Overdose and Violent Death Abstractor, Health Program Rep Intermediate

About the role

The Overdose and Violent Death Abstractor exists to conduct mortality data abstraction and support overdose and injury surveillance activities for the Substance Use Epidemiology Unit within the Substance Misuse Prevention Section and the Injury and Violence Epidemiology Unit within the Injury and Violence Prevention Section.

Responsibilities

• Collecting, abstracting, validating, and monitoring the quality of mortality data for the Statewide Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (SUDORS), the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS), the Minnesota Drug Overdose and Substance Use Surveillance Activity (MNDOSA), and the Sudden Unexpected Infant Death and Sudden Death in the Young (SUID/SDY) Case Registry.
• Preparing data dictionaries, abstracting and validating required data elements, and ensuring data quality and completeness through collaboration with medical examiners, coroners, law enforcement agencies, and hospitals to meet state and federal surveillance requirements.
• Supporting epidemiologic data collection efforts by providing technical and operational assistance for surveillance initiatives across the Injury Prevention and Mental Health Division.
• Maintaining and enhancing professional expertise by staying current on surveillance methodologies, data abstraction practices, and project intervention strategies to ensure high-quality, accurate, and innovative program support services are delivered.

Requirements

• One (1) year of experience in public health, healthcare, epidemiology, health information management, research, or a related field.
• Experience must include collecting, abstracting, validating, or performing quality assurance on health, medical, public health, or other complex data from multiple sources.
• Managing, maintaining, or entering data into secure databases or information systems while ensuring data accuracy, completeness, and confidentiality.
• Interpreting and applying established policies, procedures, protocols, or technical guidance to ensure consistent and accurate data collection, reporting, or program activities.
• Obtaining, reviewing, verifying, or exchanging information with internal or external partners to support data collection, surveillance, research, or program activities.

Qualifications

• A related degree in public health, epidemiology, health information management, health sciences, nursing, biology, biomedical sciences, medical laboratory science, statistics, data science, research methodology, or a closely related field will substitute for experience as follows:
• Doctorate may substitute for two (2) years of experience.
• Master's degree may substitute for eighteen (18) months of experience.
• Bachelor's degree may substitute for one (1) year of experience.
• Associate's degree may substitute for six (6) months of experience.

Skills

• Ability to communicate effectively with diverse internal and external stakeholders, including explaining technical information clearly and professionally, both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to establish and maintain collaborative working relationships with partners while exercising professionalism, tact, and sound judgment when handling sensitive or confidential information.
• Ability to organize and prioritize work by managing multiple assignments, maintaining attention to detail, and meeting deadlines while ensuring the accuracy and quality of work.
• Ability to work independently and adapt to changing priorities by exercising initiative, problem-solving skills, and sound judgment in a fast-paced environment.

Benefits

• Paid vacation and sick leave
• 12 paid holidays each year
• Low-cost medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug plans
• Fertility care, including IVF
• Dental and orthodontic care for adults and children
• 6 weeks paid leave for parents of newborn or newly adopted children
• Pension plan that provides income when you retire (after working at least three years)
• Employer paid life insurance to provide support for your family in the event of death
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance that can provide income if you are unable to work due to illness or injury
• Tax-free expense accounts for health, dental, and dependent care