Antimicrobial Resistance Specialist

Healthcare Associated Infection/Antimicrobial Resistance Specialist   Overview An overview of the work, briefly summarizing the job, the main purpose, the objectives, and the results expected.   The mission of the Healthcare Epidemiology Program is to work to eliminate Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs) and combat Antimicrobial Resistance (AR) by collaborating with federal and state stakeholders across the healthcare continuum, and the public.   Objectives of the program include 1) responding to healthcare facility public health threats such as outbreaks related to medical devices or procedures and emerging/re-emerging pathogens that express a high resistance to antimicrobial agents or have the ability to spread quickly (e.g. Ebola, COVID-19, carbapenemase-producing organisms, Candida auris); 2) conducting surveillance or accessing data relevant to HAI and AR; and 3) use that data to reduce and prevent HAIs and AR in Maine by working directly with healthcare facilities and stakeholders.       Knowledge, Skills and Certifications Specific qualifications needed to perform the job including: necessary licenses, knowledge, skills, education, experience, training, and technical skills.   Required knowledge, skills, and certifications: A Bachelor of Science degree in a healthcare profession (e.g., Nursing, Medical Technology) and at least five years acute care clinical experience in that profession. At least three years’ experience as an Infection Preventionist in an acute care setting. Proficient in Microsoft Office (e.g., WORD, Excel, Power Point). Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a diverse group of internal and external partners. Ability to gather, synthesize, and summarize a variety of information. Ability to multitask between different projects and/or functions at the same time. Excellent problem-solving skills. Ability to prioritize and utilize resources and support staff to complete assignments in a timely and efficient manner. Ability to take complex scientific concepts and simplify them into practical understandable terms.   Preferred knowledge and skills: Experience in Microbiology and/or Molecular Biology. CIC® certification from Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology (CBIC). Proficient in host functions for virtual meetings (e.g., Microsoft Teams and Zoom). Experience with National Electronic Disease Surveillance System (NEDSS) Base System (NBS), a U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) developed integrated information system that helps local, state, and territorial public health departments manage reportable disease data and send notifiable disease data to U.S. CDC.   Duties and Deliverable – Outline of specific job duties: Specific duties required of the resource, as well as any expected deliverables, including necessary travel expectations.   Specific Job Duties:   Enter cases reported and associated laboratory testing information into the program’s log and into NBS. Assessing log entries for patterns suggestive of an outbreak (by case count and timeframe) or a facility experiencing first case(s).  Alert emerging Multi-drug Resistant Organism (eMDRO) Lead of such events. Review polymerase chain reaction (PCR) laboratory reports and enter results into program log and NBS. Review whole genome sequencing (WGS) laboratory reports and enter patterns into program log.  Compile facility specific reports on findings. Monitor wastewater testing results for Candida auris and result into an Excel spreadsheet.  Alert eMDRO Lead of positive finds or patterns/trends. Develop eMDRO education and training modules, including voice-over narrative for web-based learning.  Partnering with Project Firstline Lead for any education that may fall under Project Firstline initiatives. Other duties as assigned.   Expected Deliverables:  Weekly activity report.    In-State Travel:  None.   Out-of-State Travel:  None.   Schedule A summary of work schedule, including normal working hours, on-call expectations, allowed time off (which is non-billable), ability to work remote. Normal working hours:  This position is for a maximum of 10 hours/week, on average.  The normal working hours for this position are flexible.   On-call Expectations:  None.   Allowed time off:   Any requests for non-billable allowed time off will need approval by Department Program Manager.   Ability to work remotely:  This position is eligible for remote work; however, employee must live within Maine.

Salary : $36