Job Description

Job title:  

District Clinical Lead – Kailahun

Work Location:

Kailahun District

Department:

Medical

Report to:

Director of Primary Care

Line Management

Yes

Organisation Profile

Partners In Health (PIH) is an international health organization relentlessly committed to improving the health of the poor and marginalized. PIH partners with local governments to build local capacity and works closely with impoverished communities to deliver high-quality health care, address the root causes of illness, train providers, advance research, and advocate for global policy change. Our delivered services in the field are based in our partnership with the Governments and Ministries of Health and the support to education, training and mentorship to Health care workers and students is one of our pillars for the Health care system strengthening.

PIH currently has implementation programs in Haiti, Rwanda, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Peru, Mexico, Russia, Sierra Leone and Navajo Nation. Through our partnership with Harvard Medical School and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, we support a wide range of programs in dozens of other countries around the world. 

Our Work In Sierra Leone:

Partners In Health (PIH) began supporting the government of Sierra Leone in response to the Ebola epidemic in October 2014. Recognizing the large need for continued investments in the health system after Ebola, PIH is committed to long-term health system strengthening in support of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MOHS), guided by the same principles as our emergency response and our work around the world: public sector accompaniment, integrated and comprehensive services, social justice, nimbleness and flexibility, partnership, community ownership, and evidence-based interventions. In the aftermath of the epidemic, PIH is committed to supporting the delivery of comprehensive health services in Sierra Leone, from the community level to the health centre and to referral hospitals.

Position Overview

Over the past 7 years, PIH has been working with the MoHS and District Health Management Team in Kono District, Sierra Leone, to implement comprehensive health systems strengthening in the district’s secondary hospital, multiple primary care sites as well as through a comprehensive community-based programs system.

Partners in Health is now planning to start up program operations in Kailahun District, to support multiple health facilities in the district through comprehensive health systems strengthening, in partnership with Ministry of Health and Sanitation.

This role will oversee all aspects of clinical work in Kailahun District, including all aspects of clinical programs, including donor-funded programs with strict compliance requirements. This leader will manage a large number of local clinicians, act as a mentor and coach to MOHS clinicians, build a strong relationship with the DMO and DHMT, and conduct frontline clinical work.

This position is contingent on final approval of funding.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Program Management and Communication

• Develop vision for Kailahun-based clinical projects in collaboration with the Senior Management
• Manage work plans and track progress
• Manage communication and relationships across the project’s work, both internally and externally. Keep the internal organization updated proactively and regularly about the project, ensuring that it is fully integrated into PIH’s overall strategy and work.
• Work closely with the PIH Chief Medical Officer, Director of Primary Care, DHMT, facility in-charge/CHO to support clinical strategic planning in management of the project in partnership with the DHMT
• Support Senior Project Manager and Director of Primary Care in tracking and managing the clinical budget for Kailahun district, ensuring clinical and program needs are captured in budget processes

Technical (quality improvement and operational research)

• Collaborate with clinical and programmatic experts to review and support the development of SOPs and guidelines
• Develop of training and mentorship tools and approaches to support clinicians at hospital and health center level.
• Under the guidance of the Chief Medical Officer, the Director of Primary Care, and the MEQ teams, ensure robust data collection, monitoring, and use of data to drive clinical decision making and programmatic changes to improve the quality and accessibility of care
• Perform a regular quality of care audit at the various PIH sites in Kailahun. Review clinical protocols and ensure harmonized treatment practices across clinical services
• Work with MEQR to ensure primary care assessments are conducted on time and analyzed. Additionally, work with the Chief Medical Officer, Director of Primary Care, and the MEQ team to disseminate findings of these assessments to appropriate audiences
• Work with the PIH-SL MEQR and the PIH SL Impact Team to identify areas for Quality Improvement projects across the Kailahum clinical programs; and support the implementation of these activities.

Management

• Line-manage Kailahun-based clinical staff including clinical mentors, community health officers, midwives and nurses, and build supervisory structures to ensure lead clinicians and community health officers are receiving support and oversight.
• Oversee all aspects of Kailahun-based clinical operations by PIH
• Hold regular meetings with the different PIH Kailahun clinical departments to update on progress and also chart a course for how we can have better impact on our operations at Kailahun.

Clinical and clinical mentorship

• Conduct clinical work in local primary and secondary care clinics
• Act as clinical mentor and coach; and perform clinical teachings and capacity building of staff in local primary and secondary care clinics
• Review the district referral systems, in collaboration with the Kailahun DHMT, PIH Director of Primary Care, and district partners, for effectiveness, and ensuring improved clinical and community integration and implementation of best practices to improve patient outcomes

Education and Work Experience Requirements:

Qualifications

• Medical degree
• Significant experience working in a resource-limited environment and/or on social justice-oriented policy/advocacy work required. Strong preference for public health background and management of large-scale clinical and programmatic health interventions with a focus on reproductive, maternal and child health.
• Excellent planning and prioritization skills, including supporting teams in prioritizing across competing and growing needs and limited resources
• Strong project management and time management skills, including previous experience in managing teams and budgets
• Proven ability to build relationships with a range of stakeholders and drive immediate results. Exemplary interpersonal communication skills, verbal and written, required to effectively engage with senior leadership, partners, and clinicians on sensitive political and confidential issues.
• Ability to navigate complex government and donor processes
• Experience in training, professional development and mentorship. Experience in quality improvement projects strongly preferred.
• Knowledge of and experience in M&E frameworks and strategies
• Computer literacy and experience in Office programs
• Entrepreneurial mind set, including ability to work independently, self-motivate and propose and implement new initiatives with minimal oversight and direction
• Sense of humour and flexible disposition very helpful.
• Ability to live in rural Sierra Leone for the full duration of the contract

Prevention of Sexual Exploitation  and Abuse

At Partners In Health, we are committed to ensuring that those who benefit from our work- including our patients, families and community members – as well as our staff are treated with dignity and respect and protected from sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment. A range of pre-employment checks will be

undertaken in conformity with Partner In Health’s PSEAH policy. Partner In Health will request information from applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment.  By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.