Infection Preventionist

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Decypher is seeking Infection Preventionist candidates to support the ADCMS V contract at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center. The successful candidate will possess the required education, skills, and experience called for in the contract as described below. US Citizenship and active NACI clearance required.

About Decypher

Decypher is a leading integrator of professional, technology, and management solutions and services. We provide our services globally to Federal, Commercial, Local and State clients. Our employees are our most valuable assets and play an integral role in the success of Decypher and our clients. Working at Decypher is not a job, but a career where your talent and energy is respected, and you can personally make a difference. Decypher invites you to join our professional team. Decypher is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer committed to diversifying its workforce (M/F/D/V).

Responsibilities

1. Guide the MTF on IPC-related accreditation preparation activities and regulatory readiness. Formulate corrective actions IAW current standards and guidelines.
2. Conduct and develop the MTF Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA) annually and when significant change to risk occurs; prioritize according to the level of probability and potential for harm. Coordinate ICRA development with other team members, including the IPCF Chair, IPCF members, Public Health (PH) and others as needed.
3. Develop and coordinate the annual Infection Prevention and Control Program Plan (IPCPP) based upon the approved ICRA prioritized list. Submit the plan to ECOMS for review and approval. Update the IPCPP as needed throughout the year.
4. Develop and coordinate the IPCP Annual Summary that describes all activities in the IPCPP. The summary shall include a general discussion, actions taken and resolution. Unresolved items must be carried over to the next IPCP Annual Summary. Submit the summary to the ECOMS for review and approval. All program documents shall be accomplished in a timely manner; clear suspense for the completion of each document IPCPP—shall be signed by the Commander or designee and shall be in place 30 calendar days following the close out of the reporting year.
5. Plan and develop the IPCF meeting agenda and minutes with the IPCF Chair based on activities outlined in the IPCPP; standard agenda items are included at least quarterly. Submit meeting slides to the ECOMS for review.
6. Maintain active memberships in the following groups: Environment of Care Committee, Product Evaluation Committee, Patient Safety Committee, Facility Utilization Committee, Medical Readiness Staff Function, Nursing Executive Function, and the ECOMS.
7. Collect, manage, and analyze IPC-related surveillance data as defined by the annual ICRA and IPCPP as approved by MTF senior leadership (e.g. ECOMS) or as required by the Air Force Medical Service and the Defense Health Agency (DHA). Report surveillance activities, findings, and analyses to the IPC Chair, IPC Function, ECOMS, and other related stakeholders, as applicable.
8. Assist in reviewing and revising IPC relevant MTF Operating Instructions (OIs) every two years, or as required. Verifies current standards are implemented throughout the MTF (e.g., reprocessing of reusable medical devices (RMD), high level disinfection (HLD), instrument processing, environmental hygiene, hand hygiene, transmission-based precautions, etc.).
9. Participate in quality/performance improvement (PI) and patient safety (PS) activities related to IPC.
10. Advise and collaborate on IPC-related issues with many various staff/groups that include, but are not limited to, IPCF, ECOMS, TJC Environment of Care program (EOC) Committee, Nurse Executive Council (NEC), and Performance Improvement Council. Assists with event analysis and development of correction actions.
11. Liaise with installation Air Reserve Component (ARC), Air National Guard (ANG) Medical Units, and Aeromedical Evacuation (AE) Units in developing Memorandum of Understanding or Memorandum of Agreement (MOU/MOA), or Host Tenant Agreement, as applicable. Informs the tenant unit’s IP on IPCP management and serves as a conduit to elevate IPC-related issues to MTF leadership.
12. Consult with other MTF IPs, AF/SG IP Consultant, and AFMRA IP on a regular basis regarding data, trends, and activities.
13. Collaborate with AFMS and local area peers to advance awareness of current IPC news and trends.
14. Participate in AF and DHA IPC forums, teleconferences, and meetings.
15. Apply epidemiologic principles and statistical methods to break the chain of infection and improve IPC efforts.
16. Utilize databases, graphs, and reports to track, trend, and monitor infectious processes and facilitate evidence-based practices.
17. Use Government-provided Information Technology (IT) systems; e.g., Electronic Healthcare Record (EHR), Composite Healthcare Systems (CHCS), etc., to identify infection occurrences, reservoirs, incubation periods, periods of communicability, modes of transmission, signs and symptoms, and susceptibility associated with the disease process.
