CHAIR OF THE DIVISION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE 

Job Number:

00135077 

Job Posting

: Sep 6, 2024, 9:00:25 PM 

Closing Date

: Ongoing Full-time Shift Start Time: 8:00 A.M. Shift End Time: 4:30 P.M.

Collective Bargaining Unit: NoneNone Posting Salary: COMPETITIVE

Organization

: Health and Hospital Systems 

Applicants may apply for this position online or submit a resume/ CV to the following email address: MDRecruit@cookcountyhhs.org

When submitting a resume/CV by email, you must include the job title and posting number in the subject line of your email. An application or resume/CV must be filed for each position which interests you.

To receive Veteran Preference, appropriate discharge papers must be attached to the online application or must be included with your emailed resume/CV. Please refer to Veteran Preference document requirements listed on the bottom of this posting. 

Job Summary

The Chair of the Division of Infectious Disease (ID) oversees and is accountable for the clinical, administrative, teaching and research activities carried out by Division employees. The ID Division chair is responsible for ensuring that the Division has the resources, principally, its staff, necessary to meet its mission to Stroger Hospital and the Cook County Health (CCH) to provide excellent inpatient and ambulatory clinical care, administrative support, teaching and clinical research related to ID; for ensuring that these resources are deployed as efficiently and effectively as possible; and for promoting the personal and professional growth, individually and collectively, of ID staff necessary to meet current and future challenges.

General Administrative Responsibilities

Collective Bargaining

• Review applicable Collective Bargaining Agreements and consult with Labor Relations to generate management proposals
• Participate in collective bargaining negotiations, caucus discussions and working meetings

Discipline

• Document, recommend and effectuate discipline at all levels
• Work closely with labor relations and/or labor counsel to effectuate and enforce applicable Collective Bargaining Agreements
• Initiate, authorize and complete disciplinary action pursuant to CCH system rules, policies, procedures and provision of applicable collective bargaining agreements

Supervision

• Direct and effectuate CCH management policies and practices
• Access and proficiently navigate CCH records system to obtain and review information necessary to execute provisions of applicable collective bargaining agreements

Management

• Contribute to the management of CCH staff and CCH’ systemic development and success
• Discuss and develop CCH system policies and procedures
• Consistently use independent judgment to identify operational staffing issues and needs and perform the following functions as necessary; hire, transfer, suspend, layoff, recall, promote, discharge, assign, direct or discipline employees pursuant to applicable Collective Bargaining Agreements
• Work with Labor Relations to discern past practice when necessary

Typical Duties

Must meet all of the responsibilities outlined in the job description for attending physicians in the

Division of ID. Additional responsibilities include:

• Participates in the hiring process of ID staff who possess the attributes and qualifications necessary to perform the duties and responsibilities outlined in their respective job description documents
• Establishes and promotes the achievement of performance goals necessary for ID staff to obtain institutional and academic promotion
• Supervises the work performance of ID staff, including the satisfactory attainment of extramural regulatory requirements and institutional performance standards, and implementing corrective and/or disciplinary actions if these requirements or standards are not met
• Conducts regular reviews of the progress of ID staff towards the achievement of performance goals and the attainment of regulatory requirements and performance standards
• Ensures that the professional credentials and performance evaluations are complete and up to date for all ID staff
• Reports on the activities and work performance of ID staff to the Chair of the Department of Medicine, to the Chief Medical Officer and to the CCH administration as required.
• Creates inpatient and ambulatory service schedules for clinical ID staff and responding to planned and unplanned work absences
• Oversees the performance of clinical ID staff in providing patient care and teaching, including:

o Providing informal consultation on clinically challenging cases or with problems in obtaining the clinical resources or services necessary to provide appropriate patient care

o Responding to any complaints of unprofessional behavior or negligent or inappropriate patient care by ID staff by responding to the complainant, the ID staff member and any third parties that might be involved

o Investigating assessments indicating inadequate teaching performance on the part of ID staff by discussing them with the staff member and designing and implementing a plan for remediation, if needed

o Overseeing or providing the design and implementation of plans for addressing systematic barriers – e.g., lack of staff time, physical resources or suboptimal deployment of the above – to the effective and timely provision of ID clinical care

• Ensures that the Division of ID and its staff provide effective didactic and bedside or clinic-based teaching for medical students and residents, fellows, colleagues and other staff and that space, resources and time necessary to perform these duties are adequate
• Guides expansion of the Division’s clinical research portfolio, tapping available extramural resources and leveraging institutional assets to better apply research questions and methods to the extensive and diverse clinical problems managed within the division.

