By Emily Rogers
USAID GHFP-II Internship Available: Health Management Information Systems Intern
Health Management Information Systems Intern
Strategic Planning, Evaluation and Reporting Division, Office of HIV/AIDS, Bureau for Global health, United States Agency for International Development
Location: Washington, DC/Arlington, VA | February 2016-August 2016: Compensated 6 month Internship | INT-P5-035
The Global Health Fellows Program (GHFP-II) is a five year cooperative agreement implemented and managed by the Public Health Institute in partnership with Global Health Corps, GlobeMed, Management Systems International and PYXERA Global. GHFP-II is supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).
GHFP-II's goal is to improve the effectiveness of USAID health programs by addressing the Agency's immediate and emerging human capacity needs. The program seeks to accomplish this goal first through the recruitment, placement and support of diverse health professionals at the junior, mid and senior levels. These program participants include fellows, interns, corporate volunteers and Foreign Service National professionals. The program then provides substantial performance management and career development support to participants, including annual working planning assistance, and ensures that professional development opportunities are available.
Looking to the future, GHFP-II also seeks to establish a pool of highly-qualified global health professionals that will ensure the Agency's ongoing technical leadership and effectiveness. This objective is supported by an extensive outreach program that brings global health opportunities and specialized career advice to a diverse range of interested individuals, with a particular focus on those underrepresented in the field of global health.
BACKGROUND
In cooperation with the US Department of State's Office of the US Global AIDS Coordinator, other US Government (USG) partners, international organizations, and nongovernmental organizations, USAID provides global technical leadership on the full range of issues related to HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and treatment; manages numerous research and field support programs; and monitors the impact of the Agency's HIV/AIDS programs. In this endeavor, USAID works very closely with a range of USG agencies involved in the fight against AIDS, such as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Defense, and Peace Corps. The Office of HIV/AIDS (OHA) is the focus of technical leadership for USAID and has primary responsibility for leading the Agency's efforts within President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). More information about PEPFAR may be found at http://www.usaid.gov/what-we-do/global-health/hiv-and-aids.
Health Information Systems (HIS)/ Health Management Information Systems (HMIS) activities are a key component of PEPFAR Strategic Information (SI) programs. At the facility and community level, HIS assists health care workers in providing high quality and timely care. At the national, regional and Headquarters level, HIS assists public health managers in finding answers to key questions in: the state of the HIV/AIDS epidemic; the delivery and process of prevention; care and treatment services; the effectiveness of these services; the capacity needed to improve programs; as well as to plan and report and reach goals impacting the epidemic.
USAID's Site Improvement through Monitoring System (SIMS) is a new initiative designed to respond to PEPFAR priorities of transparency, accountability, and maximizing impact on the HIV pandemic. In January 2016, USAID will launch the Global Health SIMS Mobile Application (GHSMA) to 44 operating units/countries to facilitate SIMS data collection.
INTRODUCTION
The Health Management Information System (HMIS) Intern (Intern) will be assigned to the Health Informatics (HI) Team in the Strategic Planning, Evaluation and Reporting (SPER) Division within the Bureau for Global Health's (GH) within OHA. The HMIS Intern will support a cross-team effort to launch and provide end user support for GHSMA.
The Intern will work with the OHA and HI Team to provide technical assistance and training support related to SIMS mobile application end users, including providing helpdesk support, resolving problems to the end user's satisfaction, providing end user trainings, and supporting the development of training materials.
The Intern will work closely with the Senior Technical Advisor for the Global Health Bureau, as his/her onsite manager.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
• Gaining experience in the field of health information systems and respective data collection at the country level.
• Gaining a greater understanding of PEPFAR and OHA's emergent data, information systems, data mapping processes and standards, core business processes, dash boarding and data analytics needs.
• Gaining a greater understanding of country-level HMIS and SIMS.
• Deepening skills in supporting large scale mobile application deployment and understanding the unique challenges and implications of routine software and global health end user support spread across over three dozen operating units
• Deepening skills in collaboration and coordination within a complex organizational and implementation structure.
ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
• Providing support to the SIMS Team to develop a helpdesk support structure, including workflows, service ticketing, service queues, service support report development, and user satisfaction.
