Communications Specialist (Part-Time), Bureau of Maternal Infant and Reproductive Health

THIS IS A PART-TIME 35 HOURS/WEEK – FLAT RATE: $35.11

Established in 1805, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (the NYC Health Department) is the oldest and largest health department in the country. Our mission is to protect and improve the health of all New Yorkers, in service of a vision of a city in which all New Yorkers can realize their full health potential, regardless of who they are, how old they are, where they are from, or where they live.

As a world-renowned public health agency with a history of building transformative public health programming and infrastructure, innovating in science and scholarship to advance public health knowledge, and responding to urgent public health crises — from New York City’s yellow fever outbreak in 1822, to the COVID-19 pandemic — we are a hub for public health innovation, expertise, and programs, and services. We serve as the population health strategist, and policy, and planning authority for the City of New York, while also having a vast impact on national and international public policy, including programs and services focused on food and nutrition, anti-tobacco support, chronic disease prevention, HIV/AIDS treatment, family and child health, environmental health, mental health, and racial and social justice work, among others.

Our Agency’s five strategic priorities, building off a recently-completed strategic planning process emerging from the COVID-19 emergency, are:
1) To re-envision how the Health Department prepares for and responds to health emergencies, with a focus on building a “response-ready” organization, with faster decision-making, transparent public communications, and stronger surveillance and bridges to healthcare systems 2) Address and prevent chronic and diet-related disease, including addressing rising rates of childhood obesity and the impact of diabetes, and transforming our food systems to improve nutrition and enhance access to healthy foods
3) Address the second pandemic of mental illness including: reducing overdose deaths, strengthening our youth mental health systems, and supporting people with serious mental illness
4) Reduce black maternal mortality and make New York a model city for women’s health
5) Mobilize against and combat the health impacts of climate change

Our 7,000-plus team members bring extraordinary diversity to the work of public health. True to our value of equity as a foundational element of all of our work, and a critical foundation to achieving population health impact in New York City, the NYC Health Department has been a leader in recognizing and dismantling racism’s impacts on the health of New Yorkers and beyond. In 2021, the NYC Board of Health declared racism as a public health crisis. With commitment to advance anti-racist public health practices that dismantle systems that perpetuate inequitable power, opportunity and access, the NYC Health Department continues to work in and with communities and community organizations to increase their access to health services and decrease avoidable health outcomes.

Program and Job Description:

The Bureau of Maternal, Infant, and Reproductive Health (BMIRH) within the Division of Family and Child Health of the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) is dedicated to improving and reducing inequities in maternal, infant, and reproductive health outcomes through program, policy, and research initiatives. BMIRH strives to apply a sexual and reproductive justice and racial justice framework to our work, and to fully engage community partners to move this work forward. Each year in New York City, approximately 30 women die due to pregnancy-related causes and another 2,500-3,000 women suffer a life-threatening complication in childbirth. Black and Latina women in New York City is at disproportionate risk for death and complications related to their pregnancies and births compared to White women.

In July 2018, First Lady McCray and Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services Dr. Herminia Palacio announced New York City’s first comprehensive plan for $12.8 M to reduce maternal deaths and life-threatening complications of childbirth among women of color. BMIRH received support under this plan to partner with 23 NYC maternity hospitals and their adjacent communities on the Maternity Hospital Quality Improvement Network (MHQIN) Project. In March 2002, Mayor Adams announced the expansion of MHQIN to work with the 38 birthing facilities across NYC.

The MHQIN project is composed of six program components organized across the following three focal areas: 1) Engage providers in improving the provision of quality care and respectful patient-provider interactions, 2) Engage individuals and communities in elevating their power to advocate for quality, respectful and dignified maternal care services and 3) Implement sustainable processes that address the root causes of unequal maternal care and subsequent disparities in maternal and child health outcomes.

DUTIES WILL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:

Prepare reports and PowerPoint presentations for MHQIN activities, accomplishments, challenges, best practices, and lessons learned for communication strategies for internal/external partners.

Conduct and present literature reviews to inform unit/strategies around improving maternal health outcomes for women of color.

