Public Health Biomedical Prevention Specialist

Boston Medical Center (BMC) is more than a hospital. Its a network of support and care that touches the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in need each year. It is the largest and busiest provider of trauma and emergency services in New England. Emphasizing community-based care, BMC is committed to providing consistently excellent and accessible health services to all-and is the largest safety-net hospital in New England. The hospital is also the primary teaching affiliate of the nationally ranked Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and a founding partner of Boston HealthNet - an integrated health care delivery systems that includes many community health centers. Join BMC today and help us achieve our Vision 2030 which is a long-term goal to make Boston the healthiest urban population in the world.

Position: Public Health Biomedical Prevention Specialist

Department: Infectious Disease

Schedule: Full Time

POSITION SUMMARY:

This position is a special role designed for the Public Health programs. The Biomedical Prevention Specialist (BPS) will work across all outreach and screening programs and public health interventions. The BPS will have the primary responsibility of testing patients for HIV/HCV/STIs/TB and delivering test results directly to patients and linking positives to necessary services/care. They will work with the medical providers, the BMC lab, and program management to ensure that these positive patients receive appropriate interventions such as disease risk reduction, partner notification services, further testing, needs assessments, MDPH/CDC/BPHC funded interventions, and any other necessary services.

The BPS will conduct outreach on the BMC campus and in the community when necessary to follow-up and engage positive cases for linkage to care. All positive STI and HCV patients will be followed closely by the BPS through medical engagement up until treatment completion. HIV positive cases will be referred to the HIV Clinic and a warm handoff to Medical Case Management will occur. The position will conduct individual HIV/HCV/STI/TB prevention counseling sessions based on a DPH required acuity tool. Within these sessions, the BPS will be required to educate and refer any high risk patients to biomedical prevention strategies such as PrEP and nPEP.

The BPS will conduct sexual health risk assessment and risk reduction services, and assessing the acuity of need for further interventions and follow up. Staff will be trained to assess risk for TB and any patient needing TB services including LTBI will be directly referred to the BPHC TB clinic. The BPS will track all work in the EMR as well as an internal database. The BPS will also receive referrals from BMC and community staff for HIV/HCV/STI/TB testing and navigation services. The BPS conducts all activities within the standards, regulations, and contract assurances of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) contract.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES / DUTIES:

Conducts HIV/HCV/STI/TB testing, counseling and education sessions

• Performs HIV tests by finger stick & blood draw methods

• Performs HIV, Hepatitis, TB, syphilis test by blood draw

• Performs Chlamydia and Gonorrhea test by urine specimen collection.

• Able to educate patients on self-collection methods for anal, rectal, throat and vaginal swabs

• Provides navigation based on acuity assessment during testing sessions

• Refers all positive patients to care and services

• Works with the Department of Public Health field epidemiologists on cases

• Provides patient education on HIV, STI, and Hepatitis, and TB

• Will utilize any future testing method required by the funder

• All testing session information will be documented in the EMR

Navigation of positive patients into medical care and other services

• Deliver positive HIV/STI/HCV/TB test results directly to patients

• Communicate effectively, professionally, and in a timely manner with providers

• Work closely with the BMC lab and the MDPH state lab

• Conduct needs assessments and refer patients into care and services

• Referrals to behavioral health services and substance use treatment as necessary

• Must be able to respond spontaneously and immediately when notified about positive results or assigned by management to those cases

• Refer patients to primary care, this will mostly be for positive patients and high acuity patients based on the DPH developed acuity tool

• Assist patients with insurance issues, this will mostly be for positive patients and high acuity patients based on the DPH developed acuity tool

• Write accurate notes in the BMC EMR and in the other tracking systems for a specific contracts

• Follows-up with relevant providers as needed

• Responding to the EMR messaging system in a timely manner

• Must be able to write and communicate in a professional manner appropriate to a major hospital

• Has detailed knowledge of HIV/HCV/STIs/TB and able to communicate appropriate information to patients and providers

• Works with positive patients on Partner Notification Services and follows up as appropriate

• Navigate positive patients through the entire process of medical engagement until completion of treatment or cure

• Able to conduct chart reviews in the EMR to make decisions about the linkage to care process and follow-up until treatment completion including tracking all the steps in the EMR so the treatment team can view notes

• Must be able to travel across the BMC campus and throughout the city of Boston to community outreach sites when necessary

• Effectively work in a team with community outreach sites and within BMC when necessary

Conducts individual HIV/HCV/STI/TB acuity based prevention and education

• Will utilize DPH required acuity tool and risk assessment tools

• Performs basic HIV/HCV/STI risk assessment with individuals.

