DATA GOVERNANCE EPIDEMIOLOGIST - 77454

Executive Service

This position is designed as Hybrid (In office and remote).

For more information, visit the link below:
https://www.tn.gov/health/oia.html https://www.tn.gov/hr/employees1/benefits.html

Background Check:

This position requires a criminal background check. Therefore, you may be required to provide information about your criminal history in order to be considered for this position.

Who we are and what we do:

The Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) collects a variety of public health data and information. These data are collected and used by TDH programs for public health activities, such as surveillance, response, prevention, treatment, research, and reporting. These data are also used by people and organizations within and outside of TDH to support a wide array of public health activities. The Data Governance Program within TDH manages processes and tools that facilitate the sharing of data across the Tennessee Department of Health and with our stakeholders/partners while providing for the security, privacy, and confidentiality of citizens. As a member of the Data Governance team, this individual will work with administrators and fellow epidemiologists.

Key Responsibilities:

• Act as the Deputy to the Director of Data Governance: be the back-up for the Director of Data Governance when the Director is out of the office. Assist with Data Governance consulting, training and communication related activities.

• Manage and support the Data Governance epidemiologists. Build depth on the team through cross-training. Maintain a cross-training plan so that at least two members are trained in each critical function. Build depth on the team through mentoring. Provide feedback to the Data Governance epidemiologists after key meetings or project deliverables to reinforce learning.

• Support the definition and implementation of SOPs and best practices for de-identifying data sets.

• Define, develop and implement SOPs and best practices for governing the use of and access to linked data.

• Guide requests for linked data sets through the data request process from initiation through fulfillment.

• Support the implementation and roll-out of the Informatica Data catalog and the Snowflake data lake.

• Manage and support the implementation of a metadata management framework.

• Collaborate with the Office of Quality & Performance Management and the TDH Quality Council to develop and support the implementation of a TDH data quality framework.

  • understand stakeholders requirements for quality

  • measure data against these requirements

  • develop initial improvement plan

• Apply statistical knowledge to data analyses.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in public health or a related scientific field.

• Expert Knowledge of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule, its requirements relating to uses and disclosures of protected health information and Personally Identifiable Information, and how it may interplay with state laws and regulations.

• Experience with methods for De-identification of Protected Health Information in accordance with HIPAA

• Safe Harbor

• Expert Determination

• JD (Juris Doctor) degree preferred but not required.

• Knowledge of generally accepted statistical and scientific principles and methods for rendering information not individually identifiable:

  • applying such principles and methods, to determine that the risk is very small, and that the information could be used, alone or in combination with other reasonably available information, by an anticipated recipient to identify or re-identify an individual who is a subject of the information; and

  • documenting the methods and results of the analysis that justify such risk determination.

• Experience with use of unique identifier techniques in data linkage and deterministic and probabilistic matching essential techniques and best practices.

• Working knowledge of data sharing legislation and data governance frameworks.

• Experience with Institutional Review Board (IRB) processes. Prior experience serving on or collaborating with an IRB is preferred. Understanding of how data is used for research purposes.

• Able to work independently and as part of a team.

• Detail oriented and critical thinker.

• Understanding and use of data visualization analytic techniques and statistical software tools (SAS, SPSS, R, REDCap, GIS, Tableau, and Python).

• Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Language basics, use and application a plus.

• Familiarity with spatial aggregation and geographic aggregation GIS application use and capacity.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills.

• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite.

• Curious and willing to learn.

Pursuant to the State of Tennessee's Workplace Discrimination and Harassment policy, the State is firmly committed to the principle of fair and equal employment opportunities for its citizens and strives to protect the rights and opportunities of all people to seek, obtain, and hold employment without being subjected to illegal discrimination and harassment in the workplace. It is the State's policy to provide an environment free of discrimination and harassment of an individual because of that person's race, color, national origin, age (40 and over), sex, pregnancy, religion, creed, disability, veteran's status or any other category protected by state and/or federal civil rights laws.