Pediatric Response Specialist

Job Description

Job Description

Position Summary :

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health (PDPH), through its COVID-19 Containment Program in the Division of Disease Control, is responsible for continued COVID-19 / SARS-CoV-2 response and mitigation within Philadelphia. The program works to educate residents on COVID-19, develop policies to slow the spread of disease, provide infection control guidance to institutions, and work with partners to address other ongoing public health issues related to COVID-19 in the City of Philadelphia. A component of this effort involves partnerships with Early Childhood Education (ECE), Primary, and Secondary Education settings to support mitigation strategies.

The Pediatric Response Specialist will conduct outbreak investigations for COVID-19 cases in K-12 Schools and ECE settings. This position will investigate outbreak reports to understand the severity of the illness and determine its classification and burden on the setting. This will involve reaching out to school nurses and administrators, following up regularly with all parties to ensure they are implementing best public health practices to prevent the spread of COVID-19, communicating with ACD for appropriate reporting of other communicable diseases, supporting personal protective equipment (PPE) and at-home test kits distribution to K-12 Schools and ECE settings at PDPH storage facilities, and visiting schools and early childhood education centers throughout Philadelphia to review existing COVID-19 mitigation strategies and provide guidance for improvement during respiratory health season. This will require documentation and data management to stay organized as multiple case investigations and mitigation strategies will be implemented simultaneously. This position will support emergency public health responses including outbreak response, outreach & education initiatives, call-based interventions, and courier services as required.

This is not a remote position. The position is full time, Monday-Friday. During surge periods, this position may require flexibility to support tasks outside of your standard work duties and the flexibility to work evenings and weekends, which Division leadership will work cooperatively with staff to arrange and assign. The position is grant funded for a minimum of one (1) year. Continuation of the position is dependent on sustained grant funding.

Duties and Responsibilities :

• For outbreaks related to early childhood, primary, and secondary education settings, obtain and document outbreak details including clinical presentation, laboratory results, underlying conditions, exposure sources, risk factors, and the potential for transmission for each suspected case
• Provide appropriate updated guidance on COVID-19 mitigation measures to school nurses and school administrators, which include guidance to schools and early childhood facilities on exposures, measures for those who cannot mask, and school-based testing.
• Conduct site visits to Schools and ECE facilities to evaluate spaces, conduct needs assessment, provide recommendations for COVID preparedness, and share best practices for air purifier distribution based on current guidance.
• Participate in regular K-12 School and ECE team meetings and trainings such as all hands, weekly clinical update, division of disease control trainings and others as necessary.
• Support distribution of materials such as PPE by visiting various PDPH buildings to receive, organize, and package COVID resources for pickup by or delivery and staffing the PDPH warehouse.
• Sustain partnerships with schools, ECE facilities, and community stakeholders by maintaining consistent communication through regular emails, check-ins, and scheduled meetings to ensure alignment, share updates, and strengthen collaboration.
• Liaise with other COVID programs, such as Outreach, Testing, and Call Center, to facilitate timely resources during COVID outbreaks in school and ECE settings.
• Support other COVID containment program needs, including tabling and outreach events, resource hubs, call center, and other activities.
• Support testing, outreach, resource hubs, warehouse operations and general response support during outbreaks of novel and recurrent infectious diseases (such as mpox, measles, Hep A, flu, Ebola, etc.) through participation in activities like registration, line control, data entry, providing individuals with instructions for mandated observation periods, and other similar activities. Specialists will not be administering vaccine or providing medical advice.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills Required :

Education and Experience :

Work Environment and Physical Requirements :

This position will require travel via car or public transportation within the City of Philadelphia for off-site response activities, including occasional transport of PDPH materials, as well as climbing stairs and lifting up to 40lbs while performing duties of the job. The position requires responding to public health emergencies and at times requires rapid turnaround of communications on short notice.

Equal Opportunity Employment :

PMHCC, Inc. is committed to equal opportunity. It is our policy to support equal employment for all employees and applicants without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual preferences, age, national origin, disability, behavioral health status, military status or any other characteristic protected by law.

Americans with Disabilities Act :

Employees as well as applicants who are currently, or become disabled, must be able to perform the functions of the job with either reasonable accommodation or unaided. PMHCC, Inc. will examine reasonable accommodations on a case by case basis in accordance with the law.