Hybrid 8699 - Communicable Disease Investigator (Health & Human Services) bei Jackson County, OR

About the Department

Jackson County Employment Opportunity.

Join our team as a Communicable Disease Investigator and play a key role in public health infectious disease response. This position involves interviewing individuals diagnosed with reportable conditions, providing education targeted towards prevention, and locating close contact to prevent further spread. The work is sensitive, detail-oriented, and often fast paced in a hybrid office setting. Strong communication skills and sound judgment are essential for this role.

Jackson County strives to recruit, hire and retain the best employees!

Position Duties

• A firm understanding of infectious disease transmission and prevention methods.
• Experience discussing medical or sensitive topics with the public.
• Demonstrated ability to build rapport and gather information in interviews.
• Team-oriented with flexibility to assist with shared responsibilities.
• Cultural humility and experience working with diverse populations.
• Strong problem-solving skills.
• Pass a criminal background check prior to hire. 
• Submit an acceptable DMV certified court print prior to hire. click on the following link to review Jackson County's requirements for an acceptable driving record.  

• Pass a pre-employment drug screen, which includes screening for Marijuana. Click on the link to review Jackson County's Drug-Free Workplace Policy.

Minimum Qualifications

I.    Position Summary

Performs activities related to the surveillance, identification, investigation, prevention, and control of reportable communicable diseases. Works with broad policies and procedures in conducting communicable disease investigation, mitigation, and prevention activities with occasional instruction..

II.   Examples of Essential Position Duties (The following duties represent some of the principal job duties; however, they are not all-inclusive. Other duties may be required or assigned.)

• Conducts full epidemiological investigations, including but not limited to conducting individual case interviews of reportable conditions, contact tracing, cluster identification, and outbreak investigation, related to a range of reportable communicable diseases.
• Records, retrieves, and reviews data in the communicable disease surveillance systems and other surveillance databases.
• Collects, summarizes, analyzes, reports, and communicates data on communicable disease trends. Uses data analysis to identify appropriate disease control measures.
• Provides education, consultation, and guidance to cases and medical providers on screening, testing, and treatment, and initiates actions to mitigate the impact of communicable diseases.
• Builds and maintains working relationships with key community partners, such as schools, congregate care facilities, and healthcare providers.
• Works with community partners to implement communicable disease prevention and control measures in outbreak settings.
• Designs and conducts trainings for professional groups in various settings.
• Analyzes/interprets lab results; prepares specimens for shipment; may collect specimens for testing. May prepare client charts, record and route lab results, update progress notes, and make written requests for client records and related reports. 
• Adheres to regulatory requirements, collective bargaining agreements, County and departmental policies and procedures, required trainings, as well as safe work practices.
• Develops and maintains effective internal and external working relationships at all levels.
• Has regular and reliable attendance. Overtime may be required.

III.  Minimum Requirements (Performance of the essential duties of this position includes the following requirements, physical demands and/or working conditions)

Education and Experience

• Master’s Degree in public health or health-related field; OR
• Bachelor’s degree in public health, biological sciences, or health-related field plus two years of related work experience in a health-related field working with communicable disease prevention, treatment, education and/or mitigation; OR
• Any combination of education and experience which provides the applicant with the desired skills, knowledge, and ability required to perform the job.

License, Certificate or Other

Requires possession of a valid driver’s license and an acceptable driving record. May be required to be Certified in Infection Control (CIC) or other infection prevention credential or a phlebotomy certification.

IV.  Other Requirements

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Position requires knowledge of federal and state communicable disease reporting requirements; knowledge of HIPPA and other federal and state privacy laws; knowledge of interview/intervention techniques and mitigation and prevention measures. Position also requires the ability to understand and apply epidemiological concepts, especially around communicable diseases, such as causes and modes of transmission and patterns of disease; understand medical terminology and communicable disease testing, diagnosis, and treatment; to read, collect, interpret, and analyze technical, medical, demographic, and statistical data, laboratory reports and test results; to use laboratory equipment, draw blood, and conduct other specimen collection activities; to prepare clear and concise reports and other written materials, including tables and graphs; to communicate effectively orally and in writing with stakeholders at all levels of public health, private medical practice, community partners, and the general public, and make presentations; to work with people form a variety of backgrounds and conditions, to establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work; to work independently and as a team member. Requires excellent computer software skills in analytics, spreadsheets, databases, word processing, data visualization, and presentations. 

Physical Demands (Performance of the essential duties of this position includes the following physical demands)

Tasks require visual perception and discrimination and oral communications ability. Typically requires climbing, balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, standing, walking, sitting, lifting, fingering, grasping, talking, hearing, seeing (including ability to clearly distinguish and identify colors), and repetitive motions. Requires the ability to exert a small amount of physical effort in sedentary to light work involving moving from one area of the office to another; requires sufficient hand/eye coordination to perform semi-skilled repetitive movements, such as typing, filing, data entry, and/or use of calculators, ten-key adding machine, or other office or medical equipment or supplies. Tasks require occasional exposure to strong odors, strong chemicals, and communicable diseases. Driving is required.

Working Conditions (Performance of the essential duties of this position includes the following working conditions)

Work is performed in an office environment and in the community and may include exposure to disruptive people and communicable diseases.

V.   Additional Information

This classification description is not intended to be an exhaustive list of duties, knowledge, skills, abilities, or requirements, as any one position in this classification may be assigned some or all of these duties, in addition to other duties not explicitly listed here. The various duties, responsibilities and/or assignments of this position may be unevenly balanced and change from time to time based upon matters such as, but not limited to, variations in the shift, work demands, seasons, service levels and management’s decisions on how to best allocate department resources. Any shift, emphasis or rebalancing of these assigned duties, responsibilities and/or assignments does not constitute a change in the job classification. The County shall schedule employees and determine FTE consistent with its determination as to efficiency of operations, financial advantages to the County, and/or effective service to the public.

Other Qualifications

JACKSON COUNTY IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Jackson County is committed to being an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act.  Our commitment includes providing a respectful working environment that is free from discrimination and harassment in the workplace. This commitment is made by Jackson County in accordance with applicable Federal, State and Local laws and regulations. Upon your request, Jackson County will consider all requests for reasonable accommodation during the recruitment and selection process.  Because of the Immigration Reform Act of 1986, persons hired by the County must be able to present acceptable documents verifying identity and authorization to work in the United States.  For a copy of Jackson County’s Equal Employment Opportunity Plan, visit our web site at www.jacksoncountyor.gov or call 541-774-6036.