Public Health Advisor

Public Health Advisor

NYC-ALL BOROS

Full-time

HIV Programs

54799 – 63019

Job Description

ONLY PERMANENT EMPLOYEES IN THE TITLE AND THOSE THAT ARE REACHABLE ON THE PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISER CIVIL SERVICE LIST ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY. Division/Program Summary: The Division of Disease Control's mission is to safeguard the health of New Yorkers through identification, surveillance, treatment, control, and prevention of infectious diseases, which is achieved through varied and interrelated endeavors of its seven Bureaus. The Bureau of Hepatitis, HIV, and Sexually Transmitted Infections' (BHHS) mission is to improve the lives of New Yorkers by ending transmission, illness, stigma, and inequities related to viral hepatitis, HIV, and sexually transmitted infections. BHHS accomplishes its mission through testing initiatives; prevention, care, and treatment programming; epidemiology and surveillance; training and technical assistance; community engagement; social marketing; policy advocacy; and racial equity and social justice initiatives. New York City (NYC) has the largest and most diverse HIV epidemic in the United States. To effectively reduce HIV transmission and HIV-related morbidity and mortality, accurate surveillance data is required to guide public health decision-making. Additionally, surveillance case counts determine the allocation of millions of dollars of resources for HIV prevention as well as treatment and support services for HIV-infected persons. The HIV Surveillance Unit in the HIV Epidemiology Program (HEP) is responsible for the surveillance of HIV and AIDS in New York City and for generating the accurate case counts and complete descriptive data on diagnoses, clinical status, laboratory test results, and mortality that are needed to monitor epidemic trajectory and guide public health decision-making. Surveillance objectives include: 1) To describe HIV transmission occurring in NYC; 2) To count and describe new HIV diagnoses and new AIDS diagnoses, including timing of initial diagnosis relative to infection and progression to AIDS; 3) To count and describe people living with HIV/AIDS in NYC, including how and where they became infected, health status, care status, and vital status. Position Summary: The Public Health Advisor- Level II (PHA II) will be responsible for activities involving the collection of surveillance data during case investigations and ensuring the quality and completeness of the data. Surveillance data collection is critical in obtaining a timely and accurate picture of the HIV epidemic in NYC. The HEP PHA II may also play a critical role in helping the Program and Bureau to monitor the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on HIV epidemiology in NYC, including the effect of the outbreak on key outcomes related to HIV detection (e.g., new HIV diagnoses) and HIV care (e.g., linkage to and engagement in HIV care, and HIV viral suppression), by collecting and reviewing HIV surveillance data for all New Yorkers with HIV and those potentially co-infected with COVID-19. Job Duties and Responsibilities: - Conduct field investigations and follow-up of potential cases of HIV/AIDS as assigned in a professional and collaborative manner. Regular travel within 5 boroughs of NYC is required. - Collect data through medical chart abstractions and ensure that the data collected is complete and accurate. - Establish and maintain effective relationships with assigned providers and facilities and must maintain communication with key contacts and updates the program for changes to the facility. - Conduct routine match reviews as assigned and in a timely fashion. Matches must be completed with attention to detail. - Collect Provider Report Forms (PRFs) from medical providers and process the forms according to protocol. Check PRFs for completion and train providers in correct procedures regarding reporting. - Maintain understanding of all data collection processes and instruments. - Attend surveillance staff meetings with public health investigators and supervisors and contribute to surveillance unit meetings, in particular by communicating surveillance data collection issues and challenges to the wider group of the unit. - Perform administrative duties to support the operation of the Surveillance Unit as assigned by supervisor or leadership. Administrative duties may include staffing phone desk. - Participate in special investigations acutely related to collecting data on the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on HIV epidemiology and mortality. - Attend all mandatory meetings.

Minimum 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.

Preferred Skills

The successful candidate will have experience conducting surveillance case investigations in public health practice, specifically medical chart review. Candidate will be responsible and thorough in their review of data collected by team. The candidate will have excellent interpersonal, research, written and verbal communication skills, and will be detail-oriented with outstanding organizational skills, and able to multi-task in a fast-paced, high-volume environment. The candidate will be proficient in using various computer programs and databases and will have experience working in MS Office (Word, MS Excel) and other programs. Candidate will be open and willing to learn new computer programs as necessary. The candidate will demonstrate ability to work professionally with a diverse staff of public health investigators, epidemiologists, analysts, as well as medical providers and personnel at facilities where data collection will occur.

55a Program

This position is also open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate at the top of your resume and cover letter that you would like to be considered for the position through the 55-a Program.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education's website at

Residency Requirement

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.

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.