Infection Preventionist

Established in 1980, the Greater Lawrence Family Health Center (GLFHC) is a multi-site mission-driven non-profit organization employing over 700 staff whose primary focus is providing the highest quality patient care to residents throughout the Merrimack Valley. Nationally recognized as a leader in community medicine (family practice, pediatrics, internal medicine, and geriatrics), GLFHC has clinical sites throughout the service area and is the sponsoring organization for the Lawrence Family Medicine Residency program.

GLFHC is currently seeking an Infection Preventionist to join our team. The Infection Preventionist (IP) is responsible for the development, implementation, and ongoing management of the infection control program. In this role, the IP will focus on the prevention of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) by monitoring data, identifying risks, investigating outbreaks, and educating staff on evidence-based practices, including but not limited to hand hygiene, isolation, and cleaning protocols.

The IP collaborates the Accreditation Leader, Operations, Clinical and Facilities Management teams to ensure compliance with regulations and to minimize disease spread. In this role the (IP) act as a consultant to the healthcare team and in driving quality improvement in infection control within healthcare settings. The IP provides specific oversight of infection prevention practices related to high-priority communicable diseases prevalent in community health settings, including HIV, tuberculosis, hepatitis B and C, sexually transmitted infections, and emerging infectious diseases.

The IP promote a culture of safety and impact the health of patients, workers, staff, and community members.

• Develop, implement, and evaluate the organizational infection prevention program to include policies and procedures for surveillance, pandemic preparedness, hand hygiene, standard precautions employee infection control education, employee health, outbreak management, and transmission-based precautions.
• Develops, implements, and monitors disease-specific infection control plans, including TB Infection Control Plans, Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Plans, and respiratory protection programs.
• Ensures appropriate infection prevention practices are implemented in non-traditional care settings, including mobile health units, outreach events, and shelters.
• Completes an Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA) at least annually and revises as needed.
• Develops a risk management plan as informed by the ICRA.
• Collaborates with stakeholders to ensure outcomes outlined in the risk management plan are met.
• Establish a routine, ongoing, and systematic collection, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of surveillance data to identify infections, infection risks, and communicable disease outbreaks and to maintain or improve patient and staff outcomes.
• Develop an annual surveillance plan based on the population(s) served, services provided, and analysis of surveillance data.
• Contributes to surveillance activities.
• Organizes data and evaluates trends, including identifying opportunities for improvement.
• Evaluate and modify the surveillance plan and infection prevention policies and procedures no less than annually and as needed.
• Monitors cleaning, disinfection, sterilization processes and equipment safety.
• Identifies risks associated with water management, air quality, waste handling and biosafety practices.
• Prepares the agenda for the Infection Control Committee and actively participates in or facilitates committee work related to risk management, safety, and quality improvement.
• Works in partnership with Facilities Management team to ensure risks associated with construction is minimized.
• Collaborates with the Quality and Accreditation Manager and Compliance Officer to ensure alignment in risk management and compliance strategies.

• Supports the orientation and onboarding all new staff in safe infection prevention practice based on evidence based protocols, policies, procedures and regulatory guidance.
• Updates educational content as informed by evidence, regulatory guidance and…