Infection Preventionist (Full- Time - 40hrs/week) Day Shift

Lowell General Hospital is seeking an Infection Prevention Specialist III to join our Regulatory Compliance team at our Chelmsford, MA office.

About the Role

This position is responsible for developing, implementing, and monitoring a system-wide infection prevention program. Responsibilities include surveillance of healthcare-associated and community-acquired infections in patients and employees, as well as prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections. The role serves as a consultant and advisor to clinical personnel to solve infection control problems.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare, Public Health, Nursing, or Behavioral Science.
• Appropriate professional license or certification based on educational background.
• Certified in Infection Control (CIC) OR obtain within one (1) year of hire.
• Three (3) years of clinical experience, including performing surveillance for healthcare-associated infections.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Healthcare, Public Health, Nursing, or Behavioral Science.
• Five (5) years of clinical experience.
• Formal training in epidemiology/infection prevention.

Responsibilities

• Develops comprehensive infection control policies and procedures for the medical center and/or all departments from published guidelines, standards, and research.
• Performs necessary epidemiological investigations.
• Identifies and implements infection control strategies for specific topics, including:
  • Hand Hygiene
  • Cleaning, Disinfection, Sterilization
  • Environmental Hazards
  • Use of patient care products, equipment, and devices
  • Construction and renovation
  • Influx of patients with communicable diseases
  • Use of barrier precautions when indicated
  • Patient immunization programs
  • Reduction of hospital-acquired infections
• Recognizes outbreaks of healthcare-associated infections through reviewing cultures, medical records, attending laboratory rounds, and consulting with nursing and medical staff.
• Makes recommendations for improvement and works with relevant departments and staff to implement and monitor improvements.
• Investigates patient, visitor, and employee exposure to infectious diseases and follows up with appropriate infection control procedures.
• Leads Performance Improvement (PI) teams.
• Provides and develops orientation and training for medical center staff, licensed independent practitioners, students/trainees, and volunteers, as well as visitors, patients, and families as appropriate.
• Acts as a consultant to employees, medical and nursing staff, Employee Health, and various other hospital departments regarding infection control problems and policies.
• Evaluates infection control aspects of patient care products, equipment, and supplies.
• Collaborates and consults with Emergency Management, Safety Officer, Design and Construction, and Supply Chain.
• Actively leads and participates on the Infection Control Committee.
• Actively participates in JCAHO preparedness and survey readiness efforts.
• Collaborates with the Department of Public Health (DPH) to coordinate reporting of communicable diseases to appropriate local and state health departments and agencies.
• Actively keeps current with the evolving field of infection prevention through networking opportunities, publications, collaboratives, and certifications.
• Assists in monitoring compliance of staff to infection control procedures.
• Demonstrates use of PI tools and methods to achieve reliability in systems and processes.

Skills & Abilities

• Knowledgeable of Joint Commission accreditation standards and CMS Conditions of Participation.
• Ability to serve as a content expert for development and implementation of infection control standards.
• Ability to develop and deliver training sessions according to principles of adult learning.
• Ability to apply critical reading skills to evaluate published research findings.
• Proficient in Windows-based operating software and systems that include MS Word, MS Excel, MS Access, and MS PowerPoint; ability to learn and use infection control software or other databases.
• Analytical abilities needed to apply and use surveillance data.
• Effective interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Ability to develop and maintain cooperative working relationships with physicians, nurses, and a variety of medical center personnel, and to provide formal instruction.
• Must be a team player with proven success applying a team approach and ability to work in conjunction with physicians, clinical managers, directors, and front-line staff in a supportive way to troubleshoot and resolve issues.
• Ability to address difficult situations with tact and diplomacy.
• Maintains sensitivity, maturity, and flexibility in coping with difficult situations.
• Ability to adapt quickly to changes within the work environment.
• Highly motivated, success-oriented, organized, and strong work ethic, with ability to work under minimal supervision.

Physical Requirements

• Frequent sitting, occasional standing and walking, and lifting of 5-10 lbs.
• Requires manual dexterity using fine hand manipulation to operate a computer keyboard.
• Requires ability to see computer screen and reports.

About Lowell General

For more than 125 years, Lowell General has served the Greater Lowell community with pride. We balance the first-rate care of a premier medical center with the warmth of a four-time Magnet®-recognized community hospital. As a member of our team, you’ll join over 3,000 dedicated care providers to offer complete, connected care, when and where patients need it most.

Pay

At Tufts Medicine, we offer fair, competitive pay that attracts, retains, and motivates highly talented individuals. The base pay range reflects the minimum qualifications for the role. Individual offers are determined using a comprehensive approach that considers relevant experience, certifications, education, skills, and internal equity.

Pay Range: $91,879.42 - $117,150.49

Schedule

40 hours per week, Day Shift

Location: 55 Technology Drive, Chelmsford, MA