• Assisting the HI Team in triaging GHSMA support requests and resolving application and end user issues as possible, including monitoring, tracking, and reporting SIMS/GHSMA issues and problems.
• Based on GHSMA issue trends, assisting in the development of a FAQs, tips, tricks, and knowledge base to assist end users in resolving common application challenges.
• Supporting documentation of results, research and evaluation evidence, and lessons learned on GHSMA roll out.
• Other tasks or responsibilities may be assigned based on organizational and programming need and/or the Intern's own interests.
QUALIFICATIONS
• Currently enrolled master's or other post-bachelor's degree candidate in a program related to public health, health informatics, information systems, computer science or relevant field; or, completion of such within the past 12 months.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to think big picture strategy and navigate minor details to ensure all ends are accurate.
• Ability to translate technical issues and data to the general public.
• Strong organizational, interpersonal, written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment under tight deadlines while producing quality content.
• US citizenship or US permanent residency required.
COMPENSATION
$1,690 bi-weekly (exempt, salaried position).
TO APPLY
Detailed information, including an online application and instructions, is available on our website at https://www.ghfp.net/
All online applications must be submitted by December 31, 2015 by 5:00 pm Eastern time.
We are proud to be an EEO/AA Employer.
Practicum Opportunity: Public Health Student Researcher and Implementer
Company Name: Brookline-Quezalguaque Sister City Project, Inc.
Organization Description/Mission Statement: 28 year partnership between Brookline and Quezalguaque, a rural township in western Nicaragua
Program Description: Public Health Student will be part of a team which will work with the medical system in a rural Nicaraguan town to do several programs. They may include beginning a HPV vaccine for children; continuing to model a comprehensive sex education program for junior high and high school students. Laying the ground work for a hydration campaign to help address an epidemic of Chronic Kidney Disease
Student Scope of Work: Work in a team with Nicaraguan and US workers to address a Central American chronic kidney disease (CKD) epidemic. Work on developing presentations to prevent early pregnancy. Possibly implement a new vaccination campaign for HPV vaccines in children.
Preferred and/or Required Skills: Good Spanish skills, knowledge of epidemiology and public health campaigns, works well with many people, ability to be flexible, willingness to live and work in a rural environment without many resources
Estimated Start Date: After school ends in May 2016
Estimated End Date: 6 weeks later
Estimated Days/Hours: 6 weeks minimum
Number of Students Requested: 4-6
How to Apply: Email Peter Stringham at peter.stringham@gmail.com to set up an interview. Please include a copy of your resume in the email.
Application Deadline: February 29th, 2016
Contact for More Information: Peter Stringham MD
Supervisor Name: Peter Moyer MD and Kea van der Ziel
Supervisor Email Address: petermoyer@comcast.net vanderziel@earthlink.net petermoyer@comcast.net ,vanderziel@earthlink.net
Supervisor Phone Number: Peter 617-592-3313; Kea 617-935-2940
Notes/Comments: The final project is not solid, but will be worked out with the Boston team and the Nicaraguan health officials in the spring. Speaking with past participants might be a help to applicants
Position Available: Microbiology Data Management
MORU Tropical Health Network is looking for an enthusiastic person with practical experience of database management and a working knowledge of clinical microbiology, especially for those organisms isolated in blood cultures and their antimicrobial susceptibility testing, who has good attention to detail, to help with the cleaning of a large blood culture database at the Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust Research Unit in Vientiane, Laos for up to 6 months in early 2016. Experience of statistical software such as R or Stata would be an advantage. The responsibilities of the post would be to use manual and software techniques to clean the database, identify and complete missing data where this is possible, identify which identification and susceptibility tests need to be repeated and liaise with data management and microbiology teams. The deliverable will be a clean database.
There would also be opportunities to participate in some of the other activities of this clinical research unit (see http://www.tropmedres.ac/lomwru-laos). The remuneration package includes health insurance, plus reasonable travel costs. Please send your CV and a letter explaining your skills and why you would like to take this position to sengmany@tropmedres.ac.
GH Concentrator Helps Establish Maternal Health Monitoring Program in Haiti
For her public health practicum, student Brittany Tusing worked with a child and maternal health service in Haiti that operates a mobile prenatal clinic that travels to 23 villages each month, serving about 700 women.
