Health Assistant - Referral at International Rescue Committee (IRC)

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Health Assistant - Referral

Requisition ID: req43190
Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Sector: Health
Employment Category: Regular
Employment Type: Full-Time
Open to Expatriates: No

Job Overview / Summary

• This project employs a health system support and strengthening approaches to provide a high-quality primary health care service.
• The Health Assistant -Referral will work closely with the health officer/senior health officer -referral to ensure that referral support activities of the project are implemented according to the project deliverables across the targeted locations.
• She/he will directly manage and coordinate the activities of two-way referral system of patients and establish contact with facility-based healthcare workers, referral paramedics, CHIPS Agents, community volunteer and responsible for implementation of timely in referral and patient safety in our service locations. 
• The Health Assistant -Referral reports to the Health Officer/senior health officer -Referral.

Major Responsibilities
Program Implementation, Technical Quality, and Strategy:

• Support the health officer -referral and ensure implementation of a focused a two-way referral system and patient safety activities within the catchment locations of the supported health facilities.
• Support appropriate use of patient screening, triaging, first aid algorithms and IPC.
• Facilitate the routine patient movement, laboratory investigation sample collection with samples from neonates, children under 5, and pregnant women (especially the vulnerable groups) in any phase of expansion of new and existing medical care.
• The Health Assistant -Referral will assist the health officer/senior health officer to manage and train facility-based healthcare workers, referral paramedics, CHIPS agents and volunteers on patient safety, strengthening of 2-ways referral and basic life support skills in referral ambulance.
• Campaign for adherence to the referral criteria, protocol, SOPs among stakeholders, HWs, paramedics referral personnel, patients and patient relatives.
• Complete project documentation for assigned activities. Assist with identifying information for case studies and reports on promising practices.
• Promote positive behavioral change and patient education.
• Ensure referred patients are well follow-up in their safety, received prescribed expertized management, obtained necessary laboratory investigation and help patients to cope with their activities for daily living (ADLS) while referred and on admission care.
• Ensure adequate infection prevention and control standards are always maintained in the ambulance vehicle and surrounding in which patient is referred to for further management.
• Support the health officer/senior health officer -referral to ensure that patient referred to any secondly and tertiary health institution received appropriate care including meal source.
• Support the health officer/senior health officer -referral to ensure a planed and well forecast medical bills, patient meal plan and timely retirement of payment reimbursement documents.
• Support the health officer/senior health officer -referral to ensure a good track document of all referred cases in tone with the spending from the project inception.
• Support the health officer/senior health officer -referral to follow up with the IRC pharmacy store for timely store release of additional medications and medical supplies that facilitate patient care.
• Support training of HWs and referral paramedics on infection prevention and control (IPC) for quality-of-care.
• Support health facilities with information, education and communication (IEC) materials (billboards, posters, roll-up banners, wall painting, flex banner), registers, printed clinical algorithms, clinical job aids and guidelines booklets/protocols and ensure IEC materials are displayed and put into use needed in patient referral system.
• Ensure beneficiary participation, feedback and accountability in all aspects of the project.
• Ensure accurate and timely reporting of referral activities to the officer and manager.
• Ensure proper communication of field-based data tools to the HWs at the supported facilities.
• Coordinate with the IRC clinical team in facilitating the EMR process, provide screening/triage for EMR cases from the camp mobile clinics and PHCs to the hospital.
• Support in conducting regular field visits to ensure successful application of referral system.
• Perform all other related duties as assigned.

Human Resource Management:

• Supervise the referral service system and work with referral paramedics, CHIPS agents, HWs at supported health facilities.
• Motivate good use of referral criteria, first aid, SOPs, screening, triage system and basic life support.

Operations:

• Ensure proper follow up for timely submission of data.
• Adhere to, monitor and ensure the proper usage of EMR contact line and pharmaceutical including health program supplies.
• Submit weekly work plans and ensure timely implementation of the project activities.

Communication and Reporting:

• Support Health Officer/senior health officer -Referral in compiling statistical reports from the supported patients, health facilities and communities for weekly, monthly and annually submissions.
• Ensure adequate flow of information for all supervises with constant feedback as may be required.
• Carry out additional relevant or requested duties as may be required by the supervisor.

Key Result Areas

• Improvement in the 2-ways referral system, access to timely secondary/tertiary emergency care, adherence to referral criteria and patient education.
• Ensure referral paramedics are engaged and trained on patient screening, triaging, first aid for active participation in health services within the operation locations.

Key Working Relationships:

• Position Reports to:  Health Officer/health senior officer -Referral
• Indirect/Technical Reporting:  Health Manager
• Position directly Supervises: Referral paramedics and CHIPS agents.

Key Internal Contacts:

• Country Program: Health program assistant, Senior health promotion officer, senior capacity building officers, health/RH managers, M&E officer

Key External Contacts: 

• MOH, UMTH, SSH, Umaru Shehu Specialist hospital other INGOs (e.g., possible collaborative partners), Community leaders and health facility management team.

Qualifications
Education:

• RN / RM, CHEW, Diploma / Bachelor's Degree in Health Information Management or related field.
• Certificate first-aid and BLS are added advantage.

 Work Experience:

• One to two years’ experience in referral work in health, hygiene, and/or nutrition (participatory methodologies, training and teaching in patient safety activities).
• Proven experience in community-based programming with the ability to motivate and lead team.
• Ability to work with displaced communities with diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
• Experience in working in a team and able to lead a team.

Demonstrated Technical/Leadership/interpersonal Skills:

• Good knowledge of community health, social work in health, health and wellbeing.
• Good communication skills.
• Sensitivity to cultural differences and understanding of the social, political and ethical issues surrounding program delivery
• Ability to work well with others and to respect staff, subcontractors, and recipients of assistance.
• Ability to manage tight deadlines and deliver high volumes of work with minimal supervision.
• Good sense of integrity, service and accountability.

Languages: 

• Fluent in written/spoken English and Hausa
• Ability to speak local languages (Kanuri, Shuwa etc.) will be added advantage.

Computer/Other Tech Requirements:

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online