Tribal Communicable Disease Epidemiologist

Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board•Portland, OR

12d•Onsite

About The Position

About the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB) The Northwest Tribes have long recognized the need to exercise control over the design and development of health care delivery systems in their local communities. To this end, they formed the Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (also referred to as NPAIHB or "the Board") in 1972. Guided by a vision of "Health and Wellness for the Seventh Generation," NPAIHB is a 501(c)3 designated (non-profit) organization and Tribal organization, P.L. 93-638, under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (ISDEAA) serving the 43 federally recognized Tribes in the states of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington (Northwest Tribes). Tribes become voting members of the Board through resolutions passed by their governing body. Each member Tribe designates a delegate to serve on the NPAIHB Board of Directors. Led by our Board of Directors, NPAIHB's mission is to "eliminate health disparities and improve the quality of life of American Indians and Alaska Natives by supporting Northwest Tribes in their delivery of culturally appropriate, high-quality health programs and services." We have a staff of over 120 professionals dedicated to advancing Tribal health for the 7th generation in the Pacific Northwest. The NPAIHB's Strategic Plan 2025-2030 can be found here . Position Summary The Tribal Communicable Disease Epidemiologist (CD Epi) is responsible for leading data analysis, data communication, training, and coordination activities related to the Northwest Tribal Epidemiology Center's (NWTEC) communicable disease surveillance and prevention activities in addition to advancing data analysis and reporting related to vaccinations. Duties include, but are not limited to: conducting statistical analysis and interpretation of data; developing and providing trainings to Northwest Tribes on communicable disease epidemiology, outbreak investigations, and vaccine epidemiology; providing consultation on the epidemiology, control, and prevention of communicable diseases to Tribes and other partners and assisting with survey/tool development; participating in the development of local-level health status reports, manuscripts, dashboards, and presentations; supporting data access and quality improvement activities, such as record linkages; and providing technical assistance to Tribes and Tribal health programs on a variety of data and public health issues. The CD Epi m ust have knowledge of communicable disease processes and control measures, notifiable conditions and their associated reporting, and vaccination principles. They must have experience in management and analysis of large and/or complex databases. They must have intermediate to advanced skills in statistical software such as SAS, SPSS, R or Stata. SAS and R programming experience are preferred. They must demonstrate a willingness and capability to learn new software applications, such as QuickSight, MatchPro, AWS, and other applications. The CD Epi supports the NPAIHB's Epidemiology & Surveillance Unit of 5 public health professionals who provide routine surveillance, data analysis, and reporting to Northwest Tribes. The CD Epi reports to the Project Director of the Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit. This scope of work is housed within the NWTEC Division. This position is based at NPAIHB's offices in Portland, Oregon. Local travel and/or overnight travel outside of the area is required approximately 15% of the time.

Requirements

Minimum education required: Master of Public Health (MPH) Degree, with focus in epidemiology and/or biostatistics, or related field
Minimum experience required: At least four (4) years of experience managing, analyzing, and/or interpreting public health data
At least four (4) years of experience in a health or public health field, preferably as an epidemiologist or biostatistician
Demonstrated knowledge, discretion, tact, judgment, and overall ability in working effectively with federal, Tribal, and other professionals, and facilitating participation and partnership in the activities of the Epidemiology & Surveillance Unit
Proficiency with computer applications (specifically Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other Microsoft Office Suite programs)
Strong technical writing skills, including good spelling and grammatical skills, and the ability to produce polished deliverables under a deadline
Excellent research and analysis skills
Excellent interpersonal skills
Must be sensitive to cross-cultural differences, and able to work effectively within their context
Ability to work with minimal supervision, exercise initiative, and make independent decisions and recommendations
Ability to make professional oral presentations in settings at the national, regional, and community levels, as well as in Tribal settings
Ability to complete tasks in a timely and accurate manner
Ability to travel occasionally (approximately 15% of the time)

Nice To Haves

Direct experience working with Northwest Tribes
Experience in the planning, organization, implementation, and follow-up of public health-related coalitions
Some experience with GIS software and Epi Info a plus.
Some familiarity with substance use and maternal child health epidemiology due to comorbidities and risks

