Public Health Officer

Benton-Franklin Health District

Class Specification

Health Officer

Definition:

The Health Officer is the chief medical officer for the Health District, responsible to the Board of Health for all matters pertaining to public health, and for providing necessary assessment and assurance activities related to the health needs of the community. Duties of the Health Officer are specifically delineated in RCW 70.05.070.

Essential duties may include but are not limited to:

• Assists the Public Health Administrator in identifying the health needs of citizens residing in the District and works with the Administrator and Board to plan the development and organization of service programs designed to meet those health needs.
• Establishes treatment protocols and clinical orders for all Health District programs providing medical care to clients. Assists in the development of a Health District quality assurance program and participates in the monitoring and evaluation of that program.
• Assures that the District clinical standards of are consistent with those described by grants, accrediting agencies, federal, state and local regulatory agencies and the resources available.
• Enforces the public health statutes of the State, rules and regulations of the State Board of Health and the Secretary of the Department of Health, and all local health rules, regulations and ordinances within the jurisdiction. Emphasis is on communicable disease control and environmental health.
• Collaborates with plans and protocols for directing the Health District's program of Environmental Health Services, including food service surveillance, sanitation, solid waste, sewage regulation, water supplies and the Public Health Laboratory.
• Establishes plans and protocols designed to control and prevent the spread of communicable disease.
• Establishes and/or revises mechanisms designed to collect information descriptive of communicable diseases contracted by residents of the Health District.
• Provides information to community physicians and other groups and agencies regarding the need for and requirements of collecting and providing the Health District information descriptive of communicable diseases.
• Serves as a liaison between the Health District and community physician groups, hospitals and other components of the community medical care system.
• Provides the public with information via media outlets (written and/or on-camera interviews) regarding the causes, nature, and methods of preventing diseases and disability, and methods of promoting and improving health status within the District.
• Participates in emergency planning and in the provision of appropriate and assigned services during the existence of emergencies within the jurisdiction.
• Perform other such duties as assigned by the District Board of Health, as well as other mandated duties as contained in Chapters 70.05 and 70.46 RCW and the Charter of the Benton-Franklin Health District Board of Health.

Organizational Competencies:

All BFHD employees are expected to ensure the community is protected from disease and other public health threats and to empower others to live healthier, safer lives. In addition, all BFHD employees are to meet specified competencies in the following areas:

• Customer Focus: Ensure the health and safety of our community within their abilities and resources and treat the diverse customers with thoughtful listening and respect.
• Accountability: Be accountable for knowing the scope of BFHD programs and for maintaining the public's trust through credible information, quality programming and services, and fiscal integrity.
• Equity and Fairness: Interact with clients, community partners and co-workers with fairness and equity and deliver services free of bias or prejudice.
• Occupational Health and Safety: Follow all safety rules, proactively work to prevent accidents, and encourage the use of sound judgement in order to comply with district and county regulations.
• Emergency Preparedness: Promptly identify and respond to public health threats and priorities. This may involve working outside of day-to-day tasks.

Individual Core Competencies:

All Management Staff are expected to meet the Tier 3 Core Competencies for Public Health Professionals as defined by The Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice.

Knowledge and Abilities:

• Competencies in public health including preventive medicine, epidemiology, communicable and chronic diseases, environmental health principles and practices, health risk communication, and public health administration, law and major provisions of state health regulations.

• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with private physicians, local health officers in other jurisdictions, community officials, Medical Society and Benton Franklin Community Health Alliance.

• Ability to understand, interpret and apply public health laws and regulations.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Licensure or eligible for licensure to practice medicine in Washington State,

AND

• Master of Public Health or equivalent degree,

AND

• Five (5) year's experience in a professional medical capacity, including two (2) year's experience in Public Health preferred.

Criminal Background Check required upon candidate selection.