Data Collector

DEPT OF HEALTH/MENTAL HYGIENE; New York (NY); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Pension plan

Tax-deferred savings program

Work From Home Policy

Job summary

NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene seeks a Public Health Adviser to support the Medical Monitoring Project, performing interviews, data collection, and referrals to care for HIV patients. The role requires evening and weekend hours, strong communication, and outreach skills.

You will engage with sampled individuals, conduct interviews, abstract medical records, and ensure data quality across systems.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with twelve semester credits in health education or health sciences; or six months of relevant health promotion experience.
• Bachelor’s degree plus six months health promotion or intervention experience.
• Four-year high school diploma and four years of relevant experience; education and/or experience equivalent to above.

Responsibilities

• Utilize data sources to obtain contact information for sampled persons and conduct investigations to locate them.
• Engage in outreach to contact and recruit sampled persons to participate in the project.
• Conduct interviews with sampled persons using the standard MMP questionnaire.
• Conduct medical record abstraction for interviewed persons.
• Make referrals for linkage to HIV care and partner services, plus ancillary services (housing).
• Timely record all activities in project databases.
• Perform and follow-up on data and project quality assurance activities.

Skills

Patient interview

Contact tracing

Medical record review

Community outreach

Written communication

Oral communication

Fluent English

Spanish/French/Creole preferred

NYS Driver's License desirable

Evenings/weekends availability

Education

Bachelor’s degree in health education or health sciences

Job description

ONLY PERMANENT EMPLOYEES IN THE TITLE AND THOSE THAT ARE REACHABLE ON THE PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISER CIVIL SERVICE LIST ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY.

Division/Program Summary:

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMH)’s Bureau of Hepatitis, HIV, and Sexually Transmitted Infections (BHHS) oversees the City’s response to viral hepatitis, HIV, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Its mission is to improve the lives of New Yorkers by ending transmission, illness, stigma, and inequities related to viral hepatitis, HIV, and STIs. BHHS’s work includes testing initiatives; prevention, care, and treatment programming; epidemiology and surveillance; training and technical assistance; community engagement; social marketing; policy advocacy; and racial equity and social justice initiatives. Housed within BHHS, the Medical Monitoring Project (MMP), which is being conducted through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is an HIV surveillance system that collects data on a probability sample of adults with diagnosed HIV in the United States. MMP allows data collection from a representative sample of HIV-diagnosed persons on clinical and behavioral information relevant to clinical outcomes, adherence to antiretroviral and other medical treatments, and relevant data on those who are out-of-care, with the goal of informing and guiding HIV prevention, care, and treatment efforts. The mission of BHHS is to end HIV transmission, promote the health of all New Yorkers with or vulnerable to HIV, reduce HIV-related inequities and combat stigma.

The Medical Monitoring Project (MMP) is an HIV surveillance system that selects a representative sample of HIV-diagnosed adults, including those not receiving HIV care, from HIV case surveillance registries in 21 state and metropolitan areas, including New York City. MMP allows data collection from HIV-diagnosed persons on clinical and behavioral information relevant to clinical outcomes, adherence to antiretroviral and other medical treatments, and relevant data on those who are out-of-care, with the ultimate goal of guiding HIV prevention, preventive behaviors, and service utilization. MMP is seeking to add a team member who will be assigned to the following work hours: Tuesday to Thursday: 12noon to 8pm Friday & Saturday 9am to 5pm.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

• Utilize various data sources to obtain contact information for sampled persons and conduct investigations to attempt to locate sampled persons.
• Engage in outreach efforts to contact and recruit sampled persons to participate in the project.
• Conduct interviews with sampled persons using standard MMP questionnaire.
• Conduct medical record abstraction of sampled persons interviewed for MMP.
• Make appropriate referrals for persons needing linkage to HIV care and partner services, as well as for any identified ancillary services (e.g., housing).
• Timely record all activities in project databases.
• Perform and follow-up on data and project quality assurance activities.

Why you should work for us:

Benefits: City employees are entitled to unmatched benefits such as:

• a premium-free health insurance plan that saves employees over $10K annually, per a 2024 assessment.
• additional health, fitness, and financial benefits may be available based on the position’s associated union/benefit fund.
• a public sector defined benefit pension plan with steady monthly payments in retirement.
• a tax-deferred savings program
• a robust Worksite Wellness Program that offers resources and opportunities to keep you healthy while serving New Yorkers.

• Work From Home Policy: Depending on your position, you may be able to work up to two days during the week from home.
• Job Security - you could enjoy more job security compared to private sector employment and be able to contribute to making NYC a healthy place to live and work.

Established in 1805, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC Health Department) is the oldest and largest health department in the U.S., dedicated to protecting and improving the health of NYC. Our mission is to safeguard the health of every resident and cultivate a city where everyone, regardless of age, background, or location, can achieve their optimal health. We provide a wide array of programs and services focused on food and nutrition, anti-tobacco support, chronic disease prevention, HIV/AIDS treatment, family and child health, environmental health, mental health, and social justice initiatives. As the primary population health strategist and policy authority for NYC, with a rich history of public health initiatives and scientific advancements, from addressing the 1822 yellow fever outbreak to the COVID-19 pandemic, we serve as a global leader in public health innovation and expertise.

Come join us and help to continue our efforts in making a difference in the lives of all New Yorkers!

Commitment to Equity:

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.

The NYC Health Department is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to providing access and reasonable accommodation to all individuals. To request reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, contact Sye-Eun Ahn, Director of the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, at [e-mail] or 347-396-6549.

PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISER - 51191

Minimum Qualifications

1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college, including or supplemented by twelve semester credits in health education, or in health, social or biological sciences; or 2. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college, and six months of full-time satisfactory experience in a health promotion or disease intervention/prevention program, performing one or more of the following: interviewing, conducting field investigations, assessing health risks, making referrals, or collecting and analyzing epidemiological data; or 3. A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent, and four years of full-time satisfactory experience as described in "2" above; or 4. Education and/or experience equivalent to "1", "2" or "3" above. Undergraduate college credit can be substituted for experience on the basis of 30 semester credits from an accredited college for one year of full-time experience. However, all candidates must have a four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent, and either twelve semester credits as described in "1" above or six months of experience as described in "2" above. Additional Requirements A. To be assigned to Assignment Level II, candidates must have, in addition to meeting the minimum qualification requirements listed above, at least one year of experience as a Public Health Adviser, Assignment Level I, or at least one additional year of experience as described in Qualification Requirement "2" above.

Preferred Skills

• Patient interview, contact tracing/partner notification, medical record review, and community outreach experience.
• Excellent written and oral communication.
• Fluent English and either Spanish or French/Creole preferred.
• NYS Driver's License highly desirable.
• Must be able to work alternative hours (evening and weekends).

55a Program

This position is also open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate at the top of your resume and cover letter that you would like to be considered for the position through the 55-a Program.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/.

Residency Requirement

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.