: DPH-HR@dph.ga.gov.
DPH is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Due to the volume of applications received, we are unable to provide information on application status by phone or e-mail. All qualified applicants will be considered, but may not necessarily receive an interview. Selected applicants will be contacted 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.