Responsibilities

Serve as a subject matter expert for communicable disease epidemiology within NWTEC, with a focus on sexually transmitted infections, respiratory diseases, and vaccines
Prioritize and pursue access to communicable disease and immunization data sources based on Tribal needs
Design and conduct statistical analysis of survey data and health status data, including but not limited to: communicable disease registry data, immunization registry data, vital statistics, hospitalization, emergency department, and health services utilization data.
Understand and document dataset limitations, and maintain and support quality improvement and data management activities
Prepare and maintain technical documentation related to communicable disease and immunization-related analyses
Assess racial misclassification in AI/AN communicable disease/immunization-related data, disseminate findings, and support NWTEC work to correct misclassification and improve recording of racial data
Conduct interpretation of statistical findings and translation of results for tribal health status reports and other publications
Participate in preparation of reports, manuscripts, and presentations to disseminate project activities and results
Respond to communicable disease and immunization data requests and provide technical assistance to Tribes and partners upon request
Support epidemiology and surveillance by working with NWTEC data modernization efforts
Participate or lead state, regional, and national workgroups related to AI/AN communicable disease/immunization data and support NWTEC and Tribal data interests
Assist in collecting and analyzing evaluation data to measure progress towards grant and organizational goals
Participate in assessing tribal data and training needs, and lead the development of trainings, capacity building tools, and products to respond to tribal needs
Ensure that all project data are maintained with complete confidentiality in accordance with the Federal Privacy Act, IRB specifications, and NWTEC policies for data management, analysis, and dissemination
Collaborate with internal and external partners in order to achieve tribal, organizational, and grant-related goals
Ensure compliance with all human subjects requirements for confidential and/or limited data access
Assist in preparing and submitting IRB protocols, data sharing and confidentiality agreements, and ensuring compliance with all human subjects requirements
Assist the Project Director with outreach, planning, and implementation of project activities.
Participate in and lead meetings, site visits, and conferences as required to achieve project objectives
Maintain well-organized filing system for documents and computer files
Submit a Monthly Activity Report (MAR) to the Project Director at the end of each month and any additional tracking of project activities as needed
Research, and with the approval of supervisor, attend trainings as needed to improve skills that enhance overall capabilities related to job performance
Perform other duties as assigned by the Epidemiology & Surveillance Unit Project Director and/or Executive Director or designee
Act in service to the Tribes and Tribal communities we serve
Uphold the Mission, Values, and Vision of the NPAIHB
Maintain the highest level of confidentiality with all NPAIHB information and documentation
Consistently exhibit professional behavior and a high degree of personal and professional integrity and impartiality appropriate to the responsible and confidential nature of the position
Exercise good judgment and initiative in performance of duties and responsibilities
Demonstrate high emotional intelligence in the performance of all duties and responsibilities
Orientation toward learning, innovation, service, and the building of second-line leadership
Commitment to building an organizational culture which centers NPAIHB's service to Tribes, promotes professional excellence, and builds an environment where employees grow and thrive
Commitment to build an inclusive workplace across a range of identities and experiences, including (but not limited to) geography, age, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, class, language, disability, religion, spiritual practices, and immigration status
Sees diversity as a strength, and equity as a baseline
Work in a cooperative manner with all levels of management and with all NPAIHB staff
Effectively plan, organize workload, and schedule time to meet workload demands
Use reasonable judgment to consistently display professional work attire during normal business hours, and/or dress appropriately for the workday, space, or event in lieu of a formal dress code
Be present, available, and responsive for meetings and calls during regular working hours
Commit to sharing knowledge and building expertise by participating in all virtual spaces in our workplace with cameras on
Show consideration by communicating effectively and building collective understanding
Recognize relationships are the cornerstone of NPAIHB's work by treating all NPAIHB delegates/ alternates, partners, staff, and American Indian/Alaska Native people with dignity and respect
Participate willingly in NPAIHB activities