18. Interpret diagnostic and laboratory reports and advises clinicians on limitations and advantages of types of tests used to diagnose infectious processes.
19. Collaborate with Aerospace Medicine and Public Health for the management of an influx of infection patients.
20. Monitor infectious diseases and epidemiologically significant organism’s occurring in the community via laboratory and public health reports.
21. Identify epidemiologically significant organisms for immediate review and investigation and collaborates with multidisciplinary teams, county/state public health departments, and when necessary, in consultation with the AF/SG IP Consultant, AFMRA IP and the CDC.
22. Identify indications for environmental and microbiological monitoring.
23. Collect and compiles surveillance data from patient care areas and applies current nationally recognized definitions and methodologies to interpret and explain Healthcare Acquired Infection (HAI) data (e.g., Surgical Site Infections (SSIs), Standardized Infection Ratio (SIR), etc.).
24. Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to institute outbreak investigations and implement control strategies to prevent HAI, and transmission of multi-drug resistant organisms and other epidemiologically important organisms.
25. Interpret and translates data from antibiograms and antibiotic utilization.
26. Educate staff on Multi-Drug Resistant Organisms (MDROs) and on optimal and prudent use of antimicrobials. Coordinates inter-professional effort to improve antimicrobial stewardship through education, surveillance, and evidence-based practices.
27. Consult on facility renovations, construction, repair projects, facility modifications, and facility relocations impacting patient care areas.
28. Develop a focused ICRA during the construction planning phase to preplan IPC efforts requiring coordination before any new construction or renovation begins.
29. Post an IPC construction permit at the entry way and/or exits of the construction area, to promote safety and awareness of personnel, patients, contractors, and visitors.
30. Conduct on-site inspections throughout the project and a final walk-through of renovated areas prior to any unit occupying a new space to ensure readiness for personnel and patients upon project completion.
31. Coordinate and consult on service contracts and plans that have IPC implications to include, but not limited to, the Hospital Aseptic Management System (HAMS) or equivalent housekeeping contract, linen/laundry contract, and waste management contract.
32. Review and updates IPC-related MOU/MOA as needed.
33. Evaluate products, devices, and equipment relating to IPC.
34. Review all requests for new products and medical supplies, excluding pharmaceutical items and equipment requests IAW AFMAN 41-209, Medical Logistics Support.
35. Consult with Aerospace Medicine on development of BBP-exposure control plans (ECP) and Respiratory Protection/Tuberculosis Prevention ECP.
36. Collaborate with Public Health to determine occupational risk categories for personnel. Ensure the IPC Annual Plan reflects any updates on occupational risk categories, BBP, and medical employee health.
37. Collaborate with PS and Risk Management (RM) on tracking and trending of IPC near misses, events and/or issues relating to PS and the TJC National Patient Safety Goals (NPSGs) pertaining to IPC.
38. Engage in proactive and reactive analyses in regards to IPC related events; e.g., Root Cause Analysis (RCA), Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA), or other PS initiatives.
39. Advise leadership and staff on identifying relevant improvement opportunities and utilizes Performance Improvement (PI) tools; e.g., Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA), Lean Six Sigma, to improve performance and outcomes.
40. Develop and implements MTF-wide education and training program on IPC related topics and National Patient Safety Goals. Facilitates training for professional and ancillary support staff on IPC topics.
41. Assess needs, develop goals and measurable objectives, and prepare lesson plans, power point slides, handouts and other materials for IPC educational in-services and briefings as needed.
42. Prepare and provide IPC briefings including, but not limited to, Newcomers’ Orientation, annual training, executive staff meetings, in-services, unit-based training and other programs as requested.
43. Utilize principles of adult learning to educational strategies and delivery of in-services and briefings. Prepare, present, and coordinate educational workshops, lectures, discussion, simulation or one-on-one instruction on a variety of IPC topics.
44. Evaluate the effectiveness of education and learner outcomes.
45. Instruct patients, families, and visitors about methods to prevent and control infections.
46. Maintain knowledge of IPC issues occurring world-wide as provided through valid communication sources (e.g. DHA, CDC, World Health Organization (WHO), APIC).
47. Advocate, influence, motivate, and persuade leadership and staff to consistently incorporate IPC guidelines and standards throughout the MTF.
48. Monitor and evaluates the efficacy of IPC strategies.
49. Maintain IPC-related files IAW Air Force Manual (AFMAN) 33-363, Management of Records.

