The Fund for Public Health in New York City (FPHNYC) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that is dedicated to the advancement of the health and well-being of all New Yorkers. To this end, in partnership with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), FPHNYC incubates innovative public health initiatives implemented by DOHMH to advance community health throughout the city. It facilitates partnerships, often new and unconventional, between government and the private sector to develop, test, and launch new initiatives. These collaborations speed the execution of demonstration projects, effect expansion of successful pilot programs, and support rapid implementation to meet the public health needs of individuals, families, and communities across New York City.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The NYC Health Department, Bureau of Hepatitis, HIV, and STI (BHHS) Viral Hepatitis Program (VHP) works to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with hepatitis B and C in New York City. The VHP conducts surveillance, and develops and implements programs and projects to prevent, manage and treat hepatitis B and C, including perinatal hepatitis C.

The VHP also administers multiple direct outreach telephone-based patient navigation projects to support people living with hepatitis C and B in New York City through outreach, engagement, connection to hepatitis care, retention in care and health education, to prevent ongoing transmission, liver disease and liver cancer.

This position is located at the NYC DOHMH at 42-09 28th St, Queens, NY 11101.

POSITION OVERVIEW

The Viral Hepatitis Program is recruiting a Program Assistant who will collaborate with the NYC Health Department staff and external community providers to engage people living with or at risk for hepatitis B and/or hepatitis C, persons who have recently given birth and their infants at risk for perinatal exposure, and people who are at risk for overdose in MAT/harm reduction services. Under the supervision of the Perinatal Hepatitis C Coordinator, the Program Assistant will perform chart abstractions of infants who have been exposed to hepatitis C during birth, conduct outreach and provider interviews to pediatric providers, conduct enhanced surveillance case investigations for adults recently infected or reinfected with hepatitis C, engage and connect clients to hepatitis medical care, MAT and/or harm reduction services.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Assist with perinatal hepatitis C surveillance activities including reaching out to pediatric providers to conduct medical chart abstractions for infants born to people with hepatitis C at or before time of delivery.
• Contact individuals and providers over the phone to conduct hepatitis C enhanced surveillance investigations.
• Enter medical chart abstraction data, patient, and provider interview data into the VHP REDCap database.
• Conduct patient navigation services including giving health education on hepatitis B/C and overdose prevention, connecting to MAT/harm reduction services, offering referrals for supportive services including health insurance access, scheduling medical appointments, delivering timely reminders, calling providers for care coordination, and supporting linkage to hepatitis care, return to care as well as retention in care.
• During telephone navigation, address drug use related risk behaviors and engage clients in the MAT/harm reduction services and educate drug use safety methods and sharing related resources with clients.
• Document activities accurately and comprehensively in the electronic disease surveillance system. Keep documentation up to date and maintain patient confidentiality.
• Attend internal staff meetings and external meetings with community partners or providers.
• Give case presentations and case discussion in meetings.
• Support project planning, implementation, data collection, evaluation, and data reporting under supervision of the Perinatal Hepatitis C Coordinator.
• Follow project protocol and procedures to archive project goals.
• Report to supervisor and leadership on progress of projects.
• Complete other tasks as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelors degree is required.
• Fluent in English. Bilingual is preferred. Able to read and type in electronic devices is also preferred.
• Experience in conducting patient and/or provider interviews in public health and/or research settings.
• Experience conducting outreach to pediatric providers and conducting medical chart abstractions.
• Experience with patient navigation services and health education on hepatitis B and/or C via telephone.
• Experience in delivering overdose prevention education and connecting clients to MAT/harm reduction services.
• Basic knowledge of drug user, homelessness, and immigrant health care access.
• Comfort with talking about drug use, mental health issues or other sensitive topics with clients.
• Comfort with making outreach phone calls to patients and speaking to clinical providers.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to develop health care access plan with clients.
• Excellent communication skills and interpersonal skills; work well with others.
• Highly organized with attention to detail. Good oral, written, and documentation skills.
• Strong attention to detail and time management. Able to handle multiple patient cases at one time.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams. Experience with REDCap database preferred, but not required.
• Strong desire to help others, empathetic, responsible, and self-motivated.

Selected candidate must be able to provide proof of COVD-19 vaccination.

SALARY & BENEFITS

This is an hourly paid temporary position. $22 per hour, 35 hours per week. Selected candidate is eligible for benefits via staffing agency.

TO APPLY

To apply, send resume with cover letter including how your experience relates to this position. We ask that you do not contact our staff directly and no phone inquiries please. Applicants who best match the position needs will be contacted.

The Fund for Public Health in New York City is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages a diverse pool of candidates to apply.