Public Health Advisor

Public Health Advisor

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMH)'s Bureau of Hepatitis, HIV, and Sexually Transmitted Infections (BHHS) oversees the City's response to viral hepatitis, HIV, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Its mission is to improve the lives of New Yorkers by ending transmission, illness, stigma, and inequities related to viral hepatitis, HIV, and STIs. BHHS's work includes 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.

The ACE (Assess. Connect. Engage.) Team within BHHS is responsible for providing partner services to approximately 2000 New Yorkers newly diagnosed with HIV each year, including the identification, tracing, notification and HIV-testing of their sex and needle-sharing partners. ACE staff ensures that all newly HIV-diagnosed persons are offered linkage to HIV clinical care. In addition, each year, ACE staff reaches out to approximately 3,000 people living with HIV (PWH) in NYC and appear to be out of care, this approach is known as Data to Care (D2C). ACE staff trace the out of care patients, and when found, connect them with HIV clinical care providers. Since March 2020, COVID-19 prevalence and restrictive measures have had an impact on health seeking, including HIV testing and care behaviors in NYC. For all patients and partners, ACE staff assess their needs for additional medical and social services (e.g., Hepatitis C, sexually transmitted infections, COVID-19, housing, and nutrition) and connect them with appropriate clinical and social services providers.

The ACE Team is seeking to add a team member who will be assigned to the following work hours: Tuesday to Friday: 11am – 7pm; Saturday: 10am – 6pm

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide technical assistance and aid to HIV clinic patient navigators on patient tracing and interviewing techniques.
• Interview HIV-diagnosed persons to elicit HIV-exposed partners, locate and notify partners, and administer HIV rapid testing in mobile settings to notified partners.
• Use HIV transmission network data to identify and reach out to not in care persons, including contact tracing. Connect persons who are not in HIV care with HIV clinical care providers.
• Trace and locate HIV-diagnosed persons who are out-of-care and connect them to clinical care.
• Engage HIV-diagnosed persons and their partners with HIV prevention and ancillary services.
• Link HIV-negative partners to PrEP providers for evaluation and counseling.
• Serve in an activated role reassigned to COVID-19 work within Surveillance/Epidemiology or Clinical Operations groups including but not limited to COVID-19 related investigations.
• Conduct patient and provider interview, medical record review of COVID-19 diagnosed persons to fulfill surveillance and case investigation data requirements.
• Conduct COVID-19 contact tracing and notification efforts. Administer and facilitate COVID-19 testing and vaccination efforts.
• Collect data on HIV cases to fulfill surveillance and case investigation data requirements, including medical record review, patient, and provider interviews.

Why you should work for us:

• Benefits: City employees are entitled to unmatched benefits such as: a premium-free health insurance plan that saves employees over $10K annually, per a 2024 assessment. Additional health, fitness, and financial benefits may be available based on the position's associated union/benefit fund. A public sector defined benefit pension plan with steady monthly payments in retirement. A tax-deferred savings program and 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!

Commitment to Equity: 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. 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 View email address on click.appcast.io or View phone number on click.appcast.io.