Required Education, Experience and Skills

Degree: Bachelor’s degree in Nursing, Public Health, Epidemiology or Microbiology.

Education: Graduate from a nationally recognized accredited college program.

Experience: Minimum of five (5) years of current experience in infection prevention and control. Part of this 5 year minimum experience must be performed within the past four (4) years. Up to two (2) years of experience can be substituted with a Master’s Degree in Nursing, Public Health, Epidemiology or Microbiology from a nationally recognized accredited college program.

Licensure: Possess and maintain an active (characterized by present activity, participation, practice, or use); current (not revoked, suspended, or lapsed); valid (the issuing authority accepts and considers professional performance and conduct in determining continued licensure); and unrestricted (not subject to restriction pertaining to the scope, location, or type of practice ordinarily granted to all other applicants for similar licensure in the granting jurisdiction) license from a US jurisdiction. Shall, at a minimum, have a Master of Social Work (MSW) level of state license that is unrestricted and allows independent clinical practice without supervision.

Other Requirements:

1. Attend a 4-6 week Epidemiology, Prevention and Infection Control (EPIC) course at the Medical Education and Training Campus on JBSA- Fort Sam, Houston, TX, no later than 6 months from start of services.
2. Complete a minimum of 10 continuing education units (CEUs) annually on IPC-relevant training in the areas of sterile processing/reprocessing reusable medical devices and is certified in Basic Life Support (BLS) training and maintain BLS certification. The contractor shall provide evidence of this training to the Contracting Officer Representative (COR).
3. Travel Requirements. Travel in the local area outside Ramstein AB utilizing their privately owned vehicle to inspect the laundry/linen facility on an annual basis. The contractor may be accompanied by military enlisted or officer assistant personnel.
4. Mission/Emergency Essential. Review existing contingency plans for those tasks that have been identified as mission essential and, when/if the need arises, develop new contingency plans to provide reasonable assurance of continuation during crisis conditions. Any changes of contingency plans will be submitted to the Executive Committee of the Medical Staff (ECOMS) for review and approval.
5. The Government will establish administrative controls to ensure that all information on mission essential Contractor employees is handled as sensitive data and released only to authorized personnel.
6. In the event of a biohazard or hazmat event (Ebola virus, emerging infectious disease or potential outbreak, i.e., Influenza epidemic/pandemic) the contractor IP would be designated mission/emergency essential. Should the Government plan to assume or supplement the Contractor–supplied essential services during crisis situations, the Government will make the Contractor aware of such replacement and transitioning plans.
7. Include emergency preparation and management in the annual ICRA and IPCPP.
8. Identify how an influx of infectious patients will be triaged and quarantined.
9. Include emergency preparedness in Newcomers’ Orientation and Annual IPC Training. Identify required isolation and personal protective equipment (PPE) use.
10. Participate in community-based and/or DoD exercises relevant to IPC disasters/emergencies.