Director | Infection Prevention and Control

Schedule Weekly Hours:

At Bellin Gundersen Health System (becoming Emplify Health), we are dedicated to providing exceptional healthcare while prioritizing safety and high reliability. We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Director of Infection Prevention & Control to lead our infection prevention initiatives and contribute to our commitment to quality care.

What you'll do:

• Strategic Leadership: Develop and implement infection prevention strategies aligned with CMS programs and regulatory requirements, ensuring a comprehensive understanding beyond just accreditation knowledge.

• Quality Integration: Collaborate with quality programs and value-based purchasing initiatives.

• Change Management: Navigate the complexities of a constantly evolving healthcare environment, demonstrating flexibility and adaptability in operations.

• Crucial Conversations: Engage confidently with providers to discuss infection control measures and foster a culture of safety.

• Safety Commitment: Lead our high reliability and safety journey, working closely with HR to enhance our safety culture and align departmental policies.

• Policy Alignment: Oversee the development of enterprise control documents to ensure consistent policy alignment across departments.

• Autonomous Leadership: Operate with a high degree of autonomy, rebuilding the infection prevention program from the ground up while receiving support and vision from the VP.

What you'll need:

• Bachelor's degree in nursing, medical technology, clinical laboratory science, public health, or Epidemiology required; Master's degree preferred.

• Certification in Infection Control (CIC) required.

• Minimum of 3 years of experience as an Infection Preventionist

• Strong knowledge of infection prevention principles, practices, and regulations

• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills

What you'll get:

• Competitive Benefits: Comprehensive package including medical, dental, pet insurance, and a generous retirement contribution

• Work-Life Balance: 24/7 Employee Assistance Program, generous PTO, and paid holidays

• Health & Wellness: Access to our Zen Room with massage chairs, corporate gym, yoga classes, and local gym discounts

• Professional Development: Tuition Invest Program (up to $2,000 per year), hundreds of internal courses, and our Career Development Center

• Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Inclusive celebration program, Unconscious Bias Training, and Patient Care resources

• Additional Perks: 18% discount on your Verizon data plan and a 20% discount on Gundersen services not covered by insurance

• Flexible work location: This role offers flexibility in work location but will require regular presence in La Crosse, WI and Green Bay, WI occasionally.

If you are a high-functioning leader with a passion for safety and infection prevention, we invite you to apply!

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Education:

Bachelor's degree in nursing, medical technology, clinical laboratory science, public health, or Epidemiology required; Master's degree preferred.

Certification/Registration/Licensure:

Certification in Infection Control (CIC) required.

Experience

• 3+ years of experience as an Infection Preventionist

• Strong knowledge of infection prevention principles, practices, and regulations.

• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Director of Infection Prevention and Control is responsible for strategy, oversight and operations of the Infection Prevention and Control department across the enterprise care continuum. The Director, through strategic planning, expert leadership, consultation, and collaboration, directs the identification and implementation of infection prevention program goals and objectives related to surveillance, data analysis and reporting, and infection prevention and control practices that minimize the probability of transmission of infection, thus providing a safer environment for patients, visitors, clinicians and staff. The Director provides organizational direction and education necessary to ensure that the infection prevention program meets all regulatory standards.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES/MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Develops strategies and leads or champions continuous process improvement, using safety science and evidence-based practice, to analyze and reduce healthcare associated infections, while promoting a culture of safety.
2. Performs an annual risk assessment and develops annual Infection Prevention and Control Plan for the enterprise and appropriate entities within the enterprise and evaluates the effectiveness of the Infection Prevention and Control Plan, modifying if necessary.
3. Directs and oversees proactive assessments, infection prevention safety rounds, and audits to mitigate patient harm and ensure standardization of practices.
4. Serves as the co-chair of the regional Infection Prevention and Control Committees with the Medical Directors as well as leads and ensures infection prevention is represented on various enterprise committees.
5. Works collaboratively with the Infection Prevention Team and health system leaders to develop, maintain, revise, and enforce infection prevention and control policies, procedures and education.
6. Directs surveillance activities and ensures clusters, outbreaks, and trends are investigated.
7.Ensures reliable and timely data submission and effectively communicates with internal and external stakeholders.
8. Serves as a knowledgeable and available expert resource on infection prevention practices and policies to patients, families, employees, and providers.
9. Maintains awareness of and achieves compliance with standards of practice, regulatory and reporting requirements applicable to areas of service.
10. Serves as liaison to the community and regulatory, state, and county agencies as it relates to communicable diseases.

Core for all Leaders

1. Organizational Strategy and Implementation -- Recognizes market trends, judges the impact on their AOR, contributes to responsive strategic plans, develops AOR operational plans, articulates these plans, and ensures they are communicated to gain alignment and commitment of all AOR staff.
2. Fiscal Management -- Effectively uses established processes to ensure accountability for effective operations and resource management.
3. Human Resource Management -- Effectively uses established processes to: select, align, develop, motivate, manage, and retain a team of highly skilled employees.
4. Excellence in Service and Quality-- Achieves seamless delivery of quality patient care, safety, excellence in patient experience, and customer service. Utilizes Continuous Quality Improvement principles and platform planning in decisions, improvements, and system design.
5. Organizational Leadership -- Provides leadership and accomplishes objectives by ensuring the integration of processes and initiatives while modeling collaboration. Participates and supports in brand/service delivery teams as requested.
6. Maintains accountability for implementation of requirements of regulatory agencies
7. Serves as liaison to the community
8. Duties and responsibilities as defined by specific department (if applicable)

PRACTICES AND PROMOTES BEHAVIOR CONSISTENT WITH THE MISSION, VISION AND VALUES:

Mission:

Together, we inspire your best life by relentlessly caring, learning and innovating.

Vision:

Leading with love, we courageously commit to a future of healthy people and thriving communities.

Values:

Belonging, Respect, Excellence, Accountability, Teamwork, Humility

Physical Requirement/Demands of the Position

Sitting - frequently

Static Standing -rarely

Walking/Standing - occasionally

Driving - occasionally

ReachingBelow Shoulder - occasionally

Repetitive ActionsPinch Forces -occasionally (Pounds of Force: 0-25)

Repetitive ActionsFine Manipulation - frequently

Lifting -rarely (Pounds of Force: 0-25)

If you need assistance with any portion of the application or have questions about the position, please contact HR-Recruitment@gundersenhealth.org or call 608-775-0267

We inspire your best life by relentlessly caring, learning and innovating. This is our purpose. Together with our values - belonging, respect, excellence, accountability, teamwork and humility - our pillars set our foundation and our future.

Equal Opportunity Employer