Specifications include, but are not limited to: Provide Epidemiological services in support of the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. CDC) Cooperative Agreement for Modernizing Environmental Public Health Tracking to Advance Environmental Health Surveillance by: Evaluating, improving, updating, and expanding data on the Maine Tracking Network (MTN) Portal and the National Tracking Portal, by: Conducting routine data processing and data quality checks for all tracking-related data sets; Conducting routine updates of tracking-related data sets and portal data displays; Assisting with maintaining, disseminating, and submitting as required to U.S. CDC all existing and newly adopted Nationally Consistent Data and Measures (NCDM) on the MTN Portal; Assisting with maintaining existing high-priority optional NCDM and State-specific data on the MTN Portal; Assisting with maintaining the technology and infrastructure for submitting NCDMs to U.S. CDC and participating in all scheduled data calls; Assisting with maintaining and routinely updating all Data Sharing Agreements and Memorandum of Understandings with partners and data stewards; Actively engaging with U.S. CDC, the MTN Tracking Advisory Group (TAG), partners, stakeholders, data stewards, data users, and other grant recipients to improve existing NCDMs and develop/adopt new and optional NCDMs; and Actively staffing and engaging with Content Work Groups (CWGs), and participating in pilot-testing, measure exploration, and other efforts to the extent that staffing and resources allow. Maintaining and enhancing the MTN Data Portal, by: Assisting with maintaining and enhancing all current Sub-County data; In collaboration with other staff, use Tableau to create new integrated data dashboard displays; and Assisting with maintaining and enhancing the MTN Portal. Implementing data modernization and assuring and improving data quality, by: Converting displayed data derived from Maine's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey from household to individual weighting, to allow future data stratification by age, gender, income, housing status, and race/ethnicity; Refining and expanding the use of an Application Programming Interface (API) for obtaining and processing U . S . Census data; Assisting with conducting an annual informatics needs assessment and gap analysis; Assisting with maintaining and enhancing repeatable, reliable, and ready access to near Real-time Data feeds, including Syndromic Surveillance, vectorborne disease Case reports, and weather data; and Assisting with developing new and maintaining existing routine, reusable, and electronic processes, including use of the National Tracking Program’s (NTP’s) API for obtaining, processing, and displaying data and measures of interest. Supporting the use of tracking-related data for public health practice and public health actions, by: Assisting with publishing updated annual displays of Lead Poisoning, Carbon Monoxide (CO) poisoning, private well water testing and quality, tickborne diseases, heat- and cold-related illnesses, and radon for partners and data users; Performing routine surveillance of CO poisoning Cases, including collecting and deduplicating Case reports from multiple reporters, determining Case status, conducting interviews to determine risk factors, and completing data entry; Providing tracking-related data to Maine’s Shared Community Health Needs Assessment (Shared CHNA) as requested; Using tracking-related data to further explore and display a newly identified difference in lead screening rates by public vs. private insurance states; Applying and interpreting tracking-related data to develop and evaluate public health actions for lead, CO poisoning, private well water testing, radon, heat- and cold-related illness, and/or any other content, as needed; and Collaborating with CLPPU to develop and assess analytic methods for estimating counts of lead-poisoned children at the new U.S. CDC reference level, accounting for very low confirmation rates. Maintaining and growing program capacity, by: Assisting with developing a formal mentoring relationship with the Portland Public Health Department to provide technical support, facilitate sharing of Tracking Program knowledge and Portland-specific data, and increase Tracking Program reach; and Assisting with providing Technical Assistance to partners, data stewards, data users, and stakeholders by request. Evaluating and documenting program performance, progress, and success, by: Assisting with conducting robust performance measurement to assess program implementation and success. Provide Epidemiological data analysis in support of the Building Resilience Against Climate Effects (BRACE): Enhancing Community Resilience by Implementing Health Adaptations Cooperative Agreement by: Conducting analyses to identify individuals at risk from heat- and cold-related illnesses, and risk factors, risky activities, and comorbidities associated with heat- and cold-related illnesses; and Conducting analyses to understand exposure patterns, risk factors, and health outcomes associated with pollen exposure. Provide Epidemiological data analysis in support of the U.S. CDC Cooperative Agreement related to Preventing Childhood Lead Poisoning, including: Annually, reviewing and updating, as needed, the CLPPU surveillance plan. Annually, preparing, geocoding, analyzing, and summarizing childhood blood lead testing data to determine: Testing and Lead Poisoning rates and counts, as well as all other surveillance measures included in the CLPPU surveillance plan; and Performance measures included in the U.S. CDC Cooperative Agreement related to Preventing Childhood Lead Poisoning. Annually, linking blood lead testing data with birth registry data to determine Public Health Surveillance measures for Lead Poisoning and blood lead testing by race and ethnicity, through Best practices for assigning child race and ethnicity using parental information; and Performance of analyses to generate standard Public Health Surveillance measures by race and ethnicity at the State level. Quarterly, linking blood lead testing data with MaineCare enrollment data to determine Public Health Surveillance measures for Lead Poisoning and blood lead testing specific to the MaineCare child population, through the: Validation methodology for linking MaineCare enrollment data with childhood blood lead testing data; and Performance of analyses to generate standard blood lead Public Health Surveillance measures by MaineCare status at the State level and for sub-State geographies. Annually, analyzing Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) survey data on the level of awareness new mothers have about lead paint hazards. Preparing data, conducting quality assurance checks, and submitting quarterly childhood blood lead testing data to the U.S. CDC. Attending U.S. CDC childhood Lead Poisoning prevention grantee workshops, conferences, and/or meetings. Provide Epidemiological data analysis in support of the U.S. CDC Cooperative Agreement related to Strengthening Environmental Health Capacity, including: Reviewing, cleaning, and preparing private well water test data for display on the MTN Portal, and/or for comparison and merging with well location and water quality data from other State agencies; Reviewing, cleaning, and preparing radon test data for display on the MTN Portal; and Reviewing and assessing novel data sources for well water reliance data, such as tax parcel data or Zillow ‘ZTRAX’, as needed. Provide Epidemiological data analysis activities in support of statutory mandates by: Completing routine analyses of childhood blood lead testing data to support Department performance measurement and legislative reporting requirements by: Providing annual performance management measurements used for Department evaluation; Providing monthly Lead Poisoning and environmental statistics used for Department evaluation; and Annually, providing analyses of blood lead testing data in areas at high risk for childhood Lead Poisoning in response to Maine Public Law Chapter 186, a Resolve “To Achieve Universal Blood Lead Level Screening in Maine Children” Annually, completing routine analyses of adult Blood Lead Levels (BLL) reported to the Department. Annually, completing routine analyses of BRFSS data about private well water testing and household characteristics to support private well water educational outreach and evaluation. Annually, completing routine analyses of BRFSS data about CO detector use to support educational outreach and evaluation. Providing Epidemiology expertise and assistance to carry out required activities of the Environmental and Occupational Health Program (EOHP) by allocating up to 0.05 FTE of time to be used per staff person, as directed by the State Toxicologist, for the following activities: Providing Epidemiology expertise and assistance to carry out investigations of whether a health problem is related to environmental factors; Performing Epidemiological analyses to support specific data requests, Department public health assessments, or planning documents; and Attending Department meetings to help with development and updating of data-use related policies and procedures or data reports (e.g., data release rules and policy, accreditation documentation, Healthy Maine 2020, and s hared CHNA reports.)
