Investigative Assistant

State of Iowa; Des Moines (IA); On-site; USD 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid time off

Retirement plan

401A plan

IPERS retirement package

On-site fitness center

Employee assistance program

Teleworking after 6 months

Job summary

The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) seeks a motivated Investigative Assistant to join the Licensing Division in Des Moines. You’ll support the investigation and disciplinary process, manage complaints, and coordinate with boards and health professionals.

Ideal candidates have solid reporting skills, ability to meet deadlines, and comfort working with diverse populations. A bachelor’s degree is required, and background in investigations or case management is

Qualifications

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Professional, courteous, and ethical conduct in all interactions.
• Detail oriented with focus on accuracy and thoroughness.
• Ability to gain knowledge of statutes, rules, and professional standards.
• Able to work collaboratively with teams and external partners.

Responsibilities

• Serve as key contact for the complaint, investigative and disciplinary process.
• Review and prioritize complaints; route to Board or initiate investigations as needed.
• Enter and maintain investigative files in database; monitor status of cases.
• Coordinate with Boards Health Professions Investigators and provide background information.
• Prepare investigative files for hearings; assist with documentation and records.

Skills

Written & verbal communication

Professional & ethical conduct

Detail oriented

Regulatory knowledge

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

The Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL) is seeking a highly motivated, skilled, solution-oriented, and enthusiastic professional to join our regulatory department and serve as an Investigative Assistant (Program Assistant 2) within our Licensing Division at our central office near Valley Junction in Des Moines, Iowa.

Who We Are

DIAL’s mission is to Achieve Compliance through Education, Regulation, and Due Process for a Safe and Healthy Iowa. Our goal is to be an effective, efficient and approachable regulatory agency.

DIAL is a multifaceted regulatory agency charged with protecting the health, safety, and well-being of Iowans, and is comprised of eight core operational divisions: Administrative Hearings, Building & Construction, Health & Safety, Investigations, Labor/OSHA, Licensing, Workers’ Compensation, and Administration.

The Investigations and Inspections Bureau of the Licensing Division is responsible for fielding complaints and overseeing the investigatory/disciplinary process. Investigation types include, but are not limited to, patient boundary issues, competency concerns, infection control, drug diversion, and failure to comply with Board orders.

The Investigative Assistant position reports to the Bureau Chief of Investigations and Inspections and will serve as the key contact regarding all aspects of the complaint, investigative and disciplinary process. A background in investigations or case management, including detailed reporting and management of a high volume of cases, is desirable. This position will be located at 6200 Park Avenue in Des Moines.

What We’re Seeking

The successful candidate for this fast-paced position is a motivated, organized, and detail-focused individual. Applicants should have a proven track record of completing tasks on a strict deadline, experience working with diverse populations, work well in a team environment and have a desire to learn rules for various professions. Desired skills and abilities include:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Conducts business in a professional, courteous and approachable manner
• Displays high standards of professional and ethical conduct
• Detail oriented and committed to providing high quality service
• Ability to gain a strong working knowledge of all statutes, administrative rules, and professional standards
• Ability to work collaboratively with team members, supervisors, and both internal and external partners

What You’ll Do

You will be an integral member of our Investigations and Inspections administrative team, providing direct support to the agency’s operations by:

MANAGEMENT/COORDINATION OF COMPLAINTS AND INVESTIGATIONS

• Serve as key contact, to both the public and licensees, regarding all aspects of the complaint, investigative and disciplinary process.
• Review and prioritize all complaints received; determine, based on severity of complaint, which will be routed directly to the Board, which can be addressed through subpoena, and which require investigation.
• Enter and maintain all investigative files in database and regularly monitor the status of outstanding complaints.
• Send necessary correspondence to complainants, patients and licensees.
• Update investigative files as additional information becomes available.
• Provide direction and planning assistance to the Health Professions Investigators to coordinate all investigations.
• Provide complaint information and background information to the Boards Health Professions Investigators.
• Monitor and documents investigations currently pending.
• Correspond with complainant and licensee relative to status of investigations.
• Secure further investigative information upon request from complainant, peer reviewer, licensee or Board.
• Resolve complaints, by working with the licensee and complainant, related to the access of patient records.
• Handle administrative tasks of the investigative process such as requesting and analyzing reports from the Prescription Monitoring Program or evidence shared from other enforcement agencies such as insurance companies or other state and federal agencies.
• Develop and maintain data sources and tracking mechanisms for complaints about Board actions related to discipline.

COORDINATION OF BOARD MEETINGS AND HEARINGS

• Ensure that all complaints and investigative materials are appropriately compiled and organized for Board member review.
• Attend Board meetings, Committee meetings and Teleconference calls.
• Forward all disciplinary action to parties requesting this information, such as insurance companies, other state agencies, National Practitioner Data Bank, etc.
• Oversee the compilation of information, including patient records, radiographs, etc. for Board review at Board meetings.
• Conduct research on previous Board actions; provide the Executive Director and Board with historical context during closed sessions.
• Provide quarterly reports to the Executive Director as requested regarding complaint data and trends.
• Prepare investigative file for hearing.
• Write Letters of Warning and Letters of Information at the Board's request.

MALPRACTICE MONITORING

• Transmit final Decisions and Orders of the Board to reporting agencies such as National Practitioners Data Bank conforming to and implementing laws concerning such dissemination.
• Forward all disciplinary action to parties requesting this information, such as insurance companies, other state agencies, National Practitioner Data Bank, etc.
• Monitors malpractice complaints received by the Board office. Forwards all necessary correspondence to patients and licensees involved.

What We Offer

When you join DIAL, you help to make Iowa safer and healthier, while enjoying an outstanding benefits package! In addition to providing a positive work environment, we offer a great compensation package for all our full-time employees, including:

• Robust benefits, including excellent health, dental, life and vision insurance.
• Teleworking options after the first six months.
• Generous paid time off, including vacation, paid holidays, and sick leave accrual.
• Opportunities for professional development.
• Flexible Spending Accounts for medical and dependent care.
• Iowa Public Employee Retirement System (IPERS) Retirement Package.
• Optional 401A plan with employer contribution.
• Retirement Investors Club (Employer Sponsored Retirement Plan).
• Employee Assistance Program for support when you need it most.
• Access to an on-site employee fitness center
• Employee Discount Programs from a variety of vendors (vision, cellular, fitness, and more)

For additional information on benefits click here.

Background check required.

The State of Iowa participates in E-Verify, a federal program that helps employers confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. Within the required timeframe, new hires will be verified through the E-Verify system to ensure authorization to work in the United States. The State of Iowa also complies with the federal Right to Work laws, which protect employees’ rights to work without being required to join a labor organization. For more information, please visit www.e-verify.gov.

Applicants must meet at least one of the following minimum requirements to qualify for positions in this job classification:

1. Graduation from an accredited four‑year college or university with a bachelor’s degree in any field, and experience equal to one year of full‑time administrative support (e.g., screening visitors and callers; opening/distributing mail, typing/proofing documents, letters, and reports; organizing files; scheduling meetings/appointments; arranging travel; processing travel claims; ordering supplies/equipment) or technical support work (e.g., determining budget, personnel, and equipment needs; compiling/evaluating statistical, historical, economic, business, financial or technical program data; interpreting or securing compliance with laws, rules and regulations; reviewing operating records/reports and evaluating their effectiveness).
2. A total of five years of education and/or full‑time experience (as described in number one) where thirty semester hours of accredited college or university course work in any field equals one year of full‑time experience.
3. Current, continuous experience in the state executive branch that includes experience equal to 12 months of full‑time work as a Program Assistant 1.

For additional information, please click on this link to view the job description.