Intake Coordinator, Bureau of Immunization

Job Description

OPEN TO PERMANENT PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISER **

The mission of the Bureau of Immunization (BOI) is to prevent the occurrence and transmission of diseases through immunization. BOI promotes the immunization of children and adults against numerous vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs). The BOI surveillance unit is responsible for conducting surveillance of measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, varicella, and invasive pneumococcal disease in children aged less than 5 years and assuring the institution of control measures and outbreak response. The surveillance unit is also responsible for the management and analysis of surveillance data and monitoring the impact of new vaccines. Because of the international nature of New York City, there is an ongoing risk of importing VPDs. As such, the surveillance unit provides a critical function in protecting the health of all New Yorkers.

The Intake Coordinator will be responsible for conducting intake of all suspected VPDs reported to BOI and assigning these cases for investigation. The Intake Coordinator will also be responsible for coordinating VPD specimen collection and testing at the NYC Health Department's Public Health Lab (PHL). These are critical functions of the BOI surveillance unit as they prompt investigation to assess the reported case, implementation of appropriate control measures, and appropriate specimen testing in a timely manner. Confirmed cases are reported by the BOI surveillance unit to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and BOI is assessed in their completeness and timeliness of reported confirmed cases.

DUTIES WILL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:
* Receive reports of vaccine preventable diseases from medical providers via phone, fax, and electronic reports
* Collect demographic and clinical information from medical providers for patients and enter data into surveillance unit database (Maven)
* Assign cases to supervisors to initiate case investigation
* Coordinate specimen collection, testing, and provision of results, including handling courier requests, reviewing and troubleshooting PHL eOrder forms, and coordinating testing at external labs such as CDC and NYS Wadsworth PHL
* Triage incoming phone calls on the main surveillance line, including providing referrals and information on reporting vaccine-preventable diseases
* In an outbreak response, train and supervise staff on VPD intake and administrative issues, including data collection and data entry into the surveillance database
* Follow up with school nurses to ensure reporting of varicella cases
* Assist the surveillance unit chief and staff with special projects to enhance workflows and protocols for the surveillance unit

PREFERRED SKILLS:
- Working knowledge of Microsoft Office including Word, Access and Excel
- Strong organizational and time management skills
- Excellent customer service skills
- Ability to work independently as well as part of a team
- Good writing and verbal communication skills
- Ability to multi-task while performing tasks accurately and efficiently
- Experience with entering data into databases from questionnaires or other forms

Why you should work for us:

- Benefits: City employees are entitled to unmatched benefits such as:
o a premium-free health insurance plan that saves employees over $10K annually, per a 2024 assessment.
o additional health, fitness, and financial benefits may be available based on the position’s associated union/benefit fund.
o a public sector defined benefit pension plan with steady monthly payments in retirement.
o a tax-deferred savings program and
o a robust Worksite Wellness Program that offers resources and opportunities to keep you healthy while serving New Yorkers.
- Work From Home Policy: Depending on your position, you may be able to work up to two days during the week from home.
- Job Security - you could enjoy more job security compared to private sector employment and be able to contribute to making NYC a healthy place to live and work.

Established in 1805, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC Health Department) is the oldest and largest health department in the U.S., dedicated to protecting and improving the health of NYC. Our mission is to safeguard the health of every resident and cultivate a city where everyone, regardless of age, background, or location, can achieve their optimal health. We provide a wide array of programs and services focused on food and nutrition, anti-tobacco support, chronic disease prevention, HIV/AIDS treatment, family and child health, environmental health, mental health, and social justice initiatives. As the primary population health strategist and policy authority for NYC, with a rich history of public health initiatives and scientific advancements, from addressing the 1822 yellow fever outbreak to the COVID-19 pandemic, we serve as a global leader in public health innovation and expertise.

Come join us and help to continue our efforts in making a difference in the lives of all New Yorkers!

The NYC Health Department is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation to all individuals. To request reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, contact Sye-Eun Ahn, Director of the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, at sahn1@health.nyc.gov or 347-396-6549.

PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISER - 51191

Qualifications

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college, including or supplemented by twelve semester credits in health education, or in health, social or biological sciences; or
2. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college, and six months of full-time satisfactory experience in a health promotion or disease intervention/prevention program, performing one or more of the following: interviewing, conducting field investigations, assessing health risks, making referrals, or collecting and analyzing epidemiological data; or
3. A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent, and four years of full-time satisfactory experience as described in "2" above; or
4. Education and/or experience equivalent to "1", "2" or "3" above. Undergraduate college credit can be substituted for experience on the basis of 30 semester credits from an accredited college for one year of full-time experience. However, all candidates must have a four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent, and either twelve semester credits as described in "1" above or six months of experience as described in "2" above.
Additional Requirements
A. To be assigned to Assignment Level II, candidates must have, in addition to meeting the minimum qualification requirements listed above, at least one year of experience as a Public Health Adviser, Assignment Level I, or at least one additional year of experience as described in Qualification Requirement "2" above.

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.