Rural Health Specialist Position

Role Title: Prog Admin Specialist II - 19212
Job Open Date: 12-28-2011
Job Close Date: Jobs close at 5pm EST. 01-13-2012
Job Type Detail: Definition Full-Time Salaried - Non-Faculty- FTS-1

• Is this position funded in whole or in part by the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act (Stimulus Package)? No
• Hiring Range - negotiable to $50,000
• Agency: Dept of Health (601)
• Agency Website: http://www.vdh.virginia.gov

Job Description

Supports the Office of Minority Health and Health Equity (OMHHE) with its efforts to promote health equity and social justice, particularly as it relates to rural areas in Virginia. Provides the day-to-day management and oversight of the processes related to promoting, monitoring and updating of the State Rural Health Plan. Identifies, tracks and recommends policies, policy alternatives, legislation and regulations that will address rural health needs in Virginia. Develops and sustains partnerships and leverages existing resources to support rural health in Virginia. Responsible for grants management to include the day-to-day administrative, budgeting, planning, contracting, scheduling, operational and programmatic activities. Provides consultation, technical assistance, and training about model programs, best practices, and emerging and promising approaches in rural health care to local health departments, rural health clinics, community health centers, and other rural health care providers and stakeholders. Assists rural communities with networking, program development, planning and implementation.

Minimum Qualifications

Must have a working knowledge of model programs, best practices, and emerging and promising approaches to improving the health of rural Virginians. Must have the ability to read and synthesize data and research findings and formulate practical applications in the real world setting. Must have experience with strategic planning, program/project management and grants management. Must have supervisory experience/skills and strong organizational skills. Must be able to attend to detail. Must have strong interpersonal skills and be able to establish effective working relationships with health care providers, organizations and community representatives. Must have demonstrated ability to successfully communicate, both orally and in writing with culturally diverse populations. Must be self-motivated and be able to work independently & proactively as well as be able to interact and work effectively with groups to achieve program goals. Must be able to review, analyze, and interpret laws/regulations and other policy and guidance documents. Must be able and willing to travel periodically. Masters degree strongly preferred in health, hospital, public or business administration or related field or equivalent work experience and training.

Special Requirements

For additional information, including screening criteria please go to the http://jobs. virginia.gov/ web site. Criminal/background investigation required of successful candidate. Those seeking sponsorship need not apply.

Special Instructions to Applicants

Interested candidates must submit an on-line application through the Virginia jobs web site, http://jobs.virginia.gov/ for Position #OC055. Fax, e-mail or mail applications will not be accepted. Your on-line application must be received by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, January 13, 2012. Equal Opportunity Employer.

Optional Applicant Documents

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• Required Applicant Documents

Contact Information

Shakema Sanders, MSA, VCO
Business Manager
Office of the Commissioner &
Office of Minority Health & Health
Equity
804-864-7430
804-864-7440

What’s New…? New CLAS Initiative Brings Community Together Through Medical Interpretation Network Partners

What’s new at the VDH, Office of Minority Health and Health Equity (OMHHE)? First, we are happy to report that we have a new CLAS Specialist, Valerie McAllister. Valerie joined our staff in January and she has been working on a number of initiatives to address providing cultural and linguistic appropriate services within the Commonwealth. One notable new initiative that Valerie is leading, that may be very helpful for your organization and community. At our 2009 Virginia Health Equity Conference, a significant number of attendees identified the need to enhance providing culturally competent healthcare services to rural and urban LEP (Limited English Proficiency) individuals in the Commonwealth. The attendees felt that there was a need to establish a Statewide Medical Interpreter Collaborative

Network. The Network would embark upon: • Identifying availability of medical interpreter services in communities • Identifying barriers and opportunities to serving the LEP population • Collaboration and sharing of existing resources • Developing opportunities to create new resources • Establish statewide priorities in field of medical interpretation. To begin to assess and address these needs, the OMHHE has hired two Medical Interpreter Network Coordinators who will canvass the state, reaching out to community partners to identify opportunities to bring resources together, setting up regional meetings to establish interest and build upon ideas, and define individual and community goals. Our Medical Interpreter Network Coordinators are: Mayra Creed of Newport News and Dr. Wendy Welch of Big Stone Gap, Virginia.

Click here to learn more about these key staffers

The Office of Minority Health & Health Equity's New CLAS Specialist

Valerie McAllister began her service as CLAS Specialist with Virginia Department of Health, Office of Minority Health & Health Equity, Division of Multicultural Health and Community Engagement, on January 11, 2011. Ms. McAllister brings over 15 years of experience in program planning and development. She has 20 plus years in community outreach, collaboration, and capacity building; specializing in working with diverse populations. Ms. McAllister has 8 years of experience as a National Trainer for the evidence-based, “Strengthening Families Program”. In this capacity, she was responsible for providing training and technical assistance to non-profit, local, and national agencies who deliver health and human service programs to their communities.

In 2002, she started NIA Consulting and Training, a community advocacy program that provides parent education, self esteem building, and community education to families in Richmond and surrounding areas. Prior to her move to Richmond, Virginia, she worked with Dr. Kenneth Mayer, as the Community Outreach Educator, in one of Providence, Rhode Island’s first HIV Vaccine research trials working to identify effective anti-retrovirus vaccines for women at high risk for HIV infections.

Office of Minority Health and Health Equity hires new Health Workforce Program Manager

Keisha L. Smith joined the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) in January 2011 as the Health Workforce Program Manager in the Office of Minority Health and Health Equity. In this role, she is responsible for the oversight and coordination of health workforce recruitment and retention initiatives and incentive programs, while promoting health equity and social justice. She brings over twelve years of experience in marketing, strategic planning and leadership that will continue to enable her to target untapped and underserved demographics across the state. This, along with passion, drive, and determination to impact vulnerable populations, will allow her to be in service in both legislative and grass roots level initiatives to improve access to quality healthcare and promote sustainable change.

Previous to her employment with VDH, Keisha accepted a fellowship with the National Urban Fellows program to cultivate her leadership capacity as she planned to transition into the public sector. Prior to that, she functioned as a Marketing Manager for Genworth Financial where she developed marketing communications strategies, materials and budgets to effectively promote products and services. She spent the previous five years with SunTrust Bank, functioning in various capacities. During which time she successfully completed the nationally-acclaimed Manager Trainee program and received numerous promotions within a two-year timeframe. She functioned as Branch Manager and soon advanced to Assistant Vice President and Marketing Manager of the Division of Marine and RV Finance.

Keisha received a B.S. in Human Services Counseling from Old Dominion University and a Master’s of Public Administration from CUNY Baruch College through the National Urban Fellows program. This highly competitive fellowship is a rigorous leadership development program comprised of academic course work and a nine-month mentorship assignment. As a part of the program, she was selected to work at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with a focus on health equity, community based participatory research approaches in partnership with faith based community organizations, and assisting with priority policy initiatives pertaining to nutrition, physical activity and obesity.

Keisha is an innovative and courageous leader who is determined to utilize her expertise to provide effective and efficient management of OMHHE health workforce recruitment and retention initiatives.