Disease Surveillance Program Supervisor

CITY OF PHILADELPHIA PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT

4A10
DISEASE SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM SUPERVISOR

Specialties
( AIDS ) ( Infectious Diseases ) ( Bilingual )

GENERAL DEFINITION

This is supervisory and administrative disease surveillance and control work. An employees in this class is responsible for reporting and maintaining accurate data regarding AIDS and AIDS-related syndromes or communicable diseases in Philadelphia county, and assigning, reviewing and participating in the work of a unit of investigators engaged in case discovery, disease surveillance and/or disease control activities. Implementation and direction of a system-wide disease surveillance program which includes contact with the general public, private and public health care providers, registries and laboratories, and supervision of an AIDS surveillance or communicable disease surveillance and control staff are significant aspects of the work. Work is performed under the general direction of an administrative supervisor.

ALLOCATING FACTORS:
(The following conditions must be met for a position to be approved for this class.)

The employee must direct a system-wide disease surveillance program.
The employee must supervise a staff of investigators and trainees engaged in disease surveillance and related activities.
The position must be located in the Disease Control Division of the Health Department.

TYPICAL EXAMPLES OF WORK (ILLUSTRATIVE ONLY)

ALL SPECIALTIES

Trains and directs subordinate employees in the performance of case discovery, data collection and case reporting responsibilities; reviews and evaluates subordinates' work to insure compliance with program standards, funding agency priorities and expectations, and departmental policy and procedures; provides direction and consultation on difficult cases.
Prepares directly, and through subordinates, periodic summary and statistical reports for general distribution as well as to support the activities of other programs and departmental staff; provides reports and data to state and federal agencies and others as appropriate; participates in the preparation and implementation of grant proposals for the provision of funding for on-going, as well as specific, surveillance, investigation and control activities.
Establishes and maintains relationships with public and private health care providers, registries and laboratories to ensure comprehensive surveillance and completeness in case reporting.
Performs related work as required.

AIDS SPECIALTY

Plans, assigns, monitors and evaluates discovery, surveillance and related activities of subordinates engaged in contacting health care providers, hospitals, registries, clinics and laboratories for reporting cases, reviewing death certificates and performing detailed epidemiologic investigations on selected cases; participates in the more sensitive AIDS discovery and tracking projects; prepares and maintains a training and procedures manual for surveillance field workers.

Reviews and analyzes reports submitted by surveillance field workers, and research data and technical information in order to make recommendations for improvements in program operations; evaluates program efficiency and recommends methods to enhance it; consults with internal and external epidemiologists, researchers, and other investigators in the design and implementation of special projects and studies; makes special assignments to field workers for the purpose of statistical analysis.

Maintains accurate case registry files and reviews case registry lists provided by state and federal agencies to assure consistency and confidentiality; works in conjunction with information management staff to maintain and update computer files and produce reports on a regular and as needed basis.

Serves as liaison to other governmental health reporting agencies, private and public health care providers, and other facilities and programs within the standard metropolitan statistical area; participates in medical forums, lectures and public education programs on AIDS and AIDS-related syndromes and the surveillance program.

INFECTIOUS DISEASES SPECIALTY

Assigns, monitors, and evaluates subordinates engaged in surveillance activities for communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, and sexually transmitted diseases; assigns referrals of individuals to a group of investigators and trainees engaged in the detection and control of communicable diseases such as tuberculosis, venereal disease and measles.

Reviews caseload progress with subordinate staff; examines daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly caseload progress reports prepared by subordinate investigators and trainees.

Makes field investigations to determine the effectiveness and progress of the unit staff in locating and interviewing diseased individuals; takes action, where indicated, to insure uniformity in application of epidemiological techniques.

Personally conducts, or assists in conducting, epidemiological investigations involving the more complex cases, especially those requiring special motivating techniques; interviews neighbors and relatives, and searches files of public agencies to locate persons; educates them regarding their disease; motivates them to reveal epidemiological information and to obtain medical aid.

Obtains, compiles and analyzes information to define public health problems, and to evaluate the effectiveness of public health disease control activities.

May participate in periodic immunization programs for communicable disease control.

Maintains a variety of records and reports.

BILINGUAL SPECIALTY

Performs the duties shown above in one of the specialty areas with members of the English language speaking and designated non-English language speaking populations.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

KNOWLEDGE OF:

the U.S. Public Health Service Standards for disease surveillance and infectious disease control.
the techniques of infectious disease control field investigations.
interviewing and motivating principles and techniques as they relate to disease control investigation.
the applicable medical aspects and indicators of AIDS and AIDS-related syndromes in the AIDS specialty.
the applicable medical aspects of communicable diseases in the Infectious Disease specialty.
the methods and techniques involved in administering vaccines and tuberculin skin tests, and in taking and processing specimens for disease control activities in the Infectious Disease specialty.
investigative methods and techniques as they relate to disease control in the Infectious Disease Specialty.
the statistical methods and techniques and computer applications used in descriptive epidemiology.
in-service training principles, methods and techniques.

SKILL IN:

interviewing and eliciting sensitive personal and epidemiological information.
administering vaccines and tuberculin skin tests in the Infectious Diseases specialty.

ABILITY TO:

train, direct, and supervise employees engaged in disease surveillance work.
prepare reports and present findings and conclusions in a clear and comprehensive manner, both orally and in writing.
compile and analyze data to define public health problems, and to evaluate control activities.
analyze and resolve complex problems encountered by subordinate surveillance personnel.
plan, assign, and review the work of a staff of field investigators and trainees.
employ tact, diplomacy and judgment in dealing with sensitive problems and hostile attitudes.
establish and maintain effective working relationships with clients, representatives of registries, laboratories and governmental agencies, physicians and nurses, health care providers, community groups, associates, and the general public.

MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE

(The following statement represents the minimum training and experience standards which will be used to admit or reject applicants for tests. Applications submitted by candidates for this class will be reviewed based on training and experience requirements as approved on 8/92.)

EDUCATION

All Specialties

Completion of a bachelor's degree program at an accredited college or university.

Bilingual Specialty

Sufficient training and/or experience to be able to understand and speak fluently and clearly in English and a designated non-English language.

AND
SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE

AIDS Specialty

Two years of experience at the full performance level performing surveillance of AIDS and AIDS-related syndromes.

Infectious Disease Specialty

Two years of experience at the full performance level in the detection and control of communicable diseases and public health surveillance work.

PHYSICAL AND MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS

Ability to physically perform the duties and to work in the environmental conditions required of a position in this class.

LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS, AND/OR CERTIFICATES

Possession of a valid proper class motor vehicle operator's license as issued by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania prior to appointment and during tenure of appointment as a Disease Surveillance Program Supervisor.

PAY RANGE: EP20
Class Established:
CSC - 6/1988 ; Ad Board - 7/1988

Latest Spec. Revision:
CSC - 5/1993 ; Ad Board - 7/1993

SK/sr/sb

END OF JOB CLASS SPECIFICATION - 4A10

4A10DISEASE SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM SUPERVISOR

4A10
DISEASE SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM SUPERVISOR