Job DescriptionEstablished in 1805, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (the NYC Health Department) is the oldest and largest health department in the country. Our mission is to protect and improve the health of all New Yorkers, in service of a vision of a city in which all New Yorkers can realize their full health potential, regardless of who they are, how old they are, where they are from, or where they live. As a world-renowned public health agency with a history of building transformative public health programming and infrastructure, innovating in science and scholarship to advance public health knowledge, and responding to urgent public health crises from New York City’s yellow fever outbreak in 1822, to the COVID-19 pandemic we are a hub for public health innovation, expertise, and programs, and services. We serve as the population health strategist, and policy, and planning authority for the City of New York, while also having a vast impact on national and international public policy, including 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 racial and social justice work, among others. Our Agency’s five strategic priorities, building off a recently-completed strategic planning process emerging from the COVID-19 emergency, are: 1) To re-envision how the Health Department prepares for and responds to health emergencies, with a focus on building a “response-ready” organization, with faster decision-making, transparent public communications, and stronger surveillance and bridges to healthcare systems 2) Address and prevent chronic and diet-related disease, including addressing rising rates of childhood obesity and the impact of diabetes, and transforming our food systems to improve nutrition and enhance access to healthy foods 3) Address the second pandemic of mental illness including: reducing overdose deaths, strengthening our youth mental health systems, and supporting people with serious mental illness 4) Reduce black maternal mortality and make New York a model city for women’s health 5) Mobilize against and combat the health impacts of climate change Our 7,000-plus team members bring extraordinary diversity to the work of public health. True to our value of equity as a foundational element of all of our work, and a critical foundation to achieving population health impact in New York City, the NYC Health Department has been a leader in recognizing and dismantling racism’s impacts on the health of New Yorkers and beyond. In 2021, the NYC Board of Health declared racism as a public health crisis. With commitment to advance anti-racist public health practices that dismantle systems that perpetuate inequitable power, opportunity and access, the NYC Health Department continues to work in and with communities and community organizations to increase their access to health services and decrease avoidable health outcomes.PROGRAM AND JOB DESCRIPTION:The mission of the Bureau of Immunization (BOI) is to prevent the occurrence and transmission of diseases through immunization. The Bureau promotes the immunization of children and adults against numerous vaccine preventable diseases (VPDs). The VPD Surveillance Unit monitors and investigates reported suspect cases of VPDs including measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, varicella, and invasive pneumococcal disease in children aged less than 5 years. The Unit is responsible for assuring the identification and investigation of cases and contacts, institution of control measures, and outbreak response. The international nature of New York City, and the ongoing risk of importations, creates challenges with identifying and controlling the spread of VPDs. We strongly encourage people to apply and contribute your diversity in thought, racial identity, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability status, veteran status, and/or LGBTQI+ status to enhance the work of the DOHMH and promote the health of all New Yorkers.We welcome applicants who share the vision for a city where all New Yorkers can realize their full health potential, regardless of who they are, where they are from or where they live. DOHMH extends this vision of wellness by providing every member of our team and prospective job applicants dynamic benefits: Benefits - NYC Health , and a robust Worksite Wellness program with a wide range of offerings. As a current or prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. Please review the notice to see if you may be eligible for programs and how to apply at nyc.gov/studentloansDUTIES WILL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO: Conduct case investigations (surveillance and outbreak activities) of reported cases of vaccine preventable diseases. Perform medical chart reviews using electronic databases and at medical facilities as necessary. Conduct field investigations of reported cases of vaccine preventable diseases as necessary. Locate and refer cases and their contacts to an appropriate diagnostic facility for examination, prophylaxis, and treatment. Ensure timely and appropriate collection of specimens and testing. Enter and manage data in surveillance database (Maven) and provide Maven training and support to fellow Public Health Advisors. Perform medical chart reviews using electronic databases and at medical facilities as necessary. Conduct field investigations of reported cases of vaccine preventable diseases as necessary. Locate and refer cases and their contacts to an appropriate diagnostic facility for examination, prophylaxis, and treatment. Conduct investigations of reported adverse vaccine reactions. Perform phlebotomy as necessary. Assist, guide, and train Public Health Advisors, Level I in their investigations of reported cases of vaccine preventable diseases. In the absence of the Supervising Public Health Advisor (SPHA), assume the responsibilities of the SPHA, including training, supervision, evaluation, and training of PHAs. Perform other duties assigned in support of or related to achieving goals of the Immunization Program. IMPORTANT NOTES TO ALL CANDIDATES:Please note: If you are called for an interview you will be required to bring to your interview copies of original documentation, such as:
A document that establishes identity for employment eligibility, such as: A Valid U.S. Passport, Permanent Resident Card/Green Card, or Driver’s license.
Proof of Education according to the education requirements of the civil service title.
Current Resume
Proof of Address/NYC Residency dated within the last 60 days, such as: Recent Utility Bill (i.e. Telephone, Cable, Mobile Phone)
Additional documentation may be required to evaluate your qualification as outlined in this posting’s “Minimum Qualification Requirements” section. Examples of additional documentation may be, but not limited to: college transcript, experience verification or professional trade licenses.If after your interview you are the selected candidate you will be contacted to schedule an on-boarding appointment. By the time of this appointment you will be asked to produce the originals of the above documents along with your original Social Security card. LOAN FORGIVENESSAs 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 StudentAid.gov/PSLF."FINAL APPOINTMENTS ARE SUBJECT TO OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT & BUDGET APPROVAL”“This position MAY be eligible for remote work up to two days per week, pursuant to the Remote Work Pilot Program.”Qualifications
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
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
A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent, and four years of full-time satisfactory experience as described in "2" above; or
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.Additional InformationThe 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.