Typical Duties continued

• Schedules regular conferences on clinical issues and research and ensuring that appropriate

speakers/participants are involved

• Hires and supervises the Hospital Epidemiologist and his/her staff of infection preventionists and related laboratory staff, including regular participation in deliberations involving infection control issues attendance of infection control meetings
• Hires and supervises the chair of the hospital’s Anti-Infective Committee (AIC) and participating ID physicians and pharmacists, including regular participation in deliberations involving antimicrobial stewardship issues and attendance of AIC meetings
• Ensures the full participation of ID staff in other quality assurance, administrative and/or academic committees or activities as recommended or required by the chair of the Department of Medicine or hospital or CCH administrative staff
• Ensures that the collective output of clinical research by ID staff is sufficient to meet the Division’s obligations to its patients and trainees, and that this research is performed according to prevailing standards of scientific and ethical rigor
• Promotes and assists in the acquisition of intramural resources and extramural funding necessary to perform clinical research that meets these standards
• Negotiates and participates in the consummation of any contracts or agreements pertaining to academic affiliation or service provision related to the Division of ID
• Schedules and conducts regular meetings and personal and electronic communications with ID staff to facilitate the satisfactory completion of ID responsibilities as outlined above.
• Develops and implements a hospital-wide antibiotic stewardship program, based on nationally recognized guidelines, to monitor and improve the use of antibiotics
• Documents antibiotic stewardship activities
• Communicates and collaborates with the medical staff, nursing, and pharmacy leadership, as well as with the hospital’s infection prevention and control and quality assessment and performance improvement programs on antibiotic use issues
• Trains and educates staff, including medical staff, on the practical applications of antibiotic stewardship guidelines, policies, and procedures.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathy (DO) degree from an accredited medical school
• Must be licensed as a physician in the State of Illinois or have the ability to obtain Illinois physician licensure before starting employment
• At least five (5) years of work experience as an attending physician in ID in an academic setting
• At least two (2) years of work experience in administering clinical, educational, quality assurance or research programs related to ID
• Current and valid Illinois Controlled Substances License or have the ability to obtain license prior to starting employment
• Current and valid licensure with the Federal DEA or have the ability to obtain license prior to starting employment

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and Other Characteristics

• Knowledge of infection prevention, control, surveillance and intervention practices
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills necessary to communicate with all levels of

staff and a patient population composed of diverse cultures and age groups

• Strong customer service and empathy skills
• Ability to recommend and oversee the management of staff
• Ability to collaborate on interdisciplinary projects
• Ability to participate in the activities and educational programs appropriate to the specialty
• Ability to adhere to department policies and standards utilizing best practices incorporating the use of electronic health record (EHR)

Physical and Environmental Demands

This position is functioning within a healthcare environment. The incumbent is responsible for adherence to all hospital and department specific safety requirements. This includes but is not limited to the following policies and procedures: complying with Personal Protective Equipment requirements, hand washing and sanitizing practices, complying with department specific engineering and work practice controls and any other work area safety precautions as specified by hospital wide policy and departmental procedures.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of the personnel so classified.

For purposes of the American with Disabilities Act, “Typical Duties” are essential job functions.

VETERAN PREFERENCE

PLEASE READ

When applying for employment with Cook County Health, preference is given to honorably discharged Veterans who have served in the Armed Forces of the United States for not less than 6 months of continuous service

To take advantage of this preference a Veteran must:

• Meet the minimum qualifications for the position.
• Identify self as a Veteran on the employment application by answering yes to the question by answering yes to the question, “Are you a Military Veteran?”
• Attach a copy of their DD 214, DD 215 or NGB 22 (Notice of Separation at time of application filing. Please note: If you have multiple DD214s, 215s, or NGB 22S, Please submit the one with the latest date. Coast Guard must submit a certified copy of the military separation from either the Department of Transportation (Before 9/11) or the Department of Homeland Security (After 9/11). Discharge papers must list and Honorable Discharge Status. Discharge papers not listing an Honorable Discharge Status are not acceptable

OR 

A copy of a valid State ID Card or Driver’s License which identifies the holder of the ID as a Veteran, may also be attached to the application at time of filing.

If items are not attached, you will not be eligible for Veteran Preference

VETERANS MUST PROVIDE ORIGINAL APPLICABLE DISCHARGE PAPERS OR APPLICABLE STATE ID CARD OR DRIVER’S LICENSE AT TIME OF INTERVIEW.

MUST MEET ALL REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AT TIME OF APPLICATION FILING. 

“Degrees awarded outside of the United States with the exception of those awarded in one of the United States’ territories and Canada muse be credentialed by an approved U.S. credential evaluation service belongings to the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or the Association of International Credential Evaluators (AICE). Original credentialing documents must be presented at time of interview”.

• Please note all offers of Employment are contingent upon the following conditions: satisfactory professional & employment references, healthcare and criminal background checks, appropriate licensure/certifications and the successful completion of a physical and pre-employment drug screen.
• CCH is strictly prohibited from conditioning, basing or knowingly prejudicing or affecting any term or aspect of County employment or hiring upon or because of any political reason or factor.

COOK COUNTY HEALTH IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER.

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