Interoperability Specialist

Company Overview

With an annual budget of $2.3 billion and more than 7,000 employees throughout the five boroughs, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (NYC DOHMH) is one of the largest public health agencies in the world, serving 8 million New Yorkers from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. We're tackling a broad range of public health issues with innovative policies and programs and getting exceptional results, but our work is never finished. The breadth of our innovative programs provides the widest range of choices for every member of our team.

With grant funds from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), DOHMH is undertaking a new initiative that will meet critical infrastructure needs and make possible strategic investments that will have lasting effects on public health. Investments and improvements through this initiative will help modernize DOHMH’s foundational capabilities and data infrastructure, enabling it to partner in complex health and health care environments and, in turn, support better public health outcomes, including COVID-19. This initiative supports larger efforts to rebalance investments in public health and more equitably serve communities and populations.

The selected candidate will be an employee of Public Health Solutions, a nonprofit organization which is the fiscal and administrative manager of the grant but will work be supervised by DOHMH. This is a temporary grant-funded position ending in August 2027.

The mission of the Bureau of Immunization (BOI) is to prevent the occurrence and transmission of vaccine-preventable diseases, such as hepatitis A, hepatitis B, measles, mumps, influenza, human papillomavirus, and invasive pneumococcal disease, through immunization. To help ensure that all New Yorkers receive recommended vaccines, BOI maintains the Citywide Immunization Registry (CIR), a database of immunizations reported to the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH). Most immunizations in NYC are reported through the CIR's HL7 Web Service, which allows for real-time, bi-directional data exchange between immunizing providers' electronic health record (EHR) systems and the CIR.

We strongly encourage people to apply and contribute your diversity in thought, racial identity, national origin, gender, age, religion, disability status, veteran status, and/or LGBTQI status to enhance the work of the DOHMH and promote the health of all New Yorkers.

We welcome applicants who share the vision for a city where all New Yorkers can realize their full health potential, regardless of who they are, where they are from or where they live. DOHMH extends this vision of wellness by providing every member of our team and prospective job applicants dynamic benefits: Benefits - NYC Health, and a robust Worksite Wellness program with a wide range of offerings. As a current or prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs.

Job Description

DOHMH has an opening for an Interoperability Specialist. The Interoperability Specialist will assist with improving interoperability between health IT systems and IIS. This role will report to the Interoperability Unit Chief.

DUTIES INCLUDE BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

• Onboard immunization data exchange partners such as hospital departments, pharmacies, schools, managed care organizations, primary care providers and local/state/federal agencies to the CIR's Health level 7 (HL7) Web Service, including testing partner's ability to communicate with CIR using HL7 messaging.
• Work with immunizing providers and their EHR vendors to ensure real-time, complete and accurate reporting of routine and non-routine vaccine doses to the CIR.
• Participate in CIR data and system modernization projects.
• Lead and manage data exchange activities and interoperability projects such as immunizing provider onboarding and troubleshooting of issues through technical and customer support.
• Assist the Interoperability Unit Chief with project management activities, those related to CIR’s adherence with internal and national standards and onboarding of partners via the CDC Immunization Gateway.
• Analyze HL7 message data format issues and any interface failures with the CIR, and work with immunizing data exchange partners and their vendor as well as the internal support team to resolve.
• Maintain data exchange partner onboarding documentation and issue tracking to ensure consistency across all internal applications (MS Teams, CRM, etc.).
• Run standard and ad-hoc data queries/reports to monitor and validate data quality and connectivity status of newly onboarded data exchange partners as well as existing ones. Develop and improve these data monitoring and validation reports as necessary.
• Conduct analyses and create visualizations to identify gaps in completeness and accuracy of immunization data reported via the HL7 Web Service.
• Perform regression testing by assisting with developing, documenting and executing test cases, and document results of quality assurance (QA) testing.
• Collaborate with IT consultants and BOI staff to research, develop, test, and implement enhancements to the CIR's HL7 Web Service to better align with the national standards.
• Assist the Unit Chief in developing and updating operational processes, HL7 implementation and onboarding documentation, website, and training materials.
• Participate in research projects designed to measure and improve CIR data quality, including preparation of abstracts, articles, or presentations for national, regional, and local publications, conferences, and meetings.

Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in appropriate field, MPH preferred
• One year of full-time experience in data analysis
• Experience in SQL required
• Experience in SAS, R or Python programming preferred
• Proficiency in Microsoft applications
• Strong oral and written communication skills

Additional Desired Qualities:

• Experience with stakeholder engagement and project management.
• Excellent communication (verbal & written) and interpersonal skills.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to manage and report complex information.
• Experience with data collection, analysis and interpretation.
• Desire to grow professionally, develop new skills and willingness to work outside of comfort zone.
• Experience working with the public health sector and coordinating projects involving multiple stakeholders.
• Ability to prioritize and work in fast-paced environment with hard deadlines.
• Fluency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.

Benefits:

• Hybrid Work Schedule.
• Generous Paid Time Off and Holidays.
• An attractive and comprehensive benefits package including Medical, Dental and Vision.
• Flexible Spending Accounts and Commuter Benefits.
• Company Paid Life Insurance and Disability Coverage.
• 403 (b) employer matching and discretionary company contributions.
• College Savings Plan.
• Ongoing training and continuous opportunities for professional growth and development.

Additional Information:

• This is a temporary grant-funded position ending in August 2027.
• This individual must reside in the tri-state area (NY, NJ, CT) by their confirmed start date.
• Preference may be given to individuals residing in New York City (5 boroughs) or surrounding New York State counties.
• This individual will be expected to work non-business hours during emergencies.

At PHS, we place immense value on diversity within our teams, understanding that varied backgrounds and experiences significantly enhance our community and propel us toward our goals. If you find you don’t have experience in all the areas listed above, we still encourage you to apply and share your background and experiences in your application. We are eager to discover how your unique perspective can bring positive transformations to our team and help advance our mission of creating healthier, more equitable communities.

We look forward to learning more about you!

PHS is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from women, people of color, persons with disabilities, LGBTQIA individuals, and veterans.