Requisition No: 858099
Agency: Department of Health
Working Title: EPIDEMIOLOGIST- 64086329
Pay Plan: Career Service
Position Number: 64086329
Salary: $44,060 - $54,419.04
Posting Closing Date: 08/15/2025
Total Compensation Estimator Tool
Open Competitive

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Knowledge of basic epidemiological principles and practices, skill to conduct investigative case follow up, ability to communicate effectively with clients, staff and the community, ability to prepare and deliver presentations to staff and the community, ability to utilize problem-solving techniques, ability to work independently, ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others, ability to plan, organize and coordinate work assignments, ability to document work products.
• Knowledge of basic computer skills, office equipment and epidemiology programs, including Windows, Outlook, Publisher, MS Word, Excel, Power Point, People First, HMS, EARS, Merlin, Epi6 and Epi 2000, Florida Shots, IE, ArcView 9.2 GIS mapping, syndromic surveillance systems (ESSENCE, etc).
• Ability to complete reports.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Preferred - associate’s degree from an accredited college or university

The incumbent is part of a global public health organization and is expected to support the Florida Department of Health in Pasco County in its mission to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts and its vision to be the Healthiest State in the Nation. Furthermore, the incumbent is expected to incorporate the agency values of Innovation, Collaboration, Accountability, Responsiveness and Excellence in all aspects of their work.
This is an independent and complex administrative and consultative position, which will interact with private sector medical facilities, health care providers, and other agencies/organizations in matters relating to epidemiology and also terrorism surveillance. The incumbent will provide direct coordination and support to the Epidemiology department at the Florida Department of Health – Pasco (DOH – Pasco), and indirect support to the Florida Department of Health – Bureau of Epidemiology at the state level. The incumbent will assure timely and accurate investigation and follow-up of reportable communicable diseases and conditions received under the Florida Department of Health. The incumbent may also be involved in collaborative activities related to terrorism preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation efforts. The incumbent serves as a member of the Epidemiology Strike Team. This position may require travel throughout the county.
The incumbent will be an integral component of DOH – Pasco’s team effort to detect and investigate naturally occurring, and intentional outbreaks of infection and disease. Encourage reporting from community health care providers of epidemiologically significant conditions. Maintains appropriate confidentiality. Identifies communicable disease cases or outbreaks in Pasco County through phone calls, interviews and physician/residential home visits. Contacts physicians, medical facility infection control nurses and/or departments to obtain laboratory slips and/or confirmed diagnosis. Interviews patients for communicable disease history and gives information as requested from Communicable Disease In Man or Redbook. Negotiates follow up from hospitals, medical facilities, physicians, school reports and interviews patients and contacts. Upon request, advises physician and other members of the medical community on disease control procedures/guidelines. Consults with private physicians to ensure that contacts of communicable disease receive appropriate prophylaxis. Refers clients to county social services for assistance of those who are income eligible that are in need of medical assistance. Assists in reporting any vaccine preventable disease to Epidemiology and Immunization Program Offices. Provides health information to patients, household contacts and sends out literature upon request. Refers reports of communicable disease to appropriate counties and state health departments (via state program office). Enters reportable diseases in Merlin. Assists Epidemiology department in meeting the Core Epidemiology measures listed in the annual County Health Department Performance Snapshot. Utilize LexisNexis to search for case information on clients for epidemiological investigations and serve as a resource for other FDOH-Pasco Epidemiology or pandemic response team members. Serve as a Response Team Lead to increase FDOH Pasco’s ability to respond to active outbreaks and pandemics. Assume responsibilities include but not limited to overseeing all activities of mini response teams, coordinating schedules of team members, and tracking input and output of each team member. Serve as subject matter experts on Long-Term Care Facility investigations regarding outbreaks and pandemics. Carry DOH approved mobile phone to expand investigative capabilities while in the office or in the field.
Assist in coordinating and developing planning efforts, and response methodologies for the county in matters dealing with the earliest possible detection and response to incidents (naturally occurring events such as infectious diseases), threats and/or attacks involving terrorism agents that have the potential for multiple casualties and other public health emergencies. Notifies and consults with Environmental Health, school nurse or other appropriate personnel when a communicable disease or outbreak has been identified or suspected in a sensitive area, i.e., day care, restaurant, school, head start program, long term care facility or other medical facility. Keeps supervisor informed of case progress and presents the reports for review and closeout. Makes communicable disease home visits to complete investigations when necessary. Makes physician office visits as needed to obtain unreported cases of communicable disease. Visits institutions to provide communicable disease information and literature. Institutes and maintains good public relations with the community contacts and members of the medical community.
Serves as an active member of the Epidemiology Strike Team. Responds to biological events within an incident command structure under an emergency support function and in state and local law enforcement/emergency services events. Coordinates activities with regional and local agencies in biological training and events. Serves as a member on Statewide Workgroups/Committees or Collaborative that have an epidemiology component. Identifies shortfalls and gaps in equipment, personnel, and response capabilities. Assist in the coordination and submission of grants or proposals to meet identified shortfalls. Serves as lead epidemiologist in manager’s absence. Mentors temporary staff and oversees work products. Collaborates with Preparedness Planner on preparedness and response work products, training events and exercises.
Reviews and responds to electronic surveillance system data (ESSENCE) from local hospital emergency departments daily. Monitors state and local influenza activity solicits weekly influenza data from hospitals and reports influenza activity in Epi Gateway weekly.
Serves as local influenza coordinator/point of contact to state office and laboratories.
Assist in maintaining the communicable disease, viral and rabies log. Gathers and organizes disease reporting data for the monthly communicable disease report to the DOH – P, Epidemiology Manager and the Epidemiology Program Office in Tallahassee. Assists in providing in-services for the medical community and private sector. Attends workshops, in-services and staff meetings. Reviews articles and memoranda. Assist in the implementation of a statewide system of notification and alerts regarding biological events. Assist in the provision of Emergency Support Function 8: Health and Medical response activities according to the county Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan.

Additionally, the incumbent will perform the following:

• Active member of Quality Improvement Council workgroup.
• Serves as Everbridge Health Alert Network external partner point of contact.
• Updates the Epidemiology Outbreak Plan annex annually.
• Creates On-Call schedule assignments quarterly and updates answering service website with On Call schedule.
• Assists with grant proposal planning, project development and execution of deliverables.
• Serves as Planning Section Chief back-up as needed.

Perform other duties as required.