BIOLOGICAL SCIENTIST III - 64086340

State of Florida • Ocala, FL

3d • Onsite

About The Position

The incumbent is responsible for conducting ongoing countywide surveillance activities and providing essential analytic and evaluative support to strengthen the surveillance efforts of the Agency and the wider community. The incumbent will provide communicable disease surveillance services, applying the principles of epidemiology and biostatistics in case-finding, assessment, epidemiological determination, planning, and intervention to control the spread of disease. The position is also responsible for data collection, data analysis and the communication of findings. The incumbent is required to have a reliable source of personal transportation to fulfill the responsibilities of this position. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a major in one of the biological or health sciences or relevant work experience is required. The incumbent will be in an Epidemiologist position and will perform training for new Epidemiology employees. This position is under the supervision of the Nurse Manager I.

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university with a major in one of the biological or health sciences or relevant work experience is required.
• Ability to conduct fact-finding interviews.
• Ability to conduct health investigations.
• Ability to analyze data.
• Ability to plan, organize and coordinate work activities.
• Ability to prepare records and written reports.
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality.
• Ability to identify community resources.
• Ability to communicate effectively.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Ability to express thoughts clearly in English, both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to listen and understand the views of others.
• Ability to maintain self-confidence and control emotional reactions when relating to others in a group or one-on-one so effective communication can occur.
• Ability to understand and appropriately apply procedures, requirements, regulations, and policies related to specialized expertise.
• Ability to make decisions while exhibiting judgment and a realistic understanding of issues; ability to use reason, even when dealing with emotional topics.
• Ability to recognize and value the benefits in the diversity of people, ideas, and cultures.
• Ability to manage a variety of responsibilities in a timely, efficient manner.
• Ability to weigh alternative courses of action and make decisions that reflect factual information and are based on rational and logical assumptions that take organizational resources into consideration.
• Knowledge of methods of compiling, organizing, and analyzing data.
• Strong communication skills
• Experience educating clients on diseases
• Experience with reporting on statistical findings and producing data
• Experience with public speaking
• Experience investigating reportable diseases
• All Florida Department of Health positions require the incumbent to be able to learn and communicate effectively, orally and in writing, in English.

Nice To Haves

• Bilingual English / Spanish
• Working Knowledge of Public Health, specifically Epidemiology
• Ability to prioritize between assignments
• Experience speaking with other medical professionals regarding patients

Responsibilities

• Manages a diseased patient caseload, including interviewing patients; conducts field investigations, identifies other persons at risk; performs case analysis, and prepares documents relative to the epidemiological or disease control process.
• Provides disease intervention services.
• Makes recommendations and implements control measures per FDOH – Marion County standard operating procedures, state guidelines, statutes and CDC guidelines.
• Confers with supervisor and administration on recommendations.
• Conducts follow-up interviewing, investigation and other intervention procedures.
• Coordinates visitation to medical provider and laboratory offices, hospitals, schools, or other sites of illnesses and/or outbreaks.
• Monitors infectious disease reports and provides follow-up on positive lab results with private medical providers in the community.
• Conducts case investigations which may include emerging and highly infectious diseases.
• Collaborates with other health department staff, infection control practitioners in hospitals, nursing homes, and other facilities for the identification, investigation, and control of infectious diseases.
• Maintains a surveillance program to ensure timely and accurate reporting of diagnosed infections and positive laboratory evidence.
• Performs data analysis and management using ESSENCE, Merlin data systems, and other surveillance databases as needed.
• Coordinates surveillance activities around outbreak prevention and response strategies within health department response plan and in collaboration with other public health programs.
• Performs data entry in Merlin and other appropriate databases.
• Performs analysis, and evaluation for the prevention and control of communicable diseases including but not limited to: food borne and waterborne illnesses and general infectious diseases, including influenza (seasonal and pandemic).
• Prepares surveillance reports, data summaries, and other written documentation for publication, presentation, or dissemination.
• Creates graphs and charts to illustrate data.
• Provides training and consultation to staff on surveillance techniques, interventions, and surveillance systems.
• Adapts training and education practices to the needs of diverse populations.
• Provides related training to county health department staff, other agency staff, and population-based in epidemiological or disease control programs.
• Provides information on the prevention, transmission, surveillance, and control of infectious diseases to community, clients, or health care professional groups.
• Attends meetings with community partners to share and yield vital information.
• Consults with and advises health care providers, educators, researchers, and others regarding applications of field epidemiology, surveillance data, socio-cultural interventions, and important health alerts.
• Performs community presentations as necessary on specific diseases and outbreaks.
• Assists supervisor with annual budget and quarterly budget monitoring.
• Promotes personal and profession growth, and the Agency’s mission, by participating in required training.
• Performs other related duties as assigned, including providing assistance in response to and recovery following natural or human-made disasters.

Benefits

• Annual and Sick Leave benefits
• Nine paid holidays and one Personal Holiday each year
• State Group Insurance coverage options, including health, life, dental, vision, and other supplemental insurance options
• Retirement plan options, including employer contributions
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Tuition waivers

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level