Organizational Profile

Partners in Health (PIH) is a non-profit corporation based in Boston, Massachusetts, whose mission is to provide a preferential option for the poor in health care. Through service delivery, training, research, and advocacy, PIH works globally to bring the benefits of modern science to those most in need, and to serve as an antidote to despair. PIH currently has programs in Haiti, Peru, Mexico, Russia, Rwanda, Lesotho, Malawi, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Navajo Nation.

Position Overview

The eHealth Manager will be based in Koidu City, Kono District, Sierra Leone and will work closely with the M&E team, the clinical team, the Community Based Program, the Boston-based Medical Informatics team and will report to the Chief Medical Officer.

Current initiatives include: Implementing the Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system at PIH’s Kono District Hospital; expanding the use of a CommCare-based mobile tool for community health workers and contributing to implementing a strong reporting systems. Ensuring robust systems and processes are in place to maintain data quality and smooth functioning of the electronic systems is a key part of this role.

In addition to continuing to lead current initiatives, the eHealth Lead will supervise the current OpenMRS-based EMR system across PIH’s Wellbody Clinic and possible extensions of the EMR system to other PIH-supported facilities. Our vision is to build efficient health information systems that are aligned with both the Government of Sierra Leone and the broader PIH network e-Health strategies, and that are also able to offer interoperability with existing systems, such as DHIS2.

The OpenMRS EMR is a platform that PIH has supported and contributed to its development for many years. The system is browser based and runs from a local server. Updates to the code (e.g. new fields/screens) are carried out through locally editing xml files, pushing to GitHub and then publishing to the relevant core code on GitHub after approval by one members of the Boston Medical Informatics team. This process will be handled by the eHealth specialist and the eHealth manager will be critical in supervising it as well as collaborating with teams on the front-end to design an EMR system that meets the end user needs. Our objective is to demonstrate how OpenMRS can assist in the delivery of quality healthcare and realize the benefits that arise from implementing the system.
 

On another hand, the position is highly motivating as the eHealth manager is expected to play a key role at PIH but also with MOHS and partners. MOHS is planning to expand the use of Electronic Medical Records country wide. Therefore, the eHealth manager is expected to play an advisory role to the MOHS and their partners.

This person will manage the eHealth specialist and a team of eHealth officers, and will spend a significant portion of their time on investing in capacity-development and skills transfer to these team members.

The eHealth Manager role requires commitment and at times the workload will require going the extra mile to ensure objectives are met.

Roles and Responsibilities

1. Implementation of eHealth Initiatives (50%)

1.1     Work closely with the end users and the Boston-based Medical Informatics team to design, implement, and optimize EMR and mobile health systems features in support of improved health care delivery at PIH-SL-supported health facilities.

1.2     Work with the Boston-based Medical Informatics team and the eHealth specialist to test new EMR releases and roll out system upgrades.

1.3     CommCare: Work with the M&E team to gather their feedback and requests of change on the system. Subsequently, analyze those requirements and supervise the implementation of the local changes to modules (e.g. add/delete variables, modify option lists, add new skip logic to xml files).

1.4     Ensure look-up lists of e.g. diagnoses, drugs are maintained and up-to-date and validated with medical referents within the Boston clinical team.

1.5     Liaise between the clinical team, the PIH-SL M&E team (especially the research and integration manager) and the Boston-based Medical Informatics team to design and adapt EMR software that is best suited for the Sierra Leonean context (i.e. ensure that not only technical but user-centered requirements of the systems are met).

1.6     Work closely with IT and supply chain teams to create budgets and support the purchase of materials and equipment for EMR implementation while ensuring efficient use of related budget lines.

1.7     Ensure efficient EMR implementation and maintenance, including end user training

1.8     Put backup and resilience measures in place to ensure systems stay on line and data is safeguarded and updated regularly to minimize downtime.

1.9     Lead the plan to move the data storage from the cloud to local solutions.

1.10  Ensure reporting from the system is accurate and effective and meets stakeholder requirements.

1.11  Working with the M&E team (especially the data quality manager) and the clinical team ensure that eHealth team is contributing and stay pro-active to data quality improvement initiatives and activities.

1. Data Collection, Analysis, and Utilization (20%)

2.1     Ensure that outputs from EMR systems are consistent with the goals and objectives of the monitoring and evaluation activities

2.2     Support the implementation and integration of a data warehouse platform for easier reporting out of the EMR

2.3     Assist in data collection, analysis, and presentation associated with monitoring, and evaluation activities

2.4     Support other routine M&E activities as required

1. Team Management (20%)

3.1     Directly manage the eHealth Specialist and supervise the outcome of the eHealth Officers in coordination with the eHealth specialist

3.2     Ensure the team is meeting regularly, promote mentorship, training, and other management responsibilities

1. Digital Health Systems Strengthening (10%)

4.1     Participate at the eHealth hub meetings organized by the MOHS

4.2     Support MOHS and partner organizations with technical expertise on HIS

Criteria for this position

The key competencies required for the position of eHealth Lead are as follows (where not required competencies are flagged as “desirable”).