JOB TITLE: EPIDEMIOLOGY PROGRAM SPECIALIST

JOB CODE: 34475

DEFINITION: This is professional investigative and analytical work in public health or environmental health epidemiology.

An employee in this job conducts or provides support and technical assistance to active disease, hazard, or threat investigations or studies at the state or local level to ensure compliance with regulations and established procedures. Work includes monitoring and maintaining active surveillance systems; conducting site visits; collecting data; and facilitating investigations and data sharing between health care providers, laboratories, and state, federal, and local agencies. Work also includes explaining the application of program policies, standards, procedures, and objectives to health investigators and data collectors within the Department of Health, county/municipal health agencies, health care providers, and others. Work is performed with considerable independence and is reviewed by a higher level epidemiology professional or public health official for conformance with acceptable epidemiological principles, policies, and procedures.

EXAMPLES OF WORK: (NOTE: The examples of work are representative of the work, but every position classified to this job may not perform all examples of work listed. Conversely, this is not an all-inclusive list of work examples.):

• Coordinates with team members and community partners to identify public health problems related to infectious diseases, chronic diseases, maternal and child health, bioterrorism/emergency response, environmental health, injury, occupational health, oral health, substance abuse, toxic substances, or mental health.

• Organizes data from surveillance systems, investigations, literature reviews, toxicological data, or other sources.

• Identifies gaps in available data and develops methods to gather additional data.

• Reviews completed case reports, questionnaires, and data abstraction forms collected by investigators to determine need for additional information or to prepare reports.

• Determines feasibility of epidemiologic or environmental investigations.

• Prepares descriptive, narrative, and statistical reports.

• Identifies disease burden and develops hypotheses for the cause of disease or health risk.

• Provides advice and technical assistance using control, containment, or mitigation guidelines to help identify and resolve health risks.

• Participates in preparation of health consultations and environmental health risk assessments.

• Evaluates and reports on the success of measures taken to control disease outbreaks or mitigate environmental health threats.

• Evaluates data collection, reporting, and investigation methods and systems, and recommendation procedural improvements.

• Conducts training sessions for field personnel on data collection, reporting, and methods, to ensure compliance with accepted principles.

• Maintains survey records including persons interviewed and samples collected.

• Prepares and provides scientific presentations or reports to diverse audiences.

• Travels on a regular basis.

• Performs related work as required.

ENTRY LEVEL KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of public health or environmental health investigation principles, concepts, and procedures.

• Knowledge of research methods.

• Knowledge of scientific investigation methods.

• Knowledge of data confidentiality and security practices.

Knowledge of health risk factors.

• Knowledge of statistical methods and techniques used in sampling, collection, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of health data.

• Ability to analyze and interpret data.

• Ability to interpret and apply policies, rules, and regulations.

• Ability to communicate effectively orally.

• Ability to communicate effectively in writing.

• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships.

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING: (NOTE: Based on the Entry Level Knowledges, Skills, and Abilities):

• One year of experience performing public health or environmental health investigations, and a bachelor's degree that includes or is supplemented by six credits in epidemiology, environmental health, statistics, or research;

or

• A master's degree that includes or is supplemented by six credits in epidemiology, environmental health, statistics, or research.