• Provides basic acuity based navigation and "case management" and referral services to patients encountered.

• Any high risk patient is referred directly to PrEP/nPEP and the Public Health NP

• Tracks and monitors appointments and referrals as appropriate.

• Collects data as needed for program evaluation.

• Conducts data entry and tracks it through an internal data system and any specific mandated systems, including the BMC EMR

• Able to conduct behavioral intervention sessions for high acuity patients

Collects all programmatic data

• Submit surveillance forms to MDPH or any other mandated forms and systems

• Able to input data into computer systems, including the BMC EMR

• Able to think critically and logically when handling patient information, particularly around newly diagnosed HIV and all other positive patients

• Respond in a timely manner to deadlines and program management

• Responsible for following up and tracking any cases until there is a resolution

• Tracks and monitors referral from various client referrals sources.

• Be able to report basic level data to program management

• Attends all necessary trainings to become proficient in prevention and education methods and for continuing maintenance of proficiency. Maintains established department standards for prevention and education service delivery

• Distributes prevention materials (pamphlets, condoms, bleach kits, etc.) to target populations. Demonstrates safer sex techniques to patients by using anatomy models, when appropriate. Demonstrates safer injection techniques to patients using syringe models, when appropriate Attends meetings as requested by the program manager to represent BMC as needed.

• Attends staff meetings and communicates progress and problems to Program Manager. Attends clinical supervision staff support group. Participate in regular public health program implementation team meetings. Participate in CDC/MDPH/BPHC meetings with other grantees if requested.

• Remains knowledgeable of, and follows, appropriate policies, procedures, and work standards, including but not limited to, those regarding hours of work, absenteeism, and tardiness.

• Maintains competency in appropriate areas of responsibility to ensure quality of care. Maintains patient confidentiality; is comfortable handling sensitive personal information. Follows established hospital infection control and safety procedures

• Utilizes hospital values as basis for decision making and to facilitate BMC missions. Models the ability to set professional boundaries.

• Performs other duties as assigned or as necessary.

Must adhere to all of BMC's RESPECT behavioral standards.

OTHER DUTIES:

Other duties as specified by supervisors

(The above statements in this job description are intended to depict the general nature and level of work assigned to the employee(s) in this job. The above is not intended to represent an exhaustive list of accountable duties and responsibilities required).

JOB REQUIREMENTS

EDUCATION:

• Associates degree (or equivalent, such as completion of medical assistant training) plus 1 - 2 years of work experience or
• Bachelor's degree, preferably in human services public health, human services, social work, research, or related field.
• However, an equivalent combination of education and experience or specific certifications/licensures, which provides proficiency in the areas of responsibility, may be substituted for the education and experience requirements

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS REQUIRED:

• CDC/MDPH HIV education training and certification required (may be obtained post-employment)
• Phlebotomy Training (may be obtained post-employment)

EXPERIENCE:

• Experience in public health related medical/social/testing issues, including addiction, homelessness, sexuality, and refugee/immigration issues preferred or other comparable Human Services, Mental Health, Addiction, or Social Services experience preferred. Experience in public health Prevention and Education also preferred.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• Bilingual/bicultural candidates preferred.

• Excellent communication, interpersonal, organizational, and time management skills.

• Ability to help clients with diverse psychosocial needs.

• Motivation and self-direction; ability to prioritize competing responsibilities in fast-paced programmatic setting.

• Skills related to leadership, motivation, group dynamics, and client retention

• Computer competency, including the ability to enter and access data, required.

• Ability to work autonomously and as a member of a diverse team.

• Ability to work with other community-based human services organizations

• Sensitivity to populations at increased risk for disease acquisition (through intravenous drug use, exposure to an intravenous drug user, high-risk sexual activities such as prostitution, street criminal activity, and homelessness)

• Flexibility with client's priorities, evolving needs, and goals.

• Sensitivity to ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation, values, beliefs, and behaviors

• Ability to enter and track data through internal data system and medical note writing in the EMR

• Ability to meet deadlines

Equal Opportunity Employer/Disabled/Veterans