We are recruiting for a mission-driven Specialist, Disease Intervention to join our team!
We're with you for life’s journey. At Denver Health, purpose isn’t just something we believe in—it’s something we live every day, for life’s journey.
Our Values
Respect | Belonging | Accountability | Transparency
Department
DH TB CONTROL PROGRAM PAV L
Job Summary
Under general supervision, the Disease Intervention Specialist performs technical Public Health work in the communicable disease detection performing a combination of clinical and public health functions, treatment, and field work investigation. Responsible for working with, testing and counseling persons exposed to, infected with, or having a positive test for communicable diseases in a variety of clinical, community, business, institutional, and home settings. Work also involves providing longitudinal, community-based treatment, leading contact investigations for communicable diseases in a variety of settings, collecting critical information and reporting medical, psychological and social information to physicians, nurses, and health departments, identifying and documenting treatment side effects and adherence challenges, promoting treatment adherence to prevent TB transmission, and educating patients and community partners about the disease and course of treatment. Contribute to accurate CDC and state surveillance reporting.
Essential Functions :
TESTING AND COUNSELING
• Performs phlebotomy, injections, and sputum collection, and uses basic and specialized laboratory techniques necessary for the successful implementation and interpretation of clinical TB tests, both in the clinic and in a variety of field settings.
• Interprets test results according to current clinical standards and explains results to the patient accurately and appropriately for that individual, including report difficult information about serious and complex illnesses to nurse and doctors
• Maintain testing schedules initial and 8 week follow up and ensure patients and contacts receive timely evaluations. (25%)
PATIENT CARE AND FOLLOW-UP
• Administers treatment in a variety of settings, including through direct observation as appropriate and documents each encounter.
• Readily recognizes and reports problems or untoward events related to testing, medication and/or treatment. May perform vitals in various settings and report to the provider promptly.
• Assists patients to identify barriers to effective treatment and prevention and refers them to available resources to address these barriers.
• Support care coordination for patients with complex or multidisciplinary needs including social, behavioral or medical challenges.
• Assists with locating patients with communicable diseases who are lost to follow up.
• Maintain consistent communication with patients throughout their treatment course to promote adherence and trust. which can be minimum of 4 months to over a year. (25%)
CONTACT INVESTIGATIONS
• Leads and arrange contact investigations for communicable diseases, including identifying individuals who are indicated for testing, interviewing patients and contacts and assessing risk for TB identifying their priority status, performing testing and counseling as above, and tracking relevant data.
• Plans and implements large contact investigations, including determining necessary equipment and staffing, responding to data requests, and communicating with multiple government and community partners.
• Collaborate with local and surrounding counties and public health departments in implementing case investigations (25%)
DOCUMENTATION AND REPORTING
• Accurately documents and maintains all clinical activities including testing, counseling, treatment observation, and outreach.
• Tracks progress on assigned cases, flag delays or missed follow ups and create plans to address compliance per reporting guidelines.
• Collects and organizes data related to contact investigations, adhering to public health reporting…