DIRECTOR- INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL

We believe a career is more than just a career — it's a calling. Our teammates' "True North" is what calls them to health care; it’s their passion. At North Mississippi Health Services, we believe in helping you leverage and connect that passion with a much greater purpose that impacts people you know and love.

Department:

24007980 Organizational Performance

Work Shift:

NMHS System Support. Mainly M-F 8:00-5:00 but hours may vary.

Job Description:

The Infection Prevention and Control Director at North Mississippi Health Services oversees system-wide infection control operations, ensuring uniform practices across all facilities. This role is responsible for developing strategic safety plans in collaboration with Patient Safety, implementing them through engagement with the infection prevention committee and staff. This role oversees the entire organization for their specific function or specialty, contributing to strategic decision-making and operational excellence across the entire system.JOB FUNCTIONS Management:

• Oversees the system-wide infection prevention operations; and ensures consistent practices are applied and executed for every NMMC (Baldwyn, BH, WHC etc), Long Term Care (LTC) and NMMCI facility.
• Develops system-wide strategic safety plans and goals in conjunction with Patient Safety with a focus on how they apply to infection prevention.
• Achieves plans and goals by collaborating and sharing with the infection prevention committee and staff.
• Serves as Accreditation team leader for infection control.
• Develops and reviews the infection prevention plans and program for NMHS and leads the infection prevention nurses in improving infection prevention throughout the system.
• Develops and maintains, and in collaboration with leadership, oversees the implementation and execution of infection prevention and control policies, procedures, in order to create system consistency and to limit or eliminate practice variances. Consultative:
• Works with all departments, including, but not limited to Accreditation, PI, Safety, Employee Health and Nursing to prevent Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs) and to comply with all regulatory and accrediting agency standards.
• Serves as leader and consultant to all community hospital infection prevention programs and other NMHS areas.
• For infection prevention oversight, collaborates with the Medical Director of Infection Prevention and Control and the Infection Prevention/Control Committee.
• Formulates surveillance plans and infection control PI activities based on appropriate data.
• Leads and mentors others on identifying infection risks to patients and visitors throughout the hospital and system.
• Provide consultation advice on infection prevention program, practice, policy, and educational issues; assures infection control training is provided according to policy and TJC requirements.

Education

• Provides education and training and acts as an expert resource on infection prevention and control issues and policies and on healthcare epidemiology.

• Develops, maintains and evaluates educations programs, tools and resources for infection prevention.

• Ensures that evidence based practice are the basis and foundation of the infection prevention program. Supervision:

• Plans, organizes, and manages the infection prevention program and supervises the infection prevention and control staff. Staffing:

• Assures adequate numbers of competent staff for monitoring the prevention, control, and surveillance of HAIs, working in conjunction with all clinical and non-clinical departments. Budget:

• Works with the Organization Performance Administrator in preparing, maintaining expenses related to infection prevention within budgetary allowances. Clinical Practice:

• Serves as a consultant to all appropriate levels of staff and ensures compliance with all state, federal, accrediting and regulatory IC standards.

• Serves as Departmental Safety Officer (DSO)serves as the CDC National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) administrator for all hospitals and the clinical project leader for the infection control data mining program.

• Assists all departments and community hospitals in the infection control PI activities; assures follow-up to all “Good Catches” and other alerts. Data Analysis:

• Ability to analyze and interpret HAI and to guide others to analyze and interpret the data.

• Ensures all infection prevention, NHSN data, data for CMS purposes and other pertinent data is appropriately submitted and disseminated for NMMC and NMMCI. Gives consultation to the community hospitals with all their NHSN data.

• Ensures all annual plans, risk assessments and risk analysis including risk assessments for construction projects are appropriately completed and submitted as required, by TJC, CDC, and other regulatory and accrediting agencies.

• Ensures all system wide reporting of state and federal regulatory and accrediting agency requirements Directs collaborative efforts with other all NMHS areas such as Employee Health, Safety, Long Term Care Facilities, etc. and other external agencies as needed.

• Collaborates with Employee Health regarding employee issues related to infection control.

• In collaboration with the Medical Director gives direction in the emergency planning for infection prevention and control.

• Ensures infection prevention goals are strategically aligned with the Corporate Critical Success Factors.

• Knowledge Skills and Abilities

• Ability to guide others to analyze and interpret infection prevention and control data

• Knowledgeable of clinical-financial relationship and prospective payment reimbursement related to healthcare associated infections.

• Strong teaching skills and performing computer presentations to all levels of staff.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills;

• Demonstrates servant leadership by: Leading through collaboration, trust, respect, foresight, and listening to others ideas and opinions; appropriate use of power and empowerment; punctuality and professionalism while holding others accountable.

• Demonstrates skills in administrative duties required for effective program operation. Provides leadership to staff reporting to this position.

• Leads and directs NMHS in infection prevention activities

• Sharing infection control knowledge and creating environment of organizational learning

• Possess excellent interpersonal skills to interact effectively with individuals of all backgrounds, experience, and educational levels. Evaluate program for effectiveness and value to the organization.

• Leads the infection control committee in collaboration with the Medical Director of infection prevention.

• Identifies opportunities for strategic planning and goal setting related to HAI prevention

• Employees, Physicians, directors, Managers, Patients, Families and Visitors

• Must be able to coach infection control staff as necessary including performance appraisals and any commitments to change.

• NOTES: Seven (7) years of progressively responsible healthcare experience required, including at least three (3) years of leadership experience in infection prevention, quality, patient safety, regulatory compliance, accreditation, nursing operations, or related functions.

• Physical Demands

• A thorough completion of this section is needed for compliance with legal standards such as the Americans with Disabilities Act. The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• Standing. Occasionally

• Walking. Occasionally

• Sitting. Frequently

• Lifting/Carrying. Occasionally 20 lbs

• Pushing/Pulling. Rarely

• Climbing. N/A

• Balancing. N/A

• Stooping/Kneeling/Bending. Rarely

• Reaching/Over Head Work. Occasionally

• Grasping. Frequently

• Speaking. Frequently

• Hearing. Constantly

• Repetitive Motions. Frequently

• Eye/Hand/Foot Coordination. Occasionally

Salary Range:

• $117,041.60-$146,307.20

Education:

Bachelor’s Degree | Nursing, Health Administration | Required Master’s Degree | Microbiology | Not Required

Certifications:

Basic and Advanced APIC /CDC training course - Center for Disease Control, Certified Infection Control - Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology, Registered Nurse (MS) - MS Board of Nursing