Director Infection Control

Director Infection Control

Onsite in Honolulu, HI

Directs the management, planning, development, implementation, evaluation/continuous improvement of an infection prevention and control program across the entire care continuum for the Hawaii Market. Collaborates with and makes recommendations to Medical Center and facility leadership teams to ensure compliance with regulatory agencies and assure facility-wide and departmental policies and procedures comply with current Regulatory standards. Through strategic planning, expert leadership and consultation, directs the identification and implementation of infection control goals and objectives related to: surveillance, data analysis and reporting, infection prevention and control practices that eliminate potential infection hazards for members, physicians, staff and visitors, appropriate selection and usage of products and equipment related to cleaning, antisepsis, disinfection, and sterilization, facility design and construction. Assures compliance with all mandated regulatory reporting requirements including but not limited to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), Provides infection prevention and control programs/services that add value and integrated with departmental, facility, Medical Center and organizational business and clinical goals/objectives. Supervises defined staff.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Upholds Healthcare Permanentes Policies and Procedure, Principles of Responsibilities and applicable state, federal and local laws.
• Directs the management of the planning, development, implementation, evaluation/improvement of infection prevention and control services/programs that meet or exceed established standards/performance measures for quality, member/patient satisfaction, cost, employee quality of work life, physician/client department satisfaction, clinical outcomes, and regulatory compliance.
• Directs infection prevention and control services/programs across the continuum of care (primary, secondary, continuing care) and ensures that services/programs are of uniform and consistent value, quality, performance, and cost throughout all departments in a medical center and its associated outpatient/satellite buildings.
• Directs development and implementation of evidence-based interventions designed to reduce/eliminate the risk for Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs) and/or disease transmission. Distributes the findings and recommendations of the infection control program to the appropriate individuals, committees, departments, and units, maintaining confidentiality in accordance with HIPPA regulations. Maintains communication with administrative/management staff and physicians/health care providers.
• Develops and reviews facility-wide and department-specific infection prevention and control policies and procedures, and ensures that they are compliant with current regulatory standards.
• Maintains on-going communications and provides consultative expertise and oversight/coordination of projects as needed for local committees (e.g., Safety, Employee Health, Critical Care/Med Surg Teams, Quality Committee), regional committees (e.g., IC Peer Group) and external agencies (e.g., Dept Health Services). Participates in other facility level/regional committees as needed representing Infection Control.
• Develops and maintains excellent, collaborative relations with key stakeholders/departments including but not limited to: Employee Health, Occupational Health, Nursing, Perioperative, Perinatal, Emergency Services, Urgent Care, Ambulatory, including Ambulatory Surgery Centers, and various physician specialties.
• Develops, submits annually, and maintains accountability for Hawaii Market Infection Control budget for applicable inpatient and outpatient facilities. Completes Infection Control needs assessment, development, presentation, and evaluation of educational sessions relating to topics including infection prevention & control, emerging infectious diseases, new initiatives, and regulatory affairs. Provides education as needed during: staff meeting presentations, new employee orientation classes, presentations to operational leaders.
• Develops Hawaii Market Infection Control education/criteria for orientation and Annual employee/MD education. Develops and conducts Hawaii Market Infection Control/Prevention Program Planning addressing risks for the acquisition and transmission of infectious agents and establishing priorities/setting goals and strategies accordingly.
• Evaluates the Program Plan once a year, addressing effectiveness of Infection Control interventions and redesigning them as needed. Assists Safety with development and maintenance of the Bloodborne Pathogen (BBP), Aerosol Transmissible Disease (ATD) and Bioterrorism exposure control plans in the Hawaii Market.
• Provides expert review and consultation for all facility construction/remodels as described in the Organizations Pre-Construction Risk Assessment (PCRA). Manages multi-disciplinary and interdepartmental efforts to improve performance of infection prevention/control programs and services including introduction of products found to assist with infection prevention and control. Evaluates patient care environments and facility services (Dialysis, Sterile Processing, Construction, Environmental Services) for infection control practices and hazards as needed.
• Initiates and completes epidemiological investigations of significant clusters or outbreaks of infection above established standards and of unusual organisms. Applies epidemiological principles directed at outbreak investigations.Initiates/educates health care teams regarding precautions for individual patients/visitors when indicated.Assists with Quality review and reporting of sentinel events of cases of healthcare associated infection contributing to death or major permanent disability when identified.
• Develops and completes annual evaluation/updating of surveillance plan based on population served, services provided and previous surveillance data.Coordinates the process and methods by which surveillance is conducted to identify rates of infections occurring above Centers for Disease Control (CDC)/National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN), Regional and/or Local Healthcare average infection rates.Applies Center for Disease Control (CDC) and National Healthcare benchmarking to data over time.
• Acts as a liaison between the health care facility, medical staff, and community. Communicates with Public Health/Dept of Health Services as required for outbreak reporting and provision of requested information.Maintains knowledge base of current infection prevention and control information through continuing education, published literature, internet access and professional meetings.
• Participates in Healthcare National IC Steering Committee. Co-Facilitates IC Committee meetings with Infectious Diseases Chief or Epidemiologist.
• Hires, trains, supervises, counsels, disciplines, and terminates assigned staff as appropriate.
• Communicates goals, objectives, accountabilities, priorities, and authority parameters to assigned staff.

Qualifications:

Basic Qualifications:

• Experience: Minimum three (3) years of experience as an Infection Control Professional.
• Experience: Minimum three (3) years of management in an established Infection prevention/control program in an acute care hospital including minimum of two (2) years of program management/supervisory experience.
• Education: Bachelors degree in nursing, science, or healthcare related field.
• License, Certification, Registration: Infection Control Certificate

Additional Requirements:

• Able to demonstrate knowledge of microbiology, laboratory procedures, aseptic technique and epidemiological techniques.
• Demonstrated ability to comprehend and utilize epidemiological/public health data and statistical methods, screen and interpret data results for variations and/or errors.
• Organizational, problem-solving, decision making, conflict resolution, change management and strategic planning skills.
• Function as a liaison person, instructor/communicator, consultant, manager, and program manager.
• Must be able to work in a Labor/Management Partnership environment Demonstrated ability to apply organizational, problem-solving, decision making, delegation, management and communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to act as an expert authority and consultant to client departments and to utilize communication, collaboration, persuasion and negotiating skills in order to work with managers and staff in client departments on formulating, implementing and evaluating improvement plans.
• Demonstrated skills in project management.
• Demonstrated ability to plan, manage and monitor operating budgets.
• Demonstrated ability in coaching, employee counseling and performance appraisals.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate and coordinate infection prevention and control programs/services across multiple sites and with organizational, facility and departmental strategic and business goals.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Minimum three (3) years of experience as an Infection Control Professional in an acute care hospital.
• Demonstrated knowledge/experience in leading performance improvement initiatives.
• Masters degree in public health, epidemiology, environmental health, microbiology or other public health related field.