Infection Control Preventionist Level II

Overview

Lincoln Medical and Mental Health Center is one of New York City’s premier acute care hospitals. Located in Downtown Bronx, Lincoln is a teaching hospital renowned for its Centers of Excellence, and a recognized industry leader in the implementation of state‑of‑the‑art medical technology and best practices. Our team of highly trained and caring medical professionals is dedicated to providing the highest quality health care that is safe, compassionate, culturally competent and patient‑centered.

Comprehensive services are offered in three major primary care areas:
Medicine, Pediatrics, and Women’s Health in addition to more than eighty (80) specialty services. At Lincoln, the safety and comfort of our patients is our number one priority.

At NYC Health + Hospitals, our mission is to deliver high quality health services, without exception. Every employee takes a person‑centered approach that exemplifies the ICARE values (Integrity, Compassion, Accountability, Respect, and Excellence) through empathic communication and partnerships between all persons.

Purpose of Position
:
Under varying levels of supervision, depending on Assignment Level, the employee conducts, facilitates, develops and monitors activities and functions relating to surveillance, investigation, analysis, interpretation, reporting, prevention and control of infections and communicable diseases. The employee participates in assessing, implementing, and maintaining a culture of safety across the continuum of care, performs a wide range of prevention and control functions, and supports the delivery of safe patient‑centered, quality care across departments to improve outcomes and patient experience.

The role acts in compliance with applicable local, state, and federal rules and infection control standards.

Key Responsibilities
:

• Responsible for infection prevention and control components including surveillance with a primary focus on education and consultation of healthcare providers.
• Demonstrates expert‑level understanding of surveillance data gathering, use of surveillance software, definition application, and reporting.
• Acts as a member of the Infection Prevention and Control Committee.
• Prepares and reviews reports; accurately reports "reportable diseases" to the appropriate public health departments and responds to inquiries.
• Monitors and analyzes infection data, reviews daily microbiology and virology reports, and aids in outbreak investigation.
• Consults with HCPs to answer infection prevention questions and advise on isolation practices and PPE.
• Conducts mandatory education, new employee orientation, in‑services, and participates in the antibiotic stewardship program.
• Maintains compliance with regulatory and mandatory reporting requirements at local, state and federal levels.
• Performs related duties, including responding to urgent infection prevention questions after hours or on weekends.

• Conducts ongoing infection control surveillance, prevention, and control program activities within a health care setting to identify early and/or suspected outbreaks of infections and communicable diseases, and to control and reduce the risk of exposure. Approximately 80% of time will be spent on surveillance.
• Collects, tabulates, analyzes, and interprets infection data and records, and prepares and reviews reports; utilizes appropriate reporting programs; accurately reports "reportable diseases" to the appropriate public health departments and responds to public health department inquiries.
• Reviews daily microbiology and virology reports for culture results that may represent HAIs.
• Participates in apparent cause analysis to identify modifiable risk factors and other infection prevention opportunities.
• Reviews patient charts for evidence of HAIs and applies National Health and Safety Network (NHSN) definitions to identify and report HAIs through the use of an electronic surveillance system.
• Assists with investigations of clusters of infections, outbreaks, unusual infections or exposures as these events arise and participates in epidemiologic studies.
• Assists with reviewing…