The Health Officer program is intended to provide a unified and systemic approach to delivering regional health officer services to the local health departments serving Clark and other counties contracting with Clark. The program aims to accomplish this through (1) providing high quality health officer services, and (2) participating in a developmental approach to enhancing the departments’ capacities to assess community health status, choose appropriate population health priorities and strategies and develop and provide high quality public health services to address these priorities and strategies.
The Deputy Health Officer participates in and provides leadership across a wide range of public health activities through the regional health officer program. The primary purpose of the position is to provide consultation, public health and clinical leadership, and technical direction to the local health departments. This position has major responsibility for control and prevention of communicable disease and planning for and response to bioterrorism and other public health emergencies. The Deputy Health Officer serves as Deputy Medical Officer for the contracted Health Departments and under direction of the Health Officer, as a member of the contracted counties’ Public Health Department senior management teams.
Under direction from the Health Officer, the Deputy Health Officer plays a critical role in department activities through relationships with key entities, particularly the local medical communities in contracted counties; County Boards of Health; local, state and federal public health partners; the media; and the public. Additionally, the Deputy Health Officer is required to help identify priorities and emerging trends, and communicate health data and information in a variety of settings.
Minimum Requirements:
- Possession of or ability to obtain a license to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery in the state of Washington.
- Possession of Master of Public Health or equivalent degree plus three years of increasingly responsible experience in public health, epidemiology, preventive medicine or a related area. Persons with three years of experience who do not possess a Master of Public Health or equivalent can qualify for a provisional term, subject to public health in-service orientation and periodic personal review by the Secretary of Health or his or her designee. Any satisfactory equivalent combination of experience and training which ensures the ability to perform the work may be substituted for up to one year of the required experience. Course work and training in public health administration, public administration or a related field is desirable, but not required.
- A valid driver’s license.
Knowledge of:
- Competencies in public health, including: preventive medicine, epidemiology, infectious and chronic disease, environmental health, health risk communication and public health law and administration.
Ability to:
- Understand, interpret and apply public health law and regulations.
- Use a computer and software applications including epidemiologic software.
- Exercise independent judgment and delegate responsibility.
- Work independently or as part of a team.
- Communicate effectively with policymakers.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
