Research Assistant - Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Division Regional Quality Improvement Section
King County
Auburn, WA
Full-time
Health Care Provider
Posted on June 15, 2019
- Summary
- Public Health – Seattle and King County values diverse perspectives and life experiences. The Department encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, and veterans.
As the only county in the United States named after Martin Luther King Jr, one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our nations' history, King County is a vibrant community with residents that represent countries from around the world. It is a region with increasing diversity that cherishes the artistic and social traditions of many cultures.
We continue to build on an enduring legacy of shared values of equity and social justice, employee engagement, innovative thinking and continuous improvement. With this commitment, King County has adopted a pro-equity agenda aimed at advancing regional change and is developing the systems and standards necessary to achieve better outcomes for all of our residents, regardless of their race or income. All of these qualities make this King County one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.
This position will be primarily responsible for gathering, compiling, and abstracting information from electronic health records (EHR) systems used by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) agencies and incident reports from dispatch centers throughout our region. This position must make coding decisions based on the information available in prehospital patient care reports (PCRs) and computer-aided dispatch (CADs) reports and will enter data into the Cardiac Arrest Surveillance System (CASS) database. The research assistant will work closely with both internal and external stakeholders to follow standards and procedures that lead to quality regional data collection and analysis and to comply with strict policies for protected health information. The research assistant will serve in a backup capacity to Regional Quality Improvement Section Data Collection Team members. This position will also oversee proper storage of physical and electronic PCRs, EHRs, and CADs, and assist section supervisors with records management responsibilities (e.g., data clerk activities). This position will also work with quality improvement (QI) team members in compiling and presenting data summaries and reports, and conducting quality assurance activities. This position reports directly to the Regional Quality Improvement Section, Data Collection Team Supervisor (Project/Program Manager III).
WHO MAY APPLY: This full-time Career Service position is open to all qualified candidates.
WORK LOCATION: 401 Fifth Avenue, 1200; Seattle, WA 98104, Chinook Building
WORK SCHEDULE: This position is non-exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, and is overtime eligible. The regular work week is 40 hours, Monday through Friday and may need occasional evening, weekend, and on-call work.
CONTACT: If you have questions regarding this job announcement, please contact Nic Horea, Senior Human Resources Analyst at (206)263-8736 or via email at nicolae.horea@kingcounty.gov
APPLICATION PROCESS:
The following items are required to be considered for this position:
NEOGOV/Government Jobs online or paper. (Online applications are preferred. However, if you cannot apply online, go to www.kingcounty.gov/jobs for other options.)
- Supplemental questions
- Resume
- A cover letter that summarizes your interest and qualifications for the position.
- Job Duties
- Serve as the primary data abstraction subject matter expert to collect and analyze data from prehospital patient care reports and computer-aided dispatch reports to complete coding and data entry into CASS database
- Serve as a secondary support to collect and analyze data from defibrillators when used by the general public or EMS agencies and hospitalization records for when a patient is transported to regional hospitals
- Conduct assessments of physical and electronic patient care reports to ensure proper storage and adherence to department, division, and section policies
- Update and maintain appropriate databases, records, and tracking files as necessary
- Assist in the maintenance of a manual of operations and data dictionaries, and to perform quality assurance efforts for CASS records
- Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders and work collaboratively with the Data Collection Team and Data Analysis Team to support regional quality improvement activities and optimize data collection
- Work collaboratively with King County Information Technology (KCIT), and other parties as needed, to monitor CASS functionality, identify problems, resolve issues, and to identify potential opportunities for improvement to gain efficiencies or to improve the overall quality of CASS data
- Maintain confidentiality of data at all times
- Occasionally travel to King County hospitals, fire departments, dispatch centers, and paramedic programs to gather and abstract data for quality assurance studies
- Perform other duties as assigned
- Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills
- Demonstrated understanding of data collection, data quality assurance, and quality improvement, data management, and verification techniques that result in complete and accurate datasets
- Demonstrated skills and knowledge of utilizing a data registry, repository, or surveillance system
- Demonstrated ability to work with diverse work teams (i.e., project/program managers, research assistants, epidemiologists, medical directors, and other healthcare providers)
- Demonstrated understanding of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Privacy Rule in protecting private health information
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
The most competitive candidates will possess:
- Knowledge of good clinical practice standards and data collection and quality improvement principles
- Demonstrated ability to work with electronic health record systems or large patient-based databases
- Knowledge of emergency medical services
- Demonstrated oral and presentation skills
- Supplemental Information
- The selection process may include but is not limited to: evaluation of application materials and supplemental questions, interviewing, and testing. For more information on our selection process, please refer to www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/jobs/hiring
- Public Health relies on office automation (Microsoft Office 365) and web-based enabled tools, therefore candidates must be proficient and comfortable with computer use to perform functions associated with on-going work.
- Regular and reliable attendance, effective communication skills, and development of effective working relationships are requirements of all Public Health positions.
- Staff may be required to play an active role in the event of a public health emergency, which may include changes in responsibilities and working hours.
NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:- The selected candidate is required to be subject to a background investigation.
- Valid Washington State Driver License.
- Employees are required to protect the privacy and security of protected health information as defined in State and Federal Law.
- Employees are required to adhere to OSHA/WISHA guidelines including but not limited to completing their mandatory trainings on time.
UNION AFFILIATION:
This position is not represented by a labor union.
King County offers a highly-competitive compensation and benefits package designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees and support our employees' health and well-being. Eligible positions receive the following benefits and have access to the following programs:
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage: King County pays 100% of the premiums for eligible employees and family members
- Life and disability insurance: employees are provided basic coverage and given the opportunity to purchase additional insurance for both the employee and eligible dependents
- Retirement: King County employees are eligible to participate in a pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and a 457(b) deferred-compensation plan
- Transportation program and ORCA transit pass
- 10 paid holidays each year (plus 2 personal holidays)
- Generous vacation and paid sick leave
- Paid parental leave, family and medical leaves, and volunteer leave
- Flexible Spending Account
- Wellness programs
- Onsite gyms and activity centers
- Employee giving program
- Employee assistance programs
- Flexible schedules and telecommuting options, depending on position
- Training and career development programs
This is a general description of the benefits offered to eligible King County employees, and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. If any information on this document conflicts with the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the CBA prevails. Also, in the event of any incorrect information in this document, applicable laws, policies, rules, CBAs, or official plan documents will prevail.
NOTE: Benefits for Term Limited Temporary (TLT) or Short Term Temporary (STT) positions, including leave eligibility and/or participation in the pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems, will vary based upon the terms and details of the position. Short Term Temporary positions are not eligible for an ORCA transit pass.
For inquiries about the specifics of this position, please contact the recruiter identified on this job posting.
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01Do you have experience gathering, compiling, abstracting, and entering data into databases?
- Yes
- No
02If you answered "Yes" to question #1, describe your experience. Also list the number of years of experience and cite any specific experiences with prehospital patient care reports/EMS, medical terminology, healthcare, or real-time surveillance systems. If you answered "no", please type N/A.03This position offers a degree of autonomy in regards to making coding decisions. Describe your approach to coding valid data with accuracy.04Do you have familiarity with preparing data reports and summaries?- Yes
- No
05If you answered "Yes" to question #4, describe your familiarity with preparing reports and summaries and the number of years you've done these duties. If you answered "no", please type N/A.06Are you willing to travel throughout King County (using a county registered vehicle)?- Yes
- No
Required Question