Career Opportunity

Medical Director - Communicable Disease - Senior Physician Specialist (2232)

Recruitment: REF4248L

Published: July 19, 2023

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About:

Two Positions
The Department of Public Health’s Communicable Disease Control and Prevention Section (CDCP) within the Population Health Division is accepting applications for full-time Senior Physician Specialist positions in its Prevention Unit and in its Control Unit.

• ✅Start with this Required Questionnaire
  https://forms.office.com/g/AfawwHcmMP
• 🏁Once and for All
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    • Each position does not have its own separate application
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  • Position-specific details will follow from them
    • Respond whenever interested or wait for the next notice

Position One – Prevention Unit
Deputy Medical Director – Communicable Disease Prevention Unit

• Under the direction of the CDPU Medical Director, this position provides clinical leadership, operational guidance, and supervision to the CDPU team tasked with planning and implementing routine and special vaccination campaigns to address vaccine-preventable diseases.
• They will collaborate closely with colleagues in the Communicable Disease Control Unit (CDCU) to ensure integration between communicable disease (CD) prevention and control efforts and will share clinical supervisory duties for RN and NP staff at the health department’s Adult Immunization & Travel Clinic.

Position Two – Control Unit
Medical Director – Communicable Disease Control Unit

• Under the direction of the CDCP Director, this position provides clinical and administrative leadership for CDCU and collaborates closely with CDPU on shared CD prevention and control efforts.
• This position will direct the activities of CDCU and provide consultation and oversight of the control of communicable disease cases and outbreaks. The position will be responsible for supervising the managers of public health nurses and other professional and paraprofessional personnel.
   

Schedule/Shift: M-F, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, as well as rotating 24-hour "on-call" approximately once every 8 weeks; additionally, evening, nights, weekends and/or holiday shifts may be required depending on operational need.

Role description

Position One – Prevention Unit

Under general supervision of the CDPU Medical Director, the Deputy Medical Director of CDPU will perform the following duties:

• Lead efforts to plan and implement targeted campaigns to immunize the eligible population against current and emerging vaccine-preventable diseases
• Contribute as a section, branch, or unit leader to disease-specific outbreak responses organized according to principles of Incident Command Structure
• Develop expertise to serve as clinical subject matter expert with respect to vaccination policy, vaccine eligibility, vaccination data repositories, and vaccination logistics
• Respond to requests for information and guidance on vaccine-related matters from clinical and non-clinical stakeholders
• Write technical guidance for health care providers to support public health policy and direction for emerging issues in CD prevention & control
• Lead multi-disciplinary teams to conduct assessments, devise and execute disease prevention interventions, and evaluate outcomes
• Clinically supervise nursing and nurse practitioner staff at the Adult Immunization & Travel Clinic (AITC)
  • Develop knowledge base and practice experience that includes all routinely recommended vaccines for adults and adolescents, TB clearances, and testing for immunity to vaccine-preventable diseases
  • Develop expertise in consultation and preventive care in advance of travel to international destinations, including vaccination, anti-malarial and other medications for the prevention or treatment of travel-related illnesses, and non-pharmaceutical measures for maintaining health while traveling internationally.
  • Write or supervise writing of clinical protocols and standing orders
  • Participate in developing clinic processes, policies, standards, and workflows
  • Authorize care provided by RNs as documented in electronic medical record (Epic)
• Collaborate with clinical and non-clinical staff in the CDCU to integrate efforts between CD prevention and control teams and identify opportunities to improve population health
• Develop and refine metrics for evaluation of CDPU work and program effectiveness, and implement quality control initiatives
• In collaboration with epidemiologists in the SFDPH’s Population Health Division, identify strategies and develop initiatives to optimize the use of data sources to characterize vaccination rates for San Franciscans
• Supervise CDPU staff (including assignment of job duties and responsibilities, scheduling and coverage, annual performance appraisals, conflict resolutions, disciplinary procedures, and daily problem-solving)
• Advance vaccination equity by participating in division-wide and department-wide health equity work
• Maintain collaboration with state, city, and community collaborators and partners
• Liaison with SF Unified School District for school-required immunizations and communicable disease control processes.
• Assist in applying for, monitoring, and managing grants, budgets, and contracts
• Maintain clinical expertise in communicable diseases and serve as an on-call CD physician while providing direct patient care (5-10% FTE) at AITC or another public health setting
• Other duties as assigned

