Association of Hispanic Healthcare Executives

Project Director

Reference

Job Type	Full-time

Job Status	Interviewing

Date Posted	Tuesday, 08 July 2008

Location	New York

Duration

Company Information	Harlem Children’s Zone Asthma Initiative (HCZAI) New York, NY Website: http://

Job Description	Harlem Children’s Zone Asthma Initiative (HCZAI) Columbia University Medical Center-the Affiliation at Harlem Hospital Center Director Organization The magnitude of the childhood asthma epidemic in Harlem led to the formation of the Harlem Children’s Zone Asthma Initiative in September 2001. The Initiative was founded by Harlem Hospital Department of Pediatrics (an affiliate of Columbia University), the Harlem Children’s Zone and the Robin Hood Foundation. Created as a multi-disciplinary project, the Initiative collaborates with various partners including the Mailman School of Public Health; the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene; New York City Department of Education; Brazelton Touchpoints Center; and Volunteers of Legal Service. In addition to direct services to families, the Initiative publishes its results in various academic and research journals to advance asthma treatment nationally. Since the founding of the Initiative, emergency room visits by children served by the Initiative have fallen to 9 percent from 35 percent. The Initiative’s aim is to improve health care and provide monitoring for children with asthma residing in Harlem. This innovative intervention includes medical, environmental, educational, social and legal services. Key to the success of the intervention is home visits to families. Health workers visit the home, nurses review each child's asthma symptoms, medication use, school absences, and emergency room visits and work with the family to develop an action plan for improving asthma care. Parents are counseled on the best ways to reduce asthma attack triggers and keep the illness under control and are provided medical and environmental supplies. Staffers reach out to primary care and school physicians with updated information and suggested asthma management strategies for each child and facilitate referrals to the social worker for families with housing and other issues. The Initiative currently serves more than 400 families annually, has a staff of 20, a budget of over $1 million and is funded primarily by the Robin Hood Foundation. The Initiative has received numerous awards, and its program results have been widely published in academic journals. Building on that success, the partners, staffers and donors want the initiative to do even more. Hiring a full-time Director will position the Asthma Initiative to grow and serve even more children and families with asthma. Position The Director, HCZAI is a new position, reporting to the Chief of Pediatrics at Harlem Hospital, and will be an employee of Columbia University. The Director will lead day-to-day operations and lead efforts to diversify funding to sustain the future of the project. In partnership with an advisory committee composed of Harlem Children’s Zone, The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and Columbia University, the Director will set strategic direction for growth of the initiative. Responsibilities Manage program operations and strategy • Ensure that the intervention is being delivered consistently and at a high quality to all enrolled families; • Manage program evaluation. Supervise evaluation consultant, ensure high quality and streamlined data collection; • Continually monitor progress towards program performance targets and lead continued refinement of the model based on outcome data analysis; • Lead program planning process to determine future growth of the project and seek appropriate funding sources to support growth; • Supervise, develop and hire administrative staff, social workers, nurses and other program staff; • Continually monitor and strengthen coordination with other medical providers, managed care companies, schools, day care centers and other community-based agencies to ensure best outcomes for families; • Manage program budget in compliance with donor and Columbia policies; • Manage internal relationships with Harlem Hospital and Columbia University; • Support Advisory Committee and continually help refine its role as well as streamlining communications with the Committee, • Assess and grow project infrastructure as needed. Fundraising and external relations • Manage the relationship with the primary donor, Robin Hood Foundation; • Seek additional funds from foundations, corporations and government sources; manage relationships and reporting with new donors; • Hire and supervise a part-time grant writer to support fundraising efforts; • Participate in community and city-wide collaborations focused on asthma; • Serve as a spokesperson and represent the Initiative to members of the community (e.g., health care providers, funders, New York City business leaders and government officials) to enhance the organization’s community profile.

Qualifications	Qualifications Required: • Deep commitment to children’s health and well-being and the health of low-income communities. • At least five years experience managing a complex and rapidly-growing community-based program. • Experience managing a staff, including clinicians. Proven ability to coach and mentor staffers at every level to achieve their best. • Experience managing program evaluation and outcome measurements. • Proven success managing complex relationships with funders and board members. • Proven ability to build and manage relationships with diverse stakeholders including families, staffers, partner CBO’s and donors. • Excellent writing skills and superb interpersonal skills. • High-energy, politically savvy and persistent in the face of obstacles. • Flexible and comfortable with ambiguity. Experience as a consensus-builder. • Extremely organized and detail-oriented with a proven track record of bringing increased structure to a growing program or organization. • Advanced degree (M.P.H., M.S.W., M.P.A., R.N., M.Ed., M.B.A., M.D., J.D.). Preferred: • Experience in a community-based organization with a health focus and/or a home-based component. • Knowledgeable about family engagement strategies. • Experience with a public health system; preferably experience working closely with hospitals. • Spanish-speaking. Columbia University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages candidates of all backgrounds to apply for this position. Bridgestar, a nonprofit organization attracting, connecting, and supporting leadership for the nonprofit sector, serves diverse organizations and is committed to building high-performing teams that mirror the communities we serve.

Number of Openings	1

Highest finished education	University

How to Apply	Please apply via the Columbia University website by copy and pasting the following URL into your browser: jobs.columbia.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=110844

Contact Info



Go back to last page

LOGIN FOR MEMBERS

Our Strategic Partner

Gala 2007 @ UNITED NATIONS

Gala 2006 @ LANDMARK ON THE PARK

Gala 2005 @ LINCOLN CENTER