Infection Preventionist/Employee Health Liaison, Infection Prevention, Full-Time, Days

ABOUT MARINHEALTH
Are you looking for a place where you are empowered to bring innovation to reality? Join MarinHealth, an integrated, independent healthcare system with deep roots throughout the North Bay. With a world-class physician and clinical team, an affiliation with UCSF Health, an ever-expanding network of clinics, and a new state-of-the-art hospital, MarinHealth is growing quickly. MarinHealth comprises MarinHealth Medical Center, a 327-bed hospital in Greenbrae, and 55 primary care and specialty clinics in Marin, Sonoma, and Napa Counties. We attract healthcare's most talented trailblazers who appreciate having the best of both worlds: the pioneering medicine of an academic medical center combined with an independent hospital's personalized, caring touch.

MarinHealth is already realizing the benefits of impressive growth and has consistently earned high praise and accolades, including being Named One of the Top 250 Hospitals Nationwide by Healthgrades, receiving a 5-star Ranking for Overall Hospital Quality from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and being named the Best Hospital in San Francisco/Marin by Bay Area Parent, among others.

What We Offer
MarinHealth offers a comprehensive suite of employee benefits that support your health, wellness, and financial security. Our robust Wellness@Work program includes onsite health & fitness classes, discounts, and promotes a healthier lifestyle for employees. We also provide a 403(b) contribution plan and company-funded retirement plan, life insurance, vacation, holiday, and sick leave. These benefits, along with our highly competitive compensation package, make MarinHealth one of the best places to work in the Bay Area. Join us and find your next career at MarinHealth.

External hires are subject to a background check and pre-employment medical screening. Qualified applicants with arrest and/or conviction records will be considered for employment in a manner consistent with federal, state, and local laws. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status or disability status, and any other classifications protected by federal, state, and local laws.

JOB SUMMARY:

Under supervision of the Infection Prevention Program Manager the Infection Preventionist develops, executes and monitors activities of infection prevention and control program of MarinHealth Medical Center to minimize the risk of acquiring new infection for patients, staff, and community. Assists in the collaboration process to maintain compliance with standards and regulations pertaining to infection control of accrediting and governing authorities. Educates, monitors and leads staff and providers IC related best practice and performance improvement activity. Implements and monitors the Annual Employee Health Immunization Clinic Program of MarinHealth Medical Center. Provides consultation to Employee Health around infectious disease related employee immunization and exposure programs.

JOB SPECIFICATIONS

EDUCATION:

One required:

• Bachelor's degree in Nursing,
• Bachelor's degree in Clinical Lab scientist -Clinical Microbiologists (CLS) or related field is required.

Preferred:

• Master's Degree in Nursing (MSN) or Public Health (MPH)
• Master's Degree of Science in Infectious Diseases or Microbiology
• MBA in Healthcare or MS Nursing

Licensure/Certification

• Required Licensure: CA Licensure as RN or Clinical Lab Scientist (CLS) and
• Required Certification: CIC certification

EXPERIENCE:

Required:

• 2 or more years of progressively responsible Infection Prevention experience working in an acute care hospital or health care setting; or equivalent combination of work experience and training.

Preferred:

• Occupational Health/ Infection Prevention experience.

PREREQUISITE SKILLS

Required:

• Understands basic medical microbiology and the mechanisms for the transmission of infection.
• Understands isolation precautions for infectious diseases.
• Knowledge of surveillance pertaining to surgical site infections, central line-associated bloodstream infections, catheter-associated urinary tract infections, ventilator-associated events, C. diff hospital-onset infections, and VRE/MRSA bloodstream infections, community and hospital-onset.
• Understands emerging infectious diseases and emergency management concerning infection prevention and control.
• Ability to work collaboratively with hospital staff, physicians, and external organizations.
• Understanding of adult learning theory, management theory, and project or change implementation.
• Demonstrated oral and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to develop, organize, and lead projects under the supervision.
• Ability to effectively turn data into information for presenting to varying audiences.
• Skills in data management, collecting, analyzing, and presenting data to groups and individuals.
• Knowledge of The Joint Commission, CMS, OSHA, CalOSHA, and Title 22 regulations: specifically related to infection control, sharps safety, blood borne pathogens, management of medical waste, COVID-19, and PPE.
• Experience with managing issues related to COVID-19 and emerging infectious disease topics, including acting as an SME on committees and helping develop plans and procedures to be applied to all employees.
• Ability to review and/or revise policies and procedures based on current scientific evidence and/or best practice information.

