4D03
MEDICAL SPECIALIST

  This is supervisory medical work in the area of specialization. Employees in this class provide technical guidance to public health clinic personnel engaged in examining and treating patients. An employee in the Medical Epidemiology specialty develops, implements and evaluates the City's public health epidemiological activities. The responsibility for directing the activities of a number of medical personnel and for securing and maintaining the cooperation of patients and their families is of significance to the work.

1. Employees in this class must provide technical guidance to physicians and extended care providers engaged in examining and treating patients in the area of specialization at municipal health clinic(s).
2. These positions must be located in the Health Department.

  Visits clinics to observe standards of medical care being given; confers with medical and nursing personnel; selects and review medical history charts, x-rays, and reports of laboratory analyses and examines patients who represent difficult problems of a diagnostic or therapeutic nature; confers with families and arranges for specialized medical care which cannot be provided in the health centers.

  Conducts case conferences and seminars to present unusual or interesting cases to all medical personnel; calls staff and individual conferences to explain and interpret departmental policies and procedures; evaluates clinic practices and recommends changes in procedures to improve service to patients; investigates and recommends new techniques in diagnosis and treatment.

  Provides consultative services to hospital; advises hospital officials on clinic operations; establishes procedures for training resident physicians in health clinics; orients new clinic physicians to public health policies and objectives; directs study and research projects and training of staff physicians and residents; lectures to lay and professional groups.

Performs an annual written evaluation and annual chart reviews for each subordinate physician and extended care provider assigned to the specialty clinic.

  Maintains citywide surveillance network for reportable diseases; updates list of diseases that are reportable, as necessary; reviews cases of communicable diseases reported from public and private medical care providers and from laboratories citywide to confirm or rule out diagnosis; reviews case investigations of confirmed communicable diseases to ensure timeliness and completeness; ensures that all potential at-risk contacts have been identified and that appropriate disease prevention steps have been taken; identifies disease outbreak situations citywide; determines and implements appropriate outbreak control measures, including mass immunization, quarantine, removal form high-risk employment, as necessary.

  Performs related work as required.

MEDICAL EPIDEMIOLOGY SPECIALTY

  Investigates acute and chronic diseases and designs epidemiological studies to identify specific disease risk factors to recommend proper control measures; provides consultant services to the medical community including private practitioners on communicable disease problems.

KNOWLEDGE OF:
• the principles, practices, literature and current developments of the appropriate medical specialty
• the principles, practices, and current developments of general medicine and surgery
• organizational structure, functions and general policies and procedures of managed health care organizations
• the principles and practices of preventive medicine as they apply to the appropriate medical specialty
• the principles and objectives of public health medical programs in the appropriate medical specialty
• medical jurisprudence
ABILITY TO:
• supervise the work of a number of clinic physicians and extended care providers engaged in examining and treating patients
• examine patients, diagnose disease, and to prescribe and administer treatment in the field of specialization
• coordinate work with other professional groups and individuals in the control of disease
• establish and maintain effective working relationships with associates, officials of hospitals and governmental agencies, and patients

EDUCATION

Graduation from an accredited school of medicine or osteopathy, with a degree of Doctor of Medicine or Osteopathy and completion of an internship in an approved hospital.

Completion of all formal training requirements and certification by the appropriate American Medical Specialty board.

AND
GENERAL EXPERIENCE:

Two years of experience in the field of specialization.

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

Possession of a valid unrestricted license to practice medicine or osteopathy in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania issued by the appropriate state board prior to and during tenure of employment as a Medical Specialist.

Eligibility for an unrestricted Controlled Substances Registration Certificate from the United States Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, and possession of such certificate within six months of the date of appointment and during tenure of employment.

Eligibility for hospital admitting privileges in the appropriate specialty department, and possession of hospital admitting privileges within one year of appointment and during tenure of employment, if required by work assignment.

Completion of one hundred fifty (150) hours of continuing medical education (CME) credits within three years from the date of appointment, of which a minimum of sixty (60) hours shall be Category I credits.