NHSN Epidemiologist - Health Professional III - HAI​/AR Program Communicable Disease Branch

Disease Control & Public Health Response – HAI/AR Program, Communicable Disease Branch

You must be a resident of the State of Colorado to be eligible to apply.

This is a term-limited position and funding cannot be guaranteed beyond July 31, 2027.

We are committed to increasing the diversity of our staff and providing culturally responsive programs and services. Therefore, we encourage responses from people of diverse backgrounds and abilities.

Be BOLD.... Make a REAL difference … and join us in serving our communities in advancing Colorado's health and protecting the places we live, work, learn, and play, to create a healthy and sustainable Colorado where current and future generations thrive.

In addition to free parking, access to RTD bus lines, Cherry Creek bike path, and flexible working arrangements, review additional benefits and perks at Careers.

Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

The Division of Disease Control and Public Health Response (DCPHR) is the department’s lead surveillance, planning and response arm for public events including communicable disease outbreaks and epidemics, pandemics, bioterrorism, and other public health and mass casualty events and disasters. The division includes the Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response;
State Public Health Laboratory;
Health Equity Branch, Communicable Disease Branch;
Immunization Branch;
Public Health Informatics, Reporting, Technology Branch;
Refugee Branch; and Operations Branch. The Division exists to ensure that the Department has the ability to effectively prepare for, monitor, detect, diagnose, investigate, and nimbly respond to all types of conditions, events and disasters that impact the public’s health.

The Unit:
The objectives of the Communicable Disease Branch are to monitor, investigate, and control epidemic and communicable diseases affecting public health in Colorado, as required under Colorado statute, including enteric diseases, invasive bacterial diseases, respiratory diseases, vaccine-preventable diseases, zoonotic diseases, foodborne and waterborne diseases, tuberculosis, and healthcare-associated infections.

The Healthcare-Associated Infections and Antimicrobial Resistance (HAI/AR) Program has a mission to prevent health care-associated infections and control the spread of emerging antimicrobial-resistance threats in all health care settings in Colorado through surveillance, containment and response, infection prevention, and antimicrobial stewardship.

This position supports the reporting of healthcare-associated infections to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment by licensed healthcare facilities according to Colorado Revised Statutes 25‑3‑601 – 25‑3‑607. This position conducts projects to validate healthcare-associated infection data reported by healthcare facilities into the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN).

• Complete training and develop expertise in the use of NHSN.
• Complete training on NHSN data validation methods.
• With supervisor and CDC, determine number and type of conditions to validate and the timeframe.
• Conduct outreach to healthcare facilities for participation in NHSN validation projects.
• Conduct medical record review and data abstraction.
• Conduct data analysis and summary for CDPHE and CDC.
• Report findings to participating healthcare facilities with guidance for improvement.
• Report findings to the HAI Advisory Committee.
• Report findings to CDC.
• Develop expertise in the use of NHSN and CDC’s Secure Access Service (SAMS) that houses NHSN.
• Organize and maintain health care facility reporting groups within NHSN.
• Enroll facilities to report healthcare-associated infections to CDPHE via NHSN and update health care facility reporting plans.
• Verify that health care facilities are fulfilling reporting requirements when applying for license renewal.
• Provide technical assistance to health care facilities required by statute to submit HAI data into NHSN.
• Guide health care facility staff on the NHSN enrollment process, access to the Secure Access Management Service (SAMS) that houses NHSN, how to join Colorado reporting…