Center for Health Protection Director/State Epidemiologist

This position directs the Center for Health Protection (CHP) and serves as the Chief Epidemiologist for New Mexico Department of Health and the State of New Mexico. The purpose of the work is multifaceted. It includes overseeing, managing, and providing leadership to CHP. This support furthers the NMDOH's public health equity mission, which aims to improve the health status of all New Mexicans. The role involves public health surveillance and sharing data and information that help identify trends. This information is used to inform programs and aid in the development of effective policies, program initiatives, and resource allocation. Additionally, the position coordinates epidemiological activities while also developing and maintaining the evaluation infrastructure within the DOH. It provides support and guidance for public health emergency responses. Finally, it ensures that the division is effectively supported in areas such as human resources, budgeting, resource development, grant management, and procurement.
The position also serves as the State Epidemiologist of DOH and advises the Secretary of Health and senior leadership on epidemiology, evaluation, scientific evidence and health policy and helps provide medical epidemiology services.

This position reports to the Director of Public Health Division Director and also advises the Secretary and senior leadership on epidemiology, evaluation, scientific evidence and health policy. Responsibilities include:
1)Leadership: Provide leadership for team of bureau chiefs and program support to foster a supportive and trauma responsive workplace, lead internal strategic planning, support public health accreditation, and assure program effectiveness through development, implementation and monitoring of organizational performance measures that demonstrate effectiveness.
2)Supervision and Management: Responsible for budget planning and tracking for effective use of resources; support for workforce development and creation of trauma responsive workplace; make decision on improving operating practices and procedures; promote team building; and interact with other sections in the department to improve administrative outcomes
3) Epidemiologic Studies and Outbreak Investigations: Lead the CHP team to assure that CHP deliverables and public health surveillance are of a high standard; assure the scientific integrity of major DOH publications including the NM Epidemiology Report; oversee the design and use of databases for analysis of public health problems; lead the development and conduct of epidemiological studies for program planning; and support team that provides medical epidemiology services.
4)Community Engagement and Communications: Assure the dissemination of program data, information and findings including reviewing the response to request for information; development of strategy for health risk communication of important public health data; provision of technical assistance to internal and external partners, with an emphasis on communities disproportionately affected by health inequities; working as a liaison to develop and maintain partnerships for sharing and using data; assurance of data sovereignty; and serve as epidemiological liaison for statewide efforts for improving health status

About New Mexico Department of Health

Welcome to the New Mexico Department of Health. To ensure health equity, we work with our partners to promote health and well-being and improve health outcomes for all people in New Mexico.

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