Education Program Specialist, Chronic and Infectious Diseases -Center for Advancing Health Equity for Rural and Underserved Communities

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JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

The Penn State College of Medicine, Center for Advancing Health Equity in Rural and Underserved Communities (CAHE-RUC), is a unique academic and community partnership committed to the comprehensive evaluation and implementation of evidence-based, community-level strategies to improve health outcomes for rural and underserved communities. With locations in Chicago, IL and Hershey, PA, CAHE-RUC tackles a variety of complex public health and health system issues that require multi-disciplinary and multi-methodological approaches to achieve outcomes that benefit individuals and whole communities.

The Pennsylvania State College of Medicine (and its academic partners, Penn State Health and Milton S. Hershey Medical Center) are committed to enhancing the quality of life through improved health, the professional preparation of those who will serve the health needs of others and the discovery of knowledge that will benefit all. Penn State College of Medicine is part of an academic medical group that also includes: Penn State Health, a multi-hospital health system serving patients and communities across 29 counties in central Pennsylvania.

Location: Chicago, IL 60605

Job Summary:

This position will be located in our Chicago, IL office. The Chronic and Infectious Disease team within the Center for Advancing Health Equity in Rural and Underserved Communities (CAHE-RUC) is seeking a highly motivated Education Program Specialist to work with us to advance policy, system, and environmental strategies through evidence-based community and health system interventions. These strategies are centered around significant chronic and infectious diseases (CID) such as viral hepatitis, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and vaccine hesitancy that disproportionately affect Asian Americans, Black Immigrant, and other refugee communities. Projects include the promotion of healthcare education, access, and utilization; culturally tailored programming; community-based education, screening, and linkage to care; and other health programming within immigrant and refugee communities. The CID programs primarily fall under the Asian Health Coalition (AHC), the community engagement arm of the Center for Advancing Health Equity in Rural and Underserved Communities (CAHE-RUC).

Under the direction of the Senior Program Director, the Education Program Specialist of the CID programs will be responsible for planning and managing daily operations of the program, primarily in management of community partnerships, program development, data collection/analysis, and dissemination. The Education Program Specialist will serve as a liaison and resource to the CID program partners and facilitate the relationship between our community, clinic, and local health department partners where appropriate. An ideal Education Program Specialist for this program will be a highly motivated, organized, flexible, and strategic individual who has knowledge of chronic and infectious disease prevention, including evidence-based interventions/practices within community and clinic settings. The candidate should have experience working with multi-sector coalitions within diverse ethnic communities. They should have project management experience, including experience supervising the work of program coordinators, interns, and community volunteers. Asian and/or African language skills and experience with immigrant and refugee communities would be an asset in this position.  

Responsibilities:

• Plan, develop and manage the daily operations of the various CID programs including planning, estimating and monitoring timelines to ensure on-time completion  
• Facilitate, nurture, and maintain partnerships with community-based organizations, government agencies, faith communities, senior/experienced researchers, health care providers, and local health departments, as well as the grant funders to implement the CID programs 
• Collaborate with community and clinic partners to implement prevention, self-management, screening, and treatment programs, social marketing campaigns, and environmental-level strategies 
• Partner with community-based organizations and clinics to deliver small group training for community health workers, healthcare providers, and others 
• Prepare and submit grant reports
• Develop and conduct process and outcome evaluations of evidence-based strategies using both qualitative and quantitative data
• Conduct needs assessments and analyses to support program planning and evaluation
• Produce dissemination materials including but not limited to manuscripts, briefs, webinars to share our work with partners and the broader learning community
• Assist with grant writing for external funding sources to sustain and grow the CID program, exploring new opportunities based on community needs 
• Ensure the cultural competency and sensitivity of CAHE’s programming  
• Perform other duties as assigned

Competencies:

• Highly proficient project management skills, including a demonstrated ability to manage own time well and achieve objectives
• Ability to manage competing priorities, work simultaneously on multiple initiatives, and meet deadlines
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Knowledge of program planning, implementation, and evaluation
• Strong analytical skills and problem-solving ability
• Excellent facilitation skills
• Sensitivity to cultural and ethnic differences
• Ability to develop strong working relationships with, and build consensus among, a diverse array of stakeholders within the organization and between the organization and community partners
• Excellent interpersonal communications skills to facilitate multicultural, multi-generational community meetings, committee meetings, and programming, as well as one-on-one conversations with community leaders, funders, and decision-makers
• Familiar with and prior experience using Microsoft Office (e.g., Word, PowerPoint, Excel)
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Highly proactive and flexible

• Prior experience delivering health promotion interventions to foreign-born/minority populations
• Prior experience facilitating health education in a community or clinic setting
• Prior experience promoting programs, initiatives, and/or campaigns via social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, Twitter)
• Demonstrated ability to adapt health interventions to a target population
• Familiar with and prior experience using REDCap, Canva, and/or Google software (e.g., Google Docs, Sheets, Drive) is preferred

Minimum Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree
• 1+ years related experience
• Or an equivalent combination of education and experience

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Master’s degree preferred
• 2+ years of experience in community engagement/public health/social work/social sciences
• 2+ years of experience in program planning, development, and management experience
• Experience working with minority populations preferred
• Bilingual, Asian or African language preferred

This is a limited-term position funded for one year from date of hire, with possibility of refunding. 

The following clearances must be successfully completed for this position:  

• Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Background Check  
• Pennsylvania Child Abuse History
• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Criminal Background Check   

 
The Pennsylvania State University is committed to and accountable for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in all of its forms. We embrace individual uniqueness, foster a culture of inclusive excellence that supports both broad and specific diversity initiatives, leverage the educational and institutional benefits of diversity, and engage all individuals to help them thrive. We value inclusive excellence as a core strength and an essential element of our public service mission.  

The salary range for this position, including all possible grades is:

Salary Structure - additional information on Penn State's job and salary structure. 

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