Epidemiologist

The Tennessee Department of Health's Division of Family Health and Wellness (FHW) is seeking a contract Epidemiologist 1 to support the Rural Fetal and Infant Health Initiative (RFIHI), funded through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program. Under general supervision, this position will support statewide and regional efforts to reduce fetal and infant mortality and improve birth outcomes in rural Tennessee communities through data analysis, program evaluation, reporting, technical assistance, and collaboration with program leadership, funded grantees, community collaboratives, and internal and external partners.

Key Responsibilities:

Analyze and interpret maternal, fetal, infant, and related public health data to support program planning, implementation, and evaluation.

Develop and maintain databases, dashboards, and data tracking systems related to Rural Health Transformation activities.

Assist in monitoring program performance measures, deliverables, and evaluation activities for funded grantees and community collaboratives.

Support data collection, validation, quality assurance, and reporting activities, and integration of multiple data sources as needed.

Conduct epidemiological analyses utilizing vital statistics, Perinatal Periods of Risk (PPOR), hospital discharge data, and other relevant data sources.

Create reports, presentations, data summaries, dashboards, GIS products, and visualizations to communicate findings to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Provide technical assistance and data support to grantees and community-based collaboratives.

Assist with the identification of trends, disparities, and priority areas related to fetal and infant mortality in rural communities.

Collaborate with program staff and partners to support evidence-informed and data-driven interventions.

Translate epidemiological findings and data trends into actionable information for community stakeholders, leadership, and multidisciplinary partners.

Support required state and federal reporting activities associated with the CMS Rural Health Transformation Program.

Participate in stakeholder meetings, trainings, site visits, and statewide planning activities as needed.

Ensure all reports and data products follow applicable Data Release Guidelines and confidentiality requirements.

Qualifications:

Proficient in analytical methods of statistical software; SAS experience preferred

Experience with data visualization and reporting tools such as Tableau, Power BI, and/or GIS preferred

Strong Microsoft Office skills, including Excel, Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint

Experience managing databases, linking or integrating multiple data sources, and working with large datasets; REDCap experience preferred

Strong oral and written communication skills, including technical writing, presentation skills, and ability to communicate complex data findings to non-technical audiences

Experience supporting public health programs, evaluation, or quality improvement initiatives preferred

Knowledge of maternal, fetal, infant, or rural health data preferred

Ability to work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams and community partners

Education/Experience Requirements

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a master's degree in epidemiology, biostatistics, statistics, public health, health informatics, or a related field. Experience in maternal and child health, epidemiology, program evaluation, or rural health preferred.

In-Office Requirements

New hires will be required to report in person for onboarding and laptop deployment in Nashville.

This position will operate in a hybrid work environment with periodic in-person meetings in Davidson County and travel within assigned rural regions, as needed.

Travel to the Nashville office will not be reimbursed.