Information Assistant (Infectious Diseases)

The Role

Enters, updates, and maintains data in provincial information systems to track and record immunization records of school students and child care attendees. Supports the enforcement of the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA) and Child Care & Early Years Act. Documents reportable diseases cases within Waterloo Region.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Acts as the first point of contact for individuals and/or organizations submitting/requesting immunization records. Receives/provides clients with the required information per provincial legislation; works to resolve client issues/complaints, especially during ISPA enforcement activities. 
• Reviews student immunization records provided by parents, students, departmental staff, other health units/boards of health, and physicians and follows up with same to clarify/correct incomplete and unclear information, including those outside of the provincial immunization schedule, complex immunization histories, and records from foreign countries. Provides documentation requested by parents, students, or staff for statement of religious/conscience belief affidavit/medical exemption. 
• Updates and maintains data in provincial information systems by entering immunization records, reportable disease lab results, associated personal health and identifying information, and processes and distributes related paperwork. Identifies incomplete data and refers paperwork back to the appropriate client or program nurses for review, follow-up, clarification, or completion. Enters infectious disease data in the database as per provincial guidelines. 
• Maintains daily listing of entered infectious diseases data to ensure information is easily cleaned and retrieved by division staff.
• Monitors and cleans data (e.g. corrects typos, reconciles duplicates) to ensure accuracy. Runs duplicate reports to investigate and correct duplicate records, and analyses information to ensure that the client record is complete and accurate. Identifies and investigates program problems/errors to determine the cause and impact, and takes actions to correct the error. 
• Assists supervisor in planning and implementing school enforcement activities (e.g., running reports, mail-outs, processing client information, resolving concerns, interacting with school board staff) for students not conforming to legislative requirements.
• Provides access to program staff for the immunization records system, and trains other program and divisional staff on accessing information. 
• Runs reports for and maintains appropriate files as required by departmental, Ministry, and government staff (e.g., coverage rates). 
• Files, maintains, and prepares for storage, source documents for verification of data entry. Ensures appropriate logs are kept up to date, including backups, regular rebuild of the databases, and re-index of the databases when required.
• In the event of data loss, works with supervisor to identify and re-enter lost data. Maintains daily files of work entered to ensure information is available for re-entry. 
• Facilitates, schedules, and follows up on data transferred from local boards of education, Ministries, and Public Health Ontario databases.

Additional Duties/Responsibilities

• Reviews and verifies the demographic, personal, and immunization/infectious disease information provided; investigates and reconciles discrepancies.
• Performs daily/weekly/monthly program maintenance functions such as retrieving and entering immunization/infectious disease information from email, reporting line, faxes, or website to ensure that the system is accurate and up-to-date. Monitors referrals of cases and contacts of infectious diseases from other health units, Ministries, and Public Health Ontario.
• Tests program software upgrades based on notes provided by ITS staff, consultants, and/or Ministry staff. Identifies issues and notifies supervisor. 
• Recommends, develops, and maintains procedures, data entry rules, program plans, and maintenance routines for approval by supervisor.
• In response to an outbreak situation, assists management and/or nurses by determining the location and immunization status of students in the system, based on criteria provided by the supervisor. Provides input into all related documents and reports for all immunization clinics, including personalized forms and letters for completion by parents and physicians.
• Monitors supplies such as student and child care forms and notifies Program Assistant when supplies are running low.
• Participates in emergency response activities according to the prescribed role in the Department’s Emergency Response Plan. 
• Performs related duties, as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of office procedures, communication, and math skills normally acquired through a Grade 12 secondary diploma, business practices education, or on-the-job training, plus 2 years of related experience.
• Thorough knowledge and understanding of immunization schedules and medical terminology to review and identify discrepancies or missing information in lab reports or immunization records in order to bring forward for clarification or correction. 
• Ability to understand and apply detailed job specific information and instructions to ensure that common standards in interpretation and entry of information are met on a daily basis, normally acquired through on the job training and experience.
• Knowledge of and ability to comply with policies, procedures, and legislation (e.g., privacy, Provincial Public Health Standards, immunization, child care and early years). 
• Organizational and problem solving skills to meet program demands; identify data activity issues and make recommendations to resolve and ensure accuracy; and work independently.
• Math skills in order to interpret and verify data.
• Computer skills with ability to use software such as Microsoft Office, a document management system, provincial information systems, and call centre software. 
• Human relations, interpersonal, communication, and customer service skills to communicate with all levels of staff and the public; communicate with upset/frustrated clients; train, monitor, and support new staff in the use of the system; provide and clarify immunization information to the public, per prescribed legislative guidelines; communicate technical/medical information and terminology to technical and non-technical users; and participate as an effective team member. 
• Ability to read detailed policies and procedures, manuals, lab reports, and verify data. Ability to develop, complete, and verify completion of forms, records and other documentation per instructions; compose detailed correspondence, reports, and manuals involving descriptions or explanations of a technical nature; and recommend, develop, and maintain program policies and procedures, for supervisor approval. 
• Ability to travel within and outside Waterloo Region.
• Ability to support and demonstrate the Region’s values.