Director of Infection Prevention

Department:

10121 Advocate Aurora Health Corporate - Infection Prevention

Status:

Full time

Benefits Eligible:

Yes

Hours Per Week:

40

Schedule Details/Additional Information:

Regular business hours. Will need to travel to sites on a regular basis. Ideal candidates will reside in the Chicago, Charlotte or Macon areas.

The Director of Infection Prevention provides strategic direction for infection prevention across the entire Advocate Enterprise and serves as the primary leader for clinical and environmental infection prevention, infection control, and epidemiology. Creates and applies consistent operational and system policies, procedures, and processes to limit or eliminate practice variances. Researches and determines guidelines and best practice methodologies. Ensures system-wide infection prevention areas are in compliance with regulatory, accrediting and advisory body requirements.

The focus of this role is on our Pediatric hospitals and NICUs throughout the enterprise. Including our Advocate Children's Hospitals at our Christ and Lutheran General Hospitals, our Brenner Children's in Winston-Salem, our Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte, and our Beverly Knight Olson Children's Hospital in Macon, GA as well as our NICUs at adult hospitals throughout the enterprise.

Major Responsibilities:

• Works in collaboration with Hospital Administration to implement and manage the Infection Prevention strategic plan elements that align with the goals, objectives, and risk assessments identified. Provides expert consultation and education, as needed, and as related Infection Prevention. Responsible for ongoing assessment and development of programs, policies & procedures and forms to address the Infection Prevention needs of employees, volunteers, contract workers, independent contractors, physicians, registry workers and students in accordance with the guidelines established by the regulatory agencies. In addition to the Infection Prevention Program’s annual risk assessment, annual plans, and annual evaluations, designs, implements, and performs an annual review of the facility TB Control Plan and TB Risk Assessment, the Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Plan, and program evaluation to meet the needs of the site. Assists the site based IP to operationalizes the Infection Prevention Program’s annual risk assessment, annual plans, and annual evaluations.

• Assists with developing and implementing annual program goals/objectives. Provides site direction to ensure that surveillance programs and interventions to reduce infections and occupational exposures are supported by scientific research, or are innovative, but based on sound principles of epidemiology and knowledge of disease transmission, and demonstrate potential for improving clinical outcomes and decreasing costs where possible. Identifies and implements updates to the Infection Prevention Program when new regulations and/or Professional guidelines are published. Provides expert consultation and program direction while working collaboratively with site Infection preventionist. Receives and provides feedback to corporate infection surveillance program analyst on HAI identified through the surveillance program.

• Designs, with key stakeholders, data-driven, cost-effective interventions to reduce healthcare associated infections and occupational exposures, and facilitates the implementation of interventions system-wide. Integrates infection prevention and control measures into newly developed services across the continuum of care.

• Consults with Infectious Disease Physician Champion regarding complex infections, organisms of significance, exposures, outbreaks and other infection prevention issues. Collaborates with system & site leaders to determine the effectiveness of the infection prevention plan and programs and to recommends changes as needed. Collaborates with the Employee Occupational Health Service in following up on employee infections, exposures to infectious patients, and in developing and implementing policies related to infection prevention and management of healthcare personnel with infectious conditions.

• Identifies and facilitates the development and implementation of Infection Prevention staff competency and training needs.

• Responsible for oversight of the Infection