Public Health Physician

Position Summary

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The Allegheny County Health Department (ACHD) Public Health Physician is the associate medical director for Clinical Services. The Public Health Physician supports the mission of ACHD to protect, promote, and preserve the health and well-being of all Allegheny County residents, particularly the most vulnerable. The Clinical Services Bureau strives to provide quality medical and dental services to fill gaps in care to assure that all 1.2 million county residents receive services to maintain health.

The Bureau includes 7 programs: Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI)/HIV, Immunization, Tuberculosis, Pediatric Dentistry, Emergency Preparedness, Pharmacy, and Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD). The Public Health Physician reports to the Deputy Director for Clinical Services. The Public Health Physician supports the Deputy Director by performing administrative work across the Bureau to ensure high quality of care and assist with development, implementation and evaluation of public health programs. A significant portion of the Public Health Physician’s time will be dedicated to development and implementation of a new MOUD Program and providing clinical leadership for the STI/HIV Clinic. The Public Health Physician is expected to spend approximately 50% of time in direct clinical service.

The MOUD Program is a new program that will focus on buprenorphine induction in communities of color, primarily the Mon Valley. The program will provide care navigation to support engagement in behavioral and physical healthcare and access community-based resources such as food, housing, and employment. It will incorporate harm reduction to promote safer drug use and prevent opioid overdose. This program is a collaboration with ACHD’s Opioid Overdose Prevention Program. The Public Health Physician is responsible for developing and operationalizing, providing direct patient care, and directly supervise the Care Navigator and two Advanced Practice Providers in the MOUD Program.

The STI/HIV Clinic provides prevention, testing, and treatment for STIs. Preventive services include vaccines (HPV, Hep A, Hep B, mpox), doxy-PEP (post-exposure prophylaxis), and HIV PrEP/nPEP (pre/post-exposure prophylaxis). The clinic provides testing and treatment for STIs, mpox, and hepatitis C. The Public Health Physician will provide clinical leadership, direct patient care, and supervise two Advanced Practice Providers in the STI/HIV Clinic.

This position may also be performing additional duties as assigned that support and advance the mission, vision, and strategic priorities of the Health Department, contributing to our commitment to health equity, community well-being, and excellence in public health practice.

Overview:

Fringe Benefits

• Paid holidays, personal days, vacation and sick leave benefits, medical coverage and dental benefits, a retirement plan, life insurance and a deferred compensation plan after eligibility requirements have been met.

Perks Working for ACHD

• Professional growth through training opportunities (CPR, First AID, Public Health Preparedness, Dignity and Respect, Points of Dispensing, and more); ability to advance in county system; job security; meaningfulness in daily work derived from public service; eligible for federal loan forgiveness; organizational commitment to ACHD’s mission to protect, promote, and preserve the health and well-being of all Allegheny County residents, particularly the most vulnerable.

Duties:

• Provides medical evaluation and management of sexual health related disorders.
• Provides medical evaluation and management of opioid and opioid-related substance use disorders, and complications related to opioid use.
• Provides referrals and linkages to supportive services, ensuring comprehensive and continuous patient care.
• Educates patients and community members on disease prevention, treatment adherence, harm reduction strategies, and self-management techniques.
• Provides direct supervision of advanced practice providers and care navigator.
• Occasionally, provide clinical supervision, training and mentorship to medical students, residents, fellows, and other clinical team members.
• Provides clinical guidance for conditions related to infectious diseases such as STIs, hepatitis C, HIV prevention, and immunizations.
• Creates and updates clinic protocols.
• Ensures that clinical services are delivered in an equitable, evidence-based, efficient, and cost-effective manner
• Provides culturally competent services tailored to diverse populations, emphasizing health equity and stigma reduction.
• Ensures that clinical services are meeting the needs of the community and are adhering to all federal, state, and local standards of safety and quality for patients and staff.
• Participates in clinical audits, compliance monitoring and accreditation efforts.
• Supports ongoing quality improvement activities and initiatives, reviewing outcomes and recommending clinical improvements to enhance patient safety and service delivery.
• Applies principles of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention to programs in the Clinical Services Bureau.
• Maintains and develops collaborations to advance the public health mission – including internal and external collaborations.
• Proposes and develops innovative strategies to address community health needs related to clinical services.
• Remains current on emerging research in areas of focus, treatment guidelines, and best practices related to areas of focus.
• Pursues ongoing professional development opportunities to enhance clinical expertise and leadership capabilities.
• Assists in other clinical areas as needed.
• Performs related work as required.
• Assists in public health emergencies.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Knowledge of:

• A wide range of medical principles, theories, practices, and techniques to perform the clinical evaluation and medical management of patients to prevent and treat substance use disorders, STIs, and vaccine-preventable diseases.
• The principles and practices of public health protocols.
• Health equity and social determinants of health affecting the health of individuals, families, and communities.
• Cultural humility
• Trauma-informed care
• Quality improvement processes
• Resources available to those in need of health services.
• General knowledge of state and federal laws pertaining to public health and medical services.

Skill in:

• Primary Care
• Medicine
• Clinical Practice
• Internal Medicine
• Palliative Care
• Patient Safety
• Medical Education
• Healthcare Management
• Public Health
• Microsoft Office

Ability to:

• Provide compassionate and culturally competent patient care
• Diagnose and manage complex medical conditions
• Communicate effectively with diverse patient populations and colleagues
• Plan, supervise, and execute a local health program
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships
• Coordinate activities among public, private, and professional groups
• Express ideas clearly and concisely – in written and oral formats
• Manage competing priorities and complex workflows
• Effectively communicate and address audiences of all backgrounds
• Lead and mentor clinical staff and trainees
• Exercise balanced judgment in evaluating situations and making decisions

Residency: Allegheny County within 1 year.
Veterans' Preference: Will be awarded to eligible candidates.