Senior Service Fellowship in Health Informatics

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Position and organization

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), in Hyattsville, Maryland, is seeking a Senior Service Fellow in health informatics to work in its Division of Health Care Statistics (DHCS). NCHS is the nation’s principal health statistics agency, and its mission is to collect and compile accurate, relevant, and timely statistical information to guide actions and policies that improve the health of the American people. For more information about NCHS, see the NCHS website.

DHCS conduct the National Health Care Surveys, a family of nationally representative, provider-based surveys that cover a broad spectrum of healthcare settings. These surveys are designed to answer key questions of interest to healthcare policy makers, public health professionals, and researchers. These can include the factors that influence the use of healthcare resources, quality of health care, including safety, and disparities in healthcare services provided to population subgroups in the United States. Historically, these surveys have been conducted by on-site medical record abstraction.  However, they are moving to electronic data collection, particularly the collection of electronic health records (EHRs), which reflects a major change. Expertise in health informatics and EHRs is needed by DHCS to successfully complete this transition.

Position overview

This fellowship is open to all citizens of the United States or legal permanent residents with a work authorization. Applicants are responsible for obtaining the necessary work authorization. The Senior Service fellow functions as a senior advisor to the DHCS Director and NCHS leadership in providing scientific advice and consultation on issues related to public healthcare informatics, clinical information systems’ development and implementation, clinical documentation design, semantic interoperability, EHR systems, and health information exchange as it relates to the National Health Care Surveys.

Responsibilities

Under the supervision of the DHCS Director, the Senior Service fellow will have the following responsibilities:

Serve as a senior advisor providing scientific advice and consultation on issues related to healthcare informatics, clinical information systems’ development and implementation, clinical documentation design, semantic interoperability, health information exchange, clinical research, and project management.

Plan and develop strategies for new models of health information interchange and automation in public health.

Provide technical assistance and consultation related to developing approaches for strengthening the standardization of national health information systems, with special emphasis on electronic data interchange within NCHS and as needed by external partners.

Work with DHCS staff to develop processes and methods for extracting healthcare data from EHRs.

Provide expertise and leadership in participation with standards development organizations to promote inclusion of variables and formats for DHCS surveys. This includes but is not limited to such groups as the Public Health Data Standards Consortium, responding to requests for comments on standards from outside groups, and working with NCHS Classification and Public Health Standards staff.

Stay current on legislative changes and developments in health information technology and provide expertise and leadership in identifying and applying mandated requirements and technology developments to DHCS surveys.

Keep abreast of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program (PI), Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS), and other requirements.  Provide expertise in PI and MIPS measures for eligible provides and eligible hospitals, including identification of measures, which may be useful for DHCS surveys, how these measures are calculated, which standards are used and the strengths, limitations, and comparability of these measures to data collected by DHCS surveys.

Liaise and collaborate with other NCHS divisions and other federal agencies to advance knowledge of electronic data collection.

Maintain professional liaisons with informatics specialists within NCHS, CDC, DHHS, and other federal and international agencies to develop cooperative research efforts in public health informatics and promote a general exchange of ideas, information, and data.

Prepare and present reports on informatics at professional conferences and prepare manuscripts for publication in scientific journals.

Qualifications

  • Graduate or higher-level degree (for example, Master’s, Ph.D., M.D./D.O., or D.N.S.): major study in an academic field related to the medical field, health sciences or allied sciences appropriate to the work of the position and at least 7 years of relevant work experience in healthcare informatics and interoperable data standards.
  • Knowledge of healthcare informatics, EHR systems, and interoperable data standards is required.
  • Knowledge of policies related to the CMS’ PI and MIPS programs is required.
  • Knowledge of Clinical Document Architecture (CDA) and Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) is required.
  • Experience with vendors of different EHR systems is preferred.
  • Strong organizational skills to document procedures and decisions.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills, including experience publishing scientific manuscripts and communicating with relevant audiences, as well as strong interpersonal skills.
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).
  • Demonstrated initiative and ability to work both autonomously and in a team environment.

Terms of appointment

The Senior Service Fellow will be offered an initial 3-year full-time appointment, with potential for an extension.  A starting date will be determined by mutual agreement. An initial salary range of $136,908–$177,978 will be offered based on education and experience. Salary increases will be commensurate with performance. Federal benefits such as annual and sick leave, Thrift Savings 401(k)-equivalent, and health and life insurance apply. Remote and telework may be offered at the discretion of the supervisor. The Fellow will have the option of free onsite parking or a public-transportation subsidy. The local metro station is within walking distance.

Application process

Review of applications will begin in February 2023 and continue until the position is filled. Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, their curriculum vitae, unofficial transcripts of all graduate and undergraduate credits, and two reference letters to Dr. Carol DeFrances, Director, Division of Health Care Statistics, at the mailing or email address below. If selected, the applicant will be required to submit all of the following documents which have not already been sent: official transcripts in sealed and signed envelopes and hard copies of two reference letters on official letterhead with original signatures. Inquiries or questions regarding this fellowship can be directed to Dr. Carol DeFrances at cdefrances@cdc.gov. Visit the NCHS Employment Opportunities website for more information about the Fellowship Program.

Mailing address

Carol DeFrances, Ph.D.
Director
Division of Health Care Statistics
National Center for Health Statistics
3311 Toledo Road, Room 34842
Hyattsville, Maryland 20782
cdefrances@cdc.gov

 

**CDC/NCHS is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, creed, color, age, sex, national origin, physical or mental disability, or sexual orientation.**