The mobile clinic, operating out of a bright pink custom built Jeep, is part of a spectrum of services offered by Midwives for Haiti, a Virginia-based nonprofit that works with Haiti’s Ministry of Health and other organizations to “deliver culturally appropriate, high impact health interventions.”
Tusing helped refine and strengthen the mobile clinic’s monitoring and evaluation capabilities. She was specifically tasked with developing a formal monitoring plan to ensure the quality of care being provided to clients during prenatal visits, postpartum care, and referrals and transfers.
She also helped set up the foundations of a structured evaluation plan so that the organization could assess its impact on maternal mortality in its operating area, the villages of Haiti’s Central Plateau. Working with the clinic’s six midwives, she created a new data collection sheet designed to assist the group’s ongoing collaboration with local and regional officials from the Ministry of Health.
A significant part of her funding came from a public health fellowship sponsored by Santander Universities, a division of one of the world’s largest banking firms. At SPH, the Santander Fellows Program provides about 45 annual stipends in three programs: for low- and moderate-income students, for students pursuing health care research in Latin America, and for a field practice program in Kenya. The practice opportunities are critical for SPH students, who are required to spend at least one semester on an intensive practicum to gain firsthand knowledge. Santander stipends often pay the bulk of airfare, ground transportation, and housing for the semester-long practicum.
article posted at /sph/2015/12/10/student-helps-establish-maternal-health-monitoring-program-in-haiti/
Spring 2016 Payment Deadline: Wednesday, December 16
The payment deadline for spring 2016 is Wednesday, December 16, 2015.
Students are encouraged to finalize their spring schedules at this time.
International students who wish to be part-time during the spring should apply now (forms are available from the SPH Registrar in Talbot 210C).
For questions, please contact Alan Hatton at alhatton@bu.edu or call 617-638-5072.
Over 150 Positions Available with Global Health Corps
The most powerful lever of change in global health is great leadership, and everyone has a role to play. Global Health Corps is recruiting diverse talent for a range of positions on the front lines of the health equity movement in Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, the U.S., and Zambia, including:
- Project Officer at mothers2mothers in Lilongwe, Malawi
- Business Administration Systems Liaison Officer at The Ihangane Project in Kigali, Rwanda
- e-Health Coordinator at Clinton Health Access Initiative, Uganda
- Advocacy & Policy Associate at Housing Works in New York, United States
- Senior Research Associate at the Ministry of Health in Lusaka, Zambia
- HIV Research Program Officer at Rwanda Zambia HIV Research Group, Zambia
- Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at Christian Health Association of Malawi, Malawi
- Behavior Change Communication Officer at Ministry of Health – Uganda, Uganda
- Population Health Officer - Quality Initiatives at Housing Works, United States
Apply early! Applications will be reviewed starting in late December and will close on February 2, 2016.
Digital Communications Coordinator with the Population Council
The Population Council is looking for a Digital Communications Coordinator to join its Office of Strategic Communications. Primary responsibilities include writing and posting content for the Council’s website and social media channels, and coordinating an annual review and update of the Council’s website content. This is a newly created position and a great opportunity for someone to come in and help shape it.
We’re looking for a social media savvy professional with a track record of implementing successful online communications strategies. Experience in global health communications is a plus.
The job description and process for application can be found at http://www.popcouncil.org/careers.
Sit in on the Debates in GH795!
Please join students, faculty and staff as students from GH795, the Global AIDS Epidemic class, debate the following topics:
- Mandatory HIV testing of partners of people living with HIV (December 8th)
- Harm reduction vs. arrest and detention of people who inject drugs (December 8th)
- AIDS colonies: pro vs. con (December 15th)
Students will bring evidence, reason, ethics, religion, morality, politics or any other tools to bear to convince the audience of the merits of their team’s position. The audience will have the opportunity to engage in the debates. The debates will be held in Crosstown 462 starting at 10:00am.
December Concentrator’s Meeting
December GH Concentrator's Meeting will be a CE Information Session on Monday, December 14 from 1 - 2pm in CT - 305. Please RSVP to attend.
