9942

PUBLIC HEALTH VETERINARIAN

Nature of Work

Under general supervision, performs advanced public health veterinary and supervisory work. Work involves directing and coordinating veterinary and epidemiologic response team activities; consulting with and advising program staff, physicians, state and local government officials, and the general public on all aspects of zoonotic disease, including some food safety and animal disease control issues. Works with local and state officials in all aspects of preparedness for natural and intentionally occurring outbreaks and disasters. Plans, assigns, and supervises the work of others. Works under minimal supervision with extensive latitude for the use of initiative and independent professional judgement. In-state and out-of-state travel required. Will also share on-call responsibilities with other staff members. Performs related work as required.

Distinguishing Characteristics:

At this level, the Public Health Veterinarian performs veterinary work and may perform supervisory work. It is distinguished from the Public Health Veterinarian Director level by the absence of managing a unit.

Essential Job Functions: (Any specific position in this class may not include all of the duties listed, nor do the examples listed cover all of the duties which may be assigned.)

Coordinates, communicates, and assists in the implementation of plans for disease surveillance, outbreak detection, and appropriate response to illness outbreaks and to disasters.

Evaluates the potential that human or animal exposure to rabies has occurred and makes appropriate recommendations to physicians, veterinarians, and patients for preventative treatment, testing, or observation; supervises the stocking and dispensing of human anti-rabies biologicals.

Serves as a liaison for federal, state, county, and local government officials and public health jurisdictions as well as citizens, medical providers, and animal control officers.

Develops and/or presents training to Division of Infectious Disease Epidemiology (DIDE) personnel, LHD, USDA and WV Agriculture personnel, municipal, county, state officials and animal control officers.

Advises veterinarians, livestock owners, pet owners, and the general public in procedures for reducing the incidence of zoonotic diseases and food borne diseases.

Plans, assigns, and or supervises the work of others.

Develops surveillance and intervention programs; develops long-range planning.

Using standard and molecular epidemiologic surveillance and data storage methods, monitors location and rates of zoonotic and food borne diseases and organisms and institutes control measures where applicable.

Performs field surveillance work, including collection of arthropods and vertebrates; collects or directs the collection of human and animal specimens for diagnostic testing for zoonotic diseases as well as the detection of pathogenic organisms which maybe emerging human health risks.

Conducts and supervises on-site case investigations of zoonotic, vector borne, and food borne diseases in humans and animals and recommends preventative measures.

Designs and conducts special epidemiologic and disease control research.

Conducts reviews of meat and poultry facilities and animal shelters to assess public health risk; recommends or enacts timely corrective measures as warranted.

Diagnoses sick animals or poultry; makes clinical assessments to determine effect on human health; provides ante mortem and postmortem veterinary evaluation and makes decisions concerning appropriate disposition.

Performs or directs the performance of scientific sampling of facilities and equipment to assess the effectiveness of sanitation procedures in meat and/or poultry processing plants.

Reviews and comments on legislative and regulatory proposals.

Prepares reports reflective of program administration and the activities of program employees; prepares written reports, press releases, articles, internet postings, and scientific papers; gives interviews with local and national media; acts as liaison between DIDE programs and federal, state, local agencies, organizations and other public health experts.

Makes presentations at local, state, national and international conferences for lay and professional audiences.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge of the principles and practices of veterinary medicine.

Knowledge of veterinary preventative medicine, community health, social and economic correlates of health.

Knowledge of field epidemiology and public health practice.

Knowledge of federal and state laws and regulations relating to public health, veterinary medicine, and confidentiality.

Ability to evaluate veterinary and public health problems and make recommendations to appropriate officials, professionals, and the general public.

Ability to assign, direct, and review the work of others.

Ability train public health, veterinary staff, and others on public health and veterinary issues.

Ability to communicate well, both orally and in writing.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with officials, professionals, other employees, and the general public.

Minimum Qualifications:

Training: Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from a college or university accredited by the

American Veterinary Medical Association AND

1) A Master’s of Public Health from a regionally accredited college or university of public health with a major in epidemiology

2) Completion of the CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) two-year post graduate training program

3) Board Certification as a Diplomat of the American College of Veterinary Preventative Medicine.

Substitution: A PhD in a public health specialty may be substituted for the master’s degree.

Experience: Four years of full-time or equivalent part-time paid experience in veterinary health or veterinary public health, or veterinary public health medicine.

Special Requirement: Must be licensed by the West Virginia Board of Veterinary Medicine.

Established: 8/10/2006

Effective: 12/01/2006