The PEPFAR-funded Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Global Health Consortium (GHC) is working to transform clinical HIV practice to provide high quality, comprehensive care and treatment to people living with HIV under the initiative: Leveraging Health Service Equity Approaches for Sustainable Epidemic Control.

Meharry Medical College Global Health and HIV Clinical Services (Meharry), a member of the consortium is currently implementing: Supporting the healthcare needs of mothers living with HIV and their HIV-exposed infants in selected Ministry of Health (MOH) facilities in the Lusaka. Meharry is also working on extending its work to additional MOH facilities and is recruiting for the following full-time position to be based in Lusaka.

Position: Medical Officer – One (1)

Responsibilities
The Medical Doctor will be an experienced practicing physician who will improve the overall clinical practice that includes improving the quality of pediatric ART care in high volume HIV treatment sites. The Medical officer will provide leadership, coordination and monitoring of all clinical activities within the Maternal and Child Health Units of facilities within their sub-district. S/he will provide technical oversight in the implementation of the initiative to ensure that all the objectives are being met. The medical officer will also be expected to demonstrate excellent partner and stakeholder management skills, including but not limited to the Ministry of Health, other implementing partners and community representatives. Reporting to the Senior Supervising Clinical Pediatrician, the position will be responsible for, but not limited to the following duties:

Leadership and Management

• Provide leadership and management to ensure successful clinic operations to meet objectives
• Provide on the ground technical leadership, on the job mentorship and capacity building for different staff members including nurses, pharmacy technologists, data managers, support staff (clerks) and mentor mothers.
• Provide clinical services on a daily basis in assigned MCH units to meet the 95:95:95 targets for pregnant and breastfeeding women and their children living with HIV at the designated facility.
• Through implementation of ART treatment guidelines, improve the quality of distribution of antiretroviral drugs for mothers and babies at the facility.
• Provide viral load monitoring for PBFW and their babies living with HIV
• Implement early infant diagnosis (EID) of HIV infection using Gene Xpert NAT or dried blood spot (DBS)
• Establish site level patient flow in the MCH unit to improve wait times and strengthen the quality of care mothers and babies receive at the facility.
• Attend health facility meetings as necessary
• Participate in facility and sub-district quarterly review meetings

Communication and Knowledge Management

• Represent Meharry in health facility meetings
• Spearhead documentation and dissemination of best practices, achievements and success stories in their sub-district.
• Maintain excellent relationships with MOH staff and other partners and stakeholders
• Maintain effective internal communications to ensure that the supervisor is kept informed of all relevant information
• Produce high quality individual and facility reports within agreed reporting schedules.
• Make virtual and in-person presentations on the initiative and our results.

Coordination

• Coordinate with relevant stakeholders for the smooth implementation of the initiative.
• Coordinate and provide logistic support for the program related events such as trainings, workshops, assessment visits, and annual work planning to support clinical transformation and training of staff.
• Contribute to cross-collaboration with other initiative s in the HBCU GHC
• Perform any other duties as assigned by Meharry Management.

Qualifications, experience and skills:

• Licensed Medical Doctor with at least 3 years work experience.
• Registered with the Health Professions Council of Zambia.
• Detailed understanding of the HIV landscape in Zambia including knowledge on current HIV treatment guidelines particularly for pregnant and breastfeeding women and children living with HIV
• Experience in healthcare and community-based health programming for HIV
• Commitment and dedication to retaining patient confidentiality.
• Understanding of health facility MCH screening tools, paper registers and client records
• Proficiency in the use of SmartCare is an added advantage
• Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills