Infection Prevention Specialist 1

Job Summary

Under general supervision, is responsible for professional public health field contact work of average difficulty and performs related work as required. The goal of the Infection Prevention Specialist is to protect the health of the citizens of Tennessee through the prevention and control of infections within healthcare settings such as Acute Care Hospitals, Nursing Homes and Outpatient settings.

Distinguishing Features

• Differentiates from the Infection Prevention Specialist 2 in that an incumbent of the latter performs duties of a larger scope and complexity, acts as the primary manager of projects or studies, and supervises employees.

Work Activities

• Counsels and trains internal and external stakeholders, including state, regional and local health department staff, state surveyors, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers, infection preventionists and quality improvement specialists across the spectrum of healthcare.
• Responds to state and federal regulatory referrals (e.g., the Joint Commission) for certified Medicare/Medicaid entities with immediate jeopardy infection control tags.
• Interprets Tennessee Department of Health regulations, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Conditions of Participation (COP), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy rule, information on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) websites and medical/legal concepts regarding healthcare data.
• Provides support in the investigation of Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) outbreaks and containment responses to single cases of pathogens of urgent public health concern in healthcare settings.
• Applies principles of antibiotic stewardship and quality improvement to infection control activities.