This position is located in the Quality Management Department at the Veterans Illiana Healthcare System in Danville, IL. Recruitment & Relocation Incentives have been authorized

Duties

***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION, YOU MUST LIVE WITHIN OR BE WILLING TO RELOCATE WITHIN A COMMUTABLE DISTANCE OF THE DUTY LOCATION*** The primary purpose of the Health Science Specialist - Infection Control Preventionist (ICP) will perform a variety of duties, not limited to infection prevention: surveillance, interpretation of data, design of interventions to prevent and control healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), conducting investigations of outbreaks and exposure of infectious diseases. Provides leadership and guidance in epidemiology applying and integrating a wide range of epidemiological and related scientific techniques, procedures, and methodologies to improve and maintains the Infection Prevention and Control Program. Duties include but may not be limited to the following: Integrates surveillance findings into the plans for improvement of practice and patient outcomes. Reviews, analyzes, and applies regulations, standards and guidelines, current scientific literature and publications, and recommends new or revised practices based on evidence-based infection control prevention and control strategies. Identifies populations who are at high risk for infection, utilizing principles of human growth and development to assess patient's requirements. Coordinates proactive infection prevention risk assessment and provide infection control risk mitigation recommendation involving the environment of care (EOC), including planning, design, renovation, and new construction in the facility. Facilitates and participates on performance improvements teams; facilitates engagement with overall patient, personnel, and EOC Safety; and facilitates input into supply chain system on evaluations, selections, and implementation of products and services. Develops surveillance plans and conducts surveillance and investigations by applying epidemiological principles and statistical methods, including risk stratification, to identify target populations, analyze trends and risk factors, and design and evaluation prevention and control strategies. Determines whether epidemic exists and the need for and devising control measure to eliminate an outbreak or the epidemic. Performs data management, data collection, analysis, distributes findings, chart audits, quality reviews and improvements, and prepares summary of infection prevention and control reports and statistical data for reporting at committees and leadership. Serves as advisor and guidance to management and staff and provides consultation, both in-private and public health care settings, regarding infections, communicable diseases, epidemiologic procedures, reprocessing and other infection prevention and control issues. Performs other duties as necessary. WORK SCHEDULE: Monday-Friday, 7:30am - 4:00pm Recruitment & Relocation Incentives: Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not Required Telework: VA supports the use of telework as a way to help attract and retain talented individuals in public service, increase worker productivity, and better prepare the agency to operate during emergencies. This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

Requirements

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENTS EDUCATION (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): Bachelor's or graduate/higher level degree: major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of the position. This degree must be from an educational program from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education(external link) at the time the degree was obtained. In addition to meeting the basic entry qualification requirements, applicants must have at least one of the following qualification requirements. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: Requires one full year of specialized experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-9) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience includes applying professional experience utilizing rules and regulations to analyze programs for infection prevention/control, infectious diseases, including the surveillance, prevention, and control of infection and its application that supports successful quality/patient safety outcomes and ongoing improvements in the delivery of healthcare to patients, identification of areas of opportunity, and coordination of regulatory compliance programs; and communicating in-person and in-writing to professional and administrative audiences and composing complex reports and correspondence. -OR- SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): Successfully completed3 years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree is qualifying if it provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work with a major study in the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences. -OR- COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE (TRANSCRIPT REQUIRED): Equivalent combinations of successfully completed related graduate level education (in excess of 2 years) combined with specialized experience described above may be used to meet total experience requirements. A Quality Ranking Factor* has also been requested by the facility to help determine which of the basically qualified applicants are likely to be better qualified for a position. The quality ranking factor for this position is: Experience in infection Control and Epidemiology. *Quality Ranking Factors are skills, knowledge, abilities, or other worker characteristics which could be expected to result in superior performance on the job. Quality ranking factors will not be used for screening but may be used as ranking criteria. Applicants with higher proficiency levels may rank above those with lower proficiency levels on a quality ranking factor. You will be rated on the following Competencies as part of the assessment questionnaire for this position: ComplianceCreative ThinkingInfection ControlQuality Ranking Factor IMPORTANT: A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. All experience listed on your resume must include the month and year start/end dates. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

NOTE: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address Danville VA Medical Center 1900 East Main Street Danville, IL 61832 US
• Name: VHA National Recruitment Center
• Phone: (844)456-5208
• Email: [email protected]