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 New York City Poison Control Center (PCC) is an emergency medical hotline that responds to request for assistance from both the public and health care providers for intentional and unintentional exposures as well as information requests regarding a variety of issues including medication safety (interactions, indications for use, disposal).

DUTIES WILL INCLUDE BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO:

The candidate will be responding to emergency calls from both the public and health care providers. The calls from the public will be triaged either to the emergency department, a private physician or clinic, or to stay home with follow up from the PCC. Calls from health care providers include the PCC as part of treating team and will be the resource for the patient care. All cases will be documented in real time in our data collection software in compliance with current NYS and American Association of Poison Control Center (AAPCC) requirements. Reference resources are on site.

Proposed duties include:

In addition to the responsibilities of a Level I or Level II poison information specialist such as the primary task of providing information about the diagnosis and treatment of poisoning to the public, emergency medical services, and hospitals, the Level III is also to:

As shift supervisor, supervises all activities of a Regional Poison Control Center, including operations and staffing allocations and support.

Supervise other Poison Information Specialists in the answering of all calls from health care providers, hospitals, and the public regarding the toxicity and treatment of poisoning or intoxication.

Supervise SPI Level II staff with the management of high acuity cases.

Supervises Poison Information Specialists in the entering of all reports of poisoning into the Poison Center data base in compliance with current New York State and American Association of Poison Centers requirements.

Train new poison information specialists by providing instruction about the diagnosis and treatment of poisoning and about agency procedures.

Ensure that cases are entered into the database correctly by performing Quality Analysis of cases.

When necessary, acts as the agency's liaison for consequential public health problems.

Maintain a high level of professional competency in toxicology/pharmacology to be able to consistently provide recommendations to callers that reflect the present standards of care.

All candidates must be either a NYS licensed and registered pharmacist, nurse, or physician assistant. If candidates possess a BSN, must have 1 year of experience in the Emergency room or in the Intensive Care Unit. All candidates must have clear communication skills. Second language skills are desired but are not required. All candidates must sit for the AAPCC certification examination and maintain their certification throughout their employment. NOTE: This position may be eligible for remote work up to two days per week, pursuant to the Remote Work Pilot Program agreed to between the City and DC37.

New York City Residency is not required for this position. Minimum Qualification Requirements: Must possess one of the following valid New York State licenses or certification: Registered Pharmacist Registered Professional Nurse Registered Physician's Assistant Certified Nurse Practitioner **The licenses and/or certification listed above must be maintained for the duration of employment.

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.