Nonprofit Remote Digest - Issue #489
Americares is a health-focused relief and development organization that responds to people affected by poverty or disaster with life-changing health programs, medicine and medical supplies.
Americares — www.americares.org Our Mission: Americares saves lives and improves health for people affected by poverty or disaster so they can reach their full potential.
Deputy Medical Officer
TITLE: Deputy Medical Officer
DEPARTMENT: Technical Unit
LOCATION: USA
REPORTS TO: Chief Medical Officer
ASSIGNMENT TYPE: Full Time
ABOUT AMERICARES
Americares is an international relief and development organization that saves lives and builds healthier futures for people affected by poverty or disaster in the U.S. and around the world. Every day, Americares puts critically needed medicines and supplies in the hands of frontline health workers and develops and supports innovative health improvements in their communities. We are the leading nonprofit for delivering donated medicines and medical supplies to health programs around the world increasing access to medicines in more than 90 countries every year.
POSITION SUMMARY
Americares is seeking an experienced, collaborative, and dynamic Deputy Medical Officer to support Americares key focus areas of work in the United States and around the globe: Access to Medicines, Emergency Programs, and Clinic to Community Health. The Technical Unit is comprised of the Medical Unit, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Technical Advisors in Mental Health and Psychosocial Support, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene and Infection, Prevention and Control and supports all teams within Americares and serves to ensure and advance the technical integrity and quality of Americares ongoing and emergency programs and internal/external reporting. In addition to the clinical contributions provided across Americares focus areas, the Deputy Medical Officer will support the Chief Medical Officer and the broader Technical Unit with oversight and management of important projects and team initiatives, contribute to research, training and technical assistance, staff health and safety, organizational risk mitigation efforts, and represent the Technical Unit in several cross-departmental efforts. The Deputy Medical Officer will also represent the organization as needed in thought leadership forums, donor meetings and media events.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
General – assisting Chief Medical Officer through leadership and support in the following areas of work:
Staff health and safety efforts including staff travel processes
COVID-19 pandemic response and planning efforts (internal and external)
General organizational process improvement and efficiency efforts requiring representation and involvement from the Technical Unit
Programmatic quality improvement initiatives including support to Monitoring and Evaluation and Technical Advisor teams as needed
Support to Chief Medical Officer/Medical Unit for any day-to-day ad hoc requests and Technical Unit team support and management
Upon request, review external communications for clinical accuracy and integrity (i.e. Marketing and Communications pieces, Donor communications)
Contribute to and represent Americares in thought leadership and key Development and Marketing and Communications events including donor meetings and media interviews
Conduct research, support proposal development and maintain awareness of global and domestic best practices in health areas such as disaster medicine, communicable and non-communicable diseases and access to essential medicines
Support as needed on project design, implementation and evaluation of Americares domestic and international programs using project cycle management methodology
As needed, identify and navigate obstacles for timely and impactful implementation of programs and efforts requiring Technical Unit support
Oversee Technical Unit related components of Americares online learning management system
Contribute to the development and maintenance of Americares knowledge management initiatives and support the management of Americares Technical Communities of Practice
Oversee the publication review committee and process
Help build and maintain pipeline of volunteer external advisors
Access to Medicine (A2M) Program
Work with Senior Pharmacy Advisor on the review and approval of offers of donated medications and supplies from pharmaceutical partners
Assist Chief Medical Officer with research and providing clinical guidance as needed on partner inquiries, new medications and product offers, new models of access to essential medicines and ad-hoc requests
Support risk mitigation efforts as needed
Work with Chief Medical Officer, Senior Pharmacy Advisor and key stakeholders to contribute to new organizational initiatives to expand the Access to Medicine portfolio or process efficiency improvement efforts
Contribute to regular review and updating or related process and technical documents
Support cross departmental A2M process improvement efforts
Support the development and review of formularies for new projects or emergency responses
Support monitoring and evaluation team in any efforts involving A2M data metrics
As needed, review of partner medication manifests
Emergency Programs
Work with Chief Medical Officer on all clinical components of Americares processes and certification for the World Health Organization Emergency Medical Team (EMT) initiative including review and development of clinical Standard Operating Procedures and technical documents
Work with Chief Medical Officer and Associate Director, Global Roster and EMT to develop new and strengthen existing pre and post deployment processes including staff health screenings
Along with Senior Pharmacy Advisor, regularly review, update and adjust EMT formulary
If needed, be available to deploy and support/lead medical team efforts for sudden onset disasters (will also support medical team efforts remotely)
Work with Chief Medical Officer, Technical Advisors and members of the Emergency Programs team to:
Develop emergency program strategies that align with government or local authority goals, local customs, Americares policy, health facility capacities, and established needs in emergencies
Prepare curriculum and deliver relevant clinical training to Americares deployment team members including members of the Americares Global Roster as well as providing any locally needed capacity building/training
Assist Chief Medical Officer to provide clinical guidance and support for any staff related health issues that occur during acute response deployments or in ongoing emergency programs
During sudden onset disaster responses, support Senior Pharmacy Advisor in review of partner medication requests and development of request lists for corporate partners
Support short-term consultant recruitment and management including clinical staff screening and interviews as needed including for the Emergency Programs global roster
Clinic to Community Health
Assist Chief Medical Officer in providing any technical support and guidance as needed for any of Americares clinical operations
Work with Chief Medical Officer, monitoring and evaluation team and relevant stakeholders on clinical quality assurance/improvement initiatives and data tracking
Deliver training to frontline health workers and Americares staff as needed. This may include webinars, in person (post-COVID) facilitated training as well as small group sessions
Assist Chief Medical Officer in follow-up and after-action reviews for clinical staff related health issues or exposures
Help develop and support management of a new clinical services Community of Practice
QUALIFICATIONS
MD, DO or MBBS degree required
Minimum 5 years of clinical experience
Active license to provide clinical care and prescribe medications required (for EMT related work and A2M program)
Experience implementing health programming in the United States particularly in the safety net sector and in a global health/international development context
Experience working in sudden onset disasters is a plus
Additional degrees/certification in public health, global health, international development, or equivalent is a plus
Experience in program development, relationship and capacity building, monitoring and evaluation including quality improvement processes and metrics
Ability to effectively work in limited resources settings and adapt to the changing needs of Americares work and projects
Ability to collaborate and coordinate across various stakeholders within the organization
Strong communication skills required
Additional language fluency a plus
Approximately 5-15% domestic and international travel (post-COVID) likely with additional travel as needed for emergency deployments
How to Apply
Please submit a resume and cover letter to https://americares.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/881?c=americares