Position Two – Control Unit

Under general direction of the Communicable Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP) Director/CD Controller, the CDCU medical director:

• Directs the activities of the Communicable Disease Control Unit (CDCU);
• Provides medical consultation, technical support, and policy direction to CDCU staff in investigating and controlling cases and outbreaks of communicable diseases other than TB and STI/HIV, and responds to emerging communicable disease issues;
• Supervises the managers of professional and paraprofessional staff in CDCU;
• Participates in the development of strategic goals and objectives of CDCU as well as CDCP as a whole as part of the CDCP leadership team;
• Develops and implements operational plans to meet strategic goals and objectives;
• Works with CDCP leadership team to further the integration of CDCU staff and activities with the Communicable Disease Prevention Unit (CDPU) and the Adult Immunization and Travel Clinic (AITC), especially regarding collaboration, training, preparedness, case and outbreak investigation, and disease prevention and control activities, including in the field or via a mobile team.
• Oversees quality improvement activities;
• Assists in administrative supervision of all staff and coordination of recruitment, training, education, and staff development activities;
• Stays up to date on communicable disease trends and state and federal guidance;
• Advises and updates SFDPH leadership and other stakeholders concerning key communicable disease issues;
• Works with public information officer to develop materials for the public;
• Represents CDCU and SFDPH in meetings with agencies, community groups and medical provider groups, and maintains good working relationships with key partners and agencies to achieve goals;
• Leads local infection prevention working group and works with hospital and clinic leadership;
• Sets direction for data surveillance and analysis by CD epidemiologists
• Oversees development and updating of communicable disease protocols and surveillance activities;
• Provides medical education and develops guidance for clinicians to prevent and control communicable diseases, including writing health advisories on emerging CD issues, and provides individual consultation to medical providers as needed;
• Provides physician cross-coverage and contributes to prevention activities in CDCP;
• Assists in monitoring and managing of grants, as applicable;
• Trains, supports, and manages the after-hours on-call DPC physician pool; serves as on-call physician after hours for approximately one in every eight weeks, providing phone consultation for urgent communicable disease issues after hours;
• Performs essential duties of a senior physician specialist and other related duties as assigned.  

Desirable Qualifications

Position One – Prevention Unit

• Board certified or board eligible in pediatrics, internal medicine, family medicine, or preventive medicine, or, if in another specialty, equivalent experience with immunizations
• Master of Public Health (MPH) or related field
• Experience supervising clinical and administrative staff
• Excellent communication skills, including writing and public speaking skills
• Ability to work as part of a team, to prioritize and handle multiple tasks and work independently in a high-pressure environment
• Participation in grant applications, budgeting, and/or management
• Experience working with diverse communities, including Black/African American, Latinx, AAPI, LGBTQ+, persons experiencing homelessness
• Commitment to providing first-class care and service to all members of the DPH service population, with heightened sensitivity and awareness to racial, ethnic, and culturally diverse members of the DPH’s workforce and patient populations
• Desire and commitment to lead and participate in antiracism, racial justice, and equity work that impacts quality of patient care, and improvements in employee experiences; along with the commitment and fortitude to push and drive change in these areas

Position Two – Control Unit

• Board certified/eligible in internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, infectious diseases, preventive medicine, or emergency medicine.
• Master of Public Health (MPH) or related field.
• CDC Epidemiology Intelligence Service Traineeship or similar.
• Experience in infection control/hospital epidemiology.
• Experience investigating and managing large outbreaks.
• At least two years of experience as a public health physician and/or medical epidemiologist, engaging with communities impacted by communicable diseases and crafting policies and responses with a focus on health equity.
• Experience collaborating with state and federal agencies, such as CDPH or CDC, on multi-jurisdictional responses to health concerns.
• Experience supervising clinical and administrative staff.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work as part of a team, to prioritize and handle multiple tasks and work independently in a high-pressure environment.
• Participation in grant applications, budgeting, and/or management.
• Experience working with diverse communities, including Black/African American, Latinx, AAPI, LGBTQ+, persons experiencing homelessness.
• Desire and commitment to lead and participate in antiracism, racial justice, and equity work that impacts quality of patient care, and improvements in employee experiences; along with the commitment and fortitude to push and drive change in these areas