Develop, implement and complete project management work plans/tools and oversee timelines and milestone achievements to track and monitor progress of the MHQIN communication projects.

Conduct hospital and community language assessments to ensure that programs materials are printed in the appropriate languages and that a dissemination plan is in place.

Assist the Director/Program Leads with coordinating MHQIN programmatic and operational activities with a racial equity lens. This includes but is not limited to scheduling meetings, setting agendas/taking minutes, and working with project leads to ensure programmatic and operational goals and targets are being carried out as planned.

Review communication strategizes across country around improving Maternal Health outcomes. Utilize communication find and information to help guide program strategizes.

Serve as one of the Communication Specialist on scientific research activities related the MHQIN.

Identify conferences, webinars, community/hospitals events where MHQIN work around Respectful Care at Birth and it’s clinical/ community strategy can be shared.

Work in collaboration with staff and community/hospital providers to develop program materials.

Identify scientific research articles and publications to promote MHQIN efforts.

Collaborate with others doing work that align with the goals and objectives of MHQIN.

Promote the MHQIN strategies by identifying appropriate platforms.

Learn to design, develop and create an MHQIN webpage and social media channels such as Facebook and Instagram.

Facilitate all public relations related to MHQIN including DOHMH social media platforms.

Attend monthly team meeting, hospital meetings and meetings with internal /external partners monthly.

Assist with providing support to MHQIN Directors and other unit staff.
Minimum Qual Requirements
 
1. For Assignment Level I (only physical, biological and environmental sciences and public health) A master’s degree from an accredited college or university with a specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological or environmental science or in public health.
To be appointed to Assignment Level II and above, candidates must have:
1. A doctorate degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and one year of full-time experience in a responsible supervisory, administrative or research capacity in the appropriate field of specialization; or
2. A master’s degree from an accredited college or university with specialization in an appropriate field of physical, biological, environmental or social science and three years of responsible full-time research experience in the appropriate field of specialization; or
3. Education and/or experience which is equivalent to “1” or “2” above. However, all candidates must have at least a master’s degree in an appropriate field of specialization and at least two years of experience described in “2” above. Two years as a City Research Scientist Level I can be substituted for the experience required in “1” and “2” above.

NOTE:
Probationary Period
Appointments to this position are subject to a minimum probationary period of one year.
Additional Information
 
**IMPORTANT NOTES TO ALL CANDIDATES:

Please note: If you are called for an interview you will be required to bring to your interview copies of original documentation, such as:
A document that establishes identity for employment eligibility, such as: A Valid U.S. Passport, Permanent Resident Card/Green Card, or Driver’s license.

Proof of Education according to the education requirements of the civil service title.

Current Resume

Proof of Address/NYC Residency dated within the last 60 days, such as: Recent Utility Bill (i.e. Telephone, Cable, Mobile Phone)

Additional documentation may be required to evaluate your qualification as outlined in this posting’s “Minimum Qualification Requirements” section. Examples of additional documentation may be, but not limited to: college transcript, experience verification or professional trade licenses.

If after your interview you are the selected candidate you will be contacted to schedule an on-boarding appointment. By the time of this appointment you will be asked to produce the originals of the above documents along with your original Social Security card.

**LOAN FORGIVENESS

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at StudentAid.gov/PSLF.

“FINAL APPOINTMENTS ARE SUBJECT TO OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT & BUDGET APPROVAL”
To Apply
 
Apply online with a cover letter to https://a127-jobs.nyc.gov/. In the Job ID search bar, enter: job ID number # 571484.

We appreciate the interest and thank all applicants who apply, but only those candidates under consideration will be contacted.

The NYC Health Department is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse and culturally responsive workforce. We strongly encourage people of color, people with disabilities, veterans, women, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender and gender non-conforming persons to apply.

All applicants will be considered without regard to actual or perceived race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, marital or parental status, disability, sex, gender identity or expression, age, prior record of arrest; or any other basis prohibited by law.

NOTE: This position is open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate in your resume that you would like to be considered for the position under the 55-a Program.
Residency Requirement
 
New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.