Preferred:

• Experience with hospital construction projects and the Infection Control Risk Assessment process.
• Experience working with Engineering on all matters related to infection prevention and control, including leaks, construction projects, and environment of care issues.
• Experience working with EVS on issues related to cleaning procedures, cleaning products, laundry facilities, education, training, and audits.
• Experience working with the Safety department on emergency management issues.
• Clinical expertise and understanding of the nursing process to effectively evaluate quality of care.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

ESSENTIAL (not modifiable)

Surveillance

• Participates in the planning, development, execution, evaluation and monitoring of surveillance activities to identify incidence, trends and variations in levels of disease or infection.

• Implements appropriate plans and measurements for prevention and control of infection.

• Participates in epidemiological investigation when indicated and reports findings to appropriate individuals and committees.

• Participates in analyzing and reporting surveillance findings.

• Notifies physicians when their patients are exposed to communicable diseases during hospitalization.

• Works collaboratively with Occupational Health Services and Departments to prevent employee exposure and to identify and potentially refer for treatment, exposed employees.

• Reports infections/communicable diseases to Public Health Department; works with local, state, and national health agencies in the study and control of infections.

Consultation

• Serves as a resource to hospital staff, physicians and to extended healthcare facilities in the ongoing effort to minimize the risk of infection to patients and staff.

• Reviews employee/volunteer/physician medical records for completion of communicable disease/immunization screening. Ensure employees are informed in writing of their laboratory results when a vaccine is needed or follow-up is indicated.

• Provides confidential education and/or counseling (within scope of licensure) for individuals as appropriate regarding immunization, communicable disease exposure and prevention, and blood-borne exposure risk and prevention.

• Disseminates current infection control information to hospital staff and physicians.

• Collaboratively designs educational programs with the Education Department to meet objectives required in the Infection Control Plan.

• Works to minimize costs associated with occurrence and the prevention of infection.

Prevention

• Evaluates and tracks blood borne pathogen exposures and provides recommendations for sharps safety.

• Provides infection prevention in-services, and other related infectious disease education to all areas of the organization and the community.

• Works collaboratively with Departments to identify and minimize the risk of infection resulting from work activities within their areas.

• Assists department leadership in designing and monitoring systems to comply with standards and regulations pertaining to infection control.

• Assists departments in implementing prevention initiatives.

Control

• Evaluates staff, physician, volunteer risk of communicable disease exposure and provides education regarding transmission, prevention, incubation period and follow-up.

• Participates as an investigator during outbreaks of infection.

• Implements appropriate isolation precautions

• Coordinates with the infectious disease physician, hospital leadership and public health officials during outbreaks, biological or bio-terrorism events.

Program Management

• Coordinates and maintains facility-wide immunization/TB screening program. Ensures database-tracking system for TB screening, immunizations, and communicable disease data is kept current in collaboration with QMS data analytics.

• In collaboration with HR/Employee Health, coordinates and maintains respirator mask fit testing program and the flu prevention program for the facility .

• Collaborates with leaders and managers to implement Infection Prevention activities at the departmental level.

• Manages sensitivities or confidential information appropriately.

• Participates in reviewing and revising policies and procedures annually in the Employee Health or Infection Prevention Manual.

• Serves as a member of the Infection Prevention & Control Committee

• Appropriately applies knowledge and skills to achieve desire program outcomes.

• Participates in organizational compliance with Infection Control standards of JCAHO, DHS, CDC and OSHA, and other regulatory agencies, collaboratively with leadership, as needed.

• Demonstrates willingness to participate in self-development of infection prevention/control knowledge and development of leadership and teaching skills.

SECONDARY (modifiable)

Special projects and other duties as assigned.

At MarinHealth, our top priority is the well-being of our employees, patients, and community. As such, we require all employees to receive necessary immunizations, including the measles, mumps, varicella, and seasonal flu vaccinations as a condition of employment and annually thereafter. Additionally, the continued recommendation to obtain a COVID booster vaccination status. We understand that some individuals may require medical or religious exemptions from these requirements, but we remain committed to prioritizing the health and safety of all. Thank you for helping us in our efforts to maintain a healthy and safe environment for all.

The compensation for this role listed on this posting is in compliance with applicable law. The selected candidate's compensation will be determined based on the individual's skills, experience, internal/market equity factors, and qualifications. This posted minimum and maximum range represents the minimum and maximum of what we reasonably expect to compensate for the position. Furthermore, all compensation decisions are ultimately determined in accordance with our compensation philosophy. Compensation for positions covered by collective bargaining agreements are governed by the agreements in the aforementioned document.

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