How to qualify

⚠️Required Before Applying⚠️

1. Possession of a valid license to practice medicine issued by the Medical Board of California or the Osteopathic Medical Board of California*
   AND
2. Possession of valid Board Certification in the appropriate medical specialty area for the assigned facility or division**

*Applicants possessing a valid license to practice medicine issued from another state within the United States of America may apply, but if selected, the candidate will NOT be appointed/hired until they obtain a valid license to practice medicine issued by the Medical Board of California or the Osteopathic Medical Board of California.

Conditions of Employment

• **These positions require Board Certification in medical specialty areas including, but not limited to: Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, etc. If you have valid Board Certification in a medical specialty area, please respond accordingly on the Required Questionnaire.
• All qualified candidates who have been selected for appointment to positions in all specialty areas must be an eligible billable provider and will be required to meet all of the following criteria:
  • Be eligible to participate in Medicare, Medicaid and/or other federal health care programs
  • Possess a National Provider Identifier (NPI)
  • Submit a completed credentialing application and/or required documentation for credentialing
  • Possess a valid third-party billable provider certification (such as Medicare, Medi-Cal and/or private insurance) OR have submitted a completed billable provider application, along with the required documentation, in order to obtain the appropriate billable provider status

These criteria and 'Conditions of Employment' must be met within two (2) weeks prior to the start work date to avoid delay of the appointment to the position and/or cancellation of an employment offer.

Desirable Qualifications

• Board certified or board eligible in pediatrics, internal medicine, family medicine, or preventive medicine, or, if in another specialty, equivalent experience with immunizations
• MPH or equivalent experience in public health
• Experience supervising clinical and/or administrative staff
• Excellent communication skills, including writing and public speaking skills
• Ability to work as part of a team, to prioritize and handle multiple tasks and work independently in a high-pressure environment
• Participation in grant applications, budgeting, and/or management
• Experience working with diverse communities, including Black/African American, Latinx, AAPI, LGBTQ+, persons experiencing homelessness
• Commitment to providing first-class care and service to all members of the DPH service population, with heightened sensitivity and awareness to racial, ethnic, and culturally diverse members of the DPH’s workforce and patient populations
• Desire and commitment to lead and participate in antiracism, racial justice, and equity work that impacts quality of patient care, and improvements in employee experiences; along with the commitment and fortitude to push and drive change in these areas

Verification
Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency, can be found at https://sfdhr.org/how-verify-education-requirements.

What else should I know?

Supplemental Questionnaire 
Applicants must complete a Supplemental Questionnaire as part of the online application process. The information provided on the Supplemental Questionnaire must be consistent with the information on the application and is subject to verification. Applicants’ Supplemental Questionnaire responses will assist with assessing for positions.

Selection Procedures
The department may implement screening mechanisms in order to determine applicants’ qualifications for this position. Only applicants most closely meeting the needs of the department will be invited to continue in the selection process. Applicants meeting the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through all steps in the selection process.    

Additional Information

• Information About The Hiring Process
• COVID-19 Policies
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Medical Examination Prior to Hiring
• Electronic Health Record (EHR)
• Copies of Application Documents
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview  
• Equal Employment Opportunity 
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Veterans Preference
• Right to Work
• Diversity Statement

Contact
Eliot.Watt@sfdph.org 628-271-6704

We may use text messaging to communicate with you if you include a mobile number in your application. The first message will ask you to opt in to text messaging.

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CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT:  All City and County of San Francisco employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Someone is fully vaccinated when 14 days have passed since they received the final dose of a two-shot vaccine or a dose of a one-shot vaccine. Any new hire must present proof of full vaccination status to be appointed. Any new hire who will be routinely assigned or occasionally enter High-Risk Settings, must provide proof of having received a COVID-19 booster vaccine by March 1, 2022, or once eligible.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.