Infection Preventionist

Infection Preventionist
0.9 FTE, 72 hours per pay period
Hours between 7 am and 5 pm, Monday through Friday, with some flexibility needed to work outside of those hours on occasion

*Starting pay between $35.15 and $43.93, based on experience

Position Overview:

The Infection Preventionist is responsible for developing, coordinating, and implementing the organization-wide Infection Control Program, which includes all functions related to infection prevention, surveillance, and control at Winona Health. Specializes in identifying, controlling, and working to prevent outbreaks of infection. Collects, reviews, analyzes, and submits infection prevention and control data to various groups and regulatory agencies; implements, evaluates, and maintains the organization-wide infection prevention and control plan; develops, revises, and maintains infection control policies and procedures; provides education on infection prevention and control, and investigates suspected outbreaks of infection. Consults on infection risk assessment, prevention and control strategies. The Infection Preventionist serves as a resource for infection prevention and control for all of Winona Health Services.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Serves as a member of the Infection Prevention and Control Committee. Works closely with the Chair of the Infection Control Committee to assure the agenda is set, the box score is updated, infection prevention and control issues are identified for discussion, and reports are ready for presentation.  Attends the Infection Prevention and Control Committee Meetings.


• Collects, reviews, analyzes, and submits infection-control data to the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and other regulatory agencies as required and/or requested.


• Conducts surveillance and investigations through the use of current epidemiologic principles. Uses appropriate statistical analysis to describe data, calculate rates, and critically evaluate the significance of findings. Presents surveillance data to the Infection Prevention and Control Committee.  Integrates surveillance findings into the infection prevention and control plan for continuous improvement of clinical practice and patient care outcomes.


• Assures regulatory requirements are met. Apprises the Infection Prevention and Control committee of upcoming changes.  Keeps current on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) for worldwide, national, and local infection control issues or concerns that may impact Winona Health.  Brings forward relevant public health issues to the Infection Prevention and Control Committee for discussion and implementation as determined. 


• Maintains the Winona Health membership in the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) and keeps current on trends and issues in Infection Prevention and Control.


• Maintains the organization-wide infection prevention and control plan along with the Infection Control Committee. Recommends changes based on current knowledge. Actively assures that the Infection Prevention and Control plan is communicated.


• Develops, revises, and maintains infection control policies and procedures, presents these to the Infection Prevention and Control Committee for approval, then educates and communicates policies to all departments. Recommends new or revised practices or procedures based on currently accepted, evidence-based infection prevention and control strategies.


• Maintains positive, solid working relationships and open communication with the local public health agencies and MDH.


• Monitors and investigates known or suspected sources of infections to determine the source and contain the outbreak.


• Provides education on infection prevention and control. Serves as a resource for infection prevention, control, and health care epidemiology.


• Monitors the effectiveness of infection prevention and control strategies through continuous systems improvement processes, methods, and tools. Coordinates the Infection prevention and control improvement activities and audits for adherence to infection control policies and procedures. Audits infection control processes for compliance, identifies gaps, and works with providers and staff to continuously improve processes.


• Uses continuous systems improvement (CSI) thinking and methods in evaluating and improving processes and workflows. Attends Focus Board meetings.


• Performs other duties as assigned

Skills and Experience:

Required:

• Completion of a professional training program in nursing, medical technology, microbiology, epidemiology, or other related field.


• Evidence of specialized training in infection control (to include coursework or equivalent care of patients with special infection control needs such as dialysis or high acuity conditions)prior to start date


• Certification in Infection Prevention and Control (CIC) required within 24 months of hire date.


• Excellent relationship-building skills and collaborative abilities; excellent written and verbal communication skills are required.


• Must have strong Microsoft Office (specifically in Excel) and Electronic Medical Records skills.

Preferred:

• Association for Practitioners in Infection Control (APIC) training course or equivalent desired.


• Two years of acute care experience, clinical experience in a public health setting, and/or infection prevention and control/epidemiology experience preferred.

Summary of Benefits at Winona Health:

At Winona Health, we are dedicated to offering a comprehensive and affordable benefits package for our employees and their families. While benefits may vary based on employment classification and job status, the following key benefits are available: 

Health Insurance: Options for medical, dental, and vision coverage, as well as mental health support and wellness incentives 
Income Protection: Short and long-term disability, plus additional benefits like accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity, legal assistance, and identity protection plans
Retirement Planning: Access to a 403(b) retirement plan with employer contributions once eligibility requirements are met
Work/Life Balance: Flexible scheduling, paid time off, and earned sick time to support personal well-being 
Education & Development: Paid training, tuition reimbursement, scholarships, and sponsored seminars to foster both personal and professional growth 
Employee Discounts: Special offers with local businesses, including the YMCA and cell phone providers

For more details or specific information, visit our website or contact Human Resources

Internal Applicant Policy:

It is the policy of Winona Health to work with employees in an equitable fashion regarding promotions, transfers, and position reclassifications.
 
Any employee wishing to apply for another available position at Winona Health must submit an application for consideration through the internal application portal. Employees requesting to change positions should have successfully completed at least six (6) months in their current position. Employees currently in the formal disciplinary process may be required to meet with the Director of Human Resources to determine eligibility to request transfer. The employee’s past performance, experience, training and qualifications will be considered in transfer/hiring decisions. Consideration for transfer or promotion is not a guarantee of transfer or promotion. Employees may be given a chance to interview for a position when they meet the minimum position qualifications.

Disclaimer:

Winona Health is an equal opportunity employer. Winona Health does not refuse to hire, discharge, or discriminate against a person with respect to tenure, compensation, terms, upgrading, conditions, facilities, or privileges of employment because of race, color, creed, religion, sex, age, national origin, marital status, genetic information, status with regard to public assistance, membership in a local discrimination commission, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, or any other prohibited basis of discrimination under applicable local, state, or federal law. Winona Health does not tolerate retaliation against any employee, patient/resident, physician, or other individuals pursuing concerns regarding Civil Rights issues. Winona Health adheres to ALL pertinent governmental policies and legislation including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII, as amended, and the Minnesota Human Rights Act.