Epidemiologist - Informatics

An overview of the work, briefly summarizing the job, the main purpose, the objectives, and the results expected.

Informatics Epidemiologists provide: (1) Business and technical support to onboard or improve data connections and interoperability, (2) liaison services between the business side (epidemiologists) and the technical side (informaticians), and (3) support, analyze, and visualize infectious disease data as a member of the Infectious Disease Epidemiology Team.  Work is performed under administrative direction. 

Informatics Epidemiologist II provides all the duties as above plus supervises the informatics epis, trains staff, and leads routine informatics meetings. 

 Knowledge, Skills and Certifications

Specific qualifications needed to perform the job including, necessary licenses, knowledge, skills, education, experience, training, and technical skills.

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Public Health, Information Systems, or related fields (Biology, Community Health, Informatics, Computer Sciences, Biostatistics etc.), and 4 years of relevant experience
• Communication skills and the ability to work independently and collaboratively.
• Knowledge of Excel and Microsoft Word.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Ability and willingness to travel.

Preferred:

·       Master’s Degree in Public Health, Information Systems, or related field and at least two years of relevant work experience

·       Ability to speak and write in multiple languages

Knowledge of:   

·       Principles and practices of epidemiology and public health surveillance

·       Statistics and statistical software

·       Data collection and management

·       Coding languages (SAS, R, Python, SQL, Java, etc.)

·       Health messaging (HL7, FHIR, electronic laboratory reports (ELR), electronic case reports (eCR))

·       Surveillance systems including National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS), Electronic Surveillance System for the Early Notification of Community-Based Epidemics (ESSENCE), Immunization Information System (ImmPact)

·       Data visualization software (Tableau, ArcGIS, Power BI, etc.)

·       Infectious diseases, including risk and transmission

·       Medical terminology

·       Word processing software, email and internet use, spreadsheets or analysis programs

Ability to:   

·       Analyze public health data

·       Draw logical inferences from data analysis

·       Pay attention to detail

·       Organize, disseminate, and report public health information

·       Be flexible and reprioritize during the workday

·       Work as a team leader and team member

·       Communicate with local partners

·       Work independently, including being a “self-starter”

·       Facilitate groups

·       Speak publicly

·       Possess an attitude that fosters a respectful, non-threatening workplace environment

Duties and Deliverable (Outline of specific job duties)

Specific duties required of the resource, as well as any expected deliverables, including necessary travel expectations.

Informatics Epidemiologist:

Duties may include (each person may work on a subset of these duties and deliverables):

·       Onboard new facilities for eCR and/or ELR

·       Review and validate eCR and/or ELR messages

·       Author and maintain reporting conditions in the Reportable Conditions Knowledge Management System (RCKMS)

·       Support the Maine Immunization Registry

·       Help improve automation of disease reports through workflow decision support

·       Help improve automation of data review through python programming

·       Onboard new Message Mapping Guides

·       Build and automate data visualizations using Tableau

·       Improve interoperability between data systems

·       Coordinate with public health partners including federal CDC, local hospitals and providers offices, and Maine’s Health Information Exchange (HIE) Health InfoNet

·       Participate in data modernization planning, and goal execution

·       Ensure progress towards grant objectives, and assist with grant writing

·       Participate in exercises and planning efforts

·       Participate in and contribute to overall Infectious Disease Program planning and evaluation activities.

·       Additional duties as assigned

Informatics Epidemiologist II:

·       All Informatics Epidemiologist duties as listed

·       Supervise Informatics Epidemiologists and conduct weekly check ins and annual performance evaluations

·       Help develop training materials and protocols

·       Train new Informatics Epidemiologists with Maine CDC training materials and protocols

 Schedule

Summary of work schedule, including normal working hours, on-call expectations, allowed time off (which is non-billable), ability to work remote.

·       These are full time 8 AM – 5 PM positions.  Normal schedule is M-F, but modified schedules may be required as needed by Maine CDC. 
Hours worked over 45 are paid on a straight basis (hour for hour compensation) when specifically pre-approved in writing by the Maine CDC manager. 

·       Each resource must conform to the State working schedule (i.e., snow days, holidays etc.), if the State of Maine is working the contractor will be required to work.

·       May routinely work remote up to (3) days per week after completing orientation and training.  Additional remote work may be pre-approved by the Maine CDC manager on a case-by-case basis.