Health Referral Officer at International Rescue Committee (IRC)

The Referral Officer will work closely with the Senior Health Officer – Medical Doctor to ensure that referral support activities of the project are implemented according to the project deliverables across the targeted locations. She/he will directly lead, manage and coordinate the activities of two-way referral system of patients and establish contact with facility-based healthcare workers, health outreach officers, referral paramedics, MoH seconded staff and responsible for implementation of timely in referral and patient safety in our service locations. The Referral Officer reports to the Senior Health Officer – Medical Doctor.

Major Responsibilities

Program Management, Technical Quality, and Strategy

• Lead and support to ensure implementation of a focused two-way referral system and patient safety activities within the catchment locations of the supported health facilities in Monguno.
• Oversee appropriate use of patient screening, triaging, first aid algorithms and IPC.
• Ensure effective routine patient movement, and timely laboratory sample collection and investigations especially for the vulnerable groups in any phase of expansion of new and existing medical care.
• The Referral Officer will support the Senior Health Officer – Medical Doctor to manage and train facility-based healthcare workers, health outreach staff, referral paramedics, MoH seconded staff on patient safety, strengthening of 2-ways referral and basic life support skills in referral ambulance.
• Initiate referrals SOPs and ensure adherence to the referral criteria, protocol, SOPs among stakeholders, HWs, paramedics referral personnel, patients and patient relatives.
• Promote positive behavioral change and patient education.
• Oversee the follow up of referred patients in terms of their safety, received prescribed expertized management, obtained necessary laboratory investigation and help patients to cope with their activities for daily living while referred and on admission care.
• Promote and ensure adequate infection prevention and control standards are always maintained in the ambulance vehicle and surrounding in which patient is referred to for further management.
• Follow up with the activities of health MoH seconded -referral staff to ensure that patient referred to any secondary and tertiary health institution received appropriate care including meal source.
• Support the health manager to ensure a planned and well forecast medical bills, patient meal plan and timely payment and reimbursement of the referral centers.
• Keep a good track of all the referral documents.
• Support Senior Health Officer – Medical Doctor to follow up with the IRC pharmacy store for timely store release of additional medications and medical supplies that facilitate patient care.
• Support health facilities with information, education, and communication (IEC) materials (billboards, posters, roll-up banners, wall painting, flex banner), registers, printed clinical algorithms, clinical job aids and guidelines booklets/protocols and ensure IEC materials are displayed and put into use needed in patient referral system.
• Ensure beneficiary participation, feedback, and accountability in all aspects of the project.
• Ensure accurate and timely reporting of referral activities to the Senior Health Officer – Medical Doctor.
• Ensure proper communication of field-based data tools to the HWs at the supported facilities.
• Coordinate and follow up with the IRC clinical team in facilitating referral process, provide screening/triage for emergency cases from the camps, mobile clinics and PHCs to the referral centers.
• Support in conducting regular field visits to ensure successful application of referral system.
• Perform all other related duties as assigned.

Technical Support And Quality Of Care Management

• Ensure that all necessary drug information is correctly and fully recorded on the stock cards: IRC code, batch number, and expiry date, date of receipt or delivery, stock balance (incoming/outgoing), receipt and delivery document reference numbers.
• Complete all the tables for monitoring stock movements and consumption on the PIT.
• Prepares the monthly stock report.
• In conjunction with the senior Pharma Manager/Log Manager, perform physical stock counts in accordance with the frequency defined in the SOP.
• Inform the Program Manager – Health Outcome/Senior Pharma Manager when the stock of goods is nearing the minimum or maximum threshold, and regularly provide the Senior Pharma Manager and Program Manager – Health Outcome with a list of the items with expiry dates within the next six months.
• Monitor the temperature of the warehouse and ensure that products requiring cold chain (vaccines) are always stored at a suitable temperature (between +2°C and +8°C) - manually record T twice daily - Reports any deviation, using the cold chain breech report.
• Prepare the cold chain boxes as per Cold chain SOP.
• Ensure the availability of enough icepacks, clean cold chain containers for the outreach activities including vaccine campaigns.
• Ensure cleaning, defrosting and maintenance of fridges.

Staff Performance Management, Learning & Development

• Oversee the general referral service system and work closely with the senior health officer, health outreach officers, referral paramedics, HWs at supported health facilities.
• Motivate good use of referral criteria, first aid, SOPs, screening, triage system and basic life support.

Monitoring Health Program implementation

• Ensure proper follow up with the referral centers and timely submission of referral bills to finance.
• Submit weekly work plans and ensure timely implementation of the project activities.
• Ensure compilation of statistical reports from the supported patients, health facilities and communities for weekly, monthly and annual reports.
• Ensure adequate flow of information for all supervises with constant feedback as may be required.

Research, Learning and Analysis

• Monitor closely the morbidity and mortality trends together with all the other health indicators to ensure that prompt actions are taken.
• Provide weekly activity reports to the health manager.
• In conjunction with the technical managers, conduct a mortality review meeting with the referral centers, supported facilities and mobile clinics staff.

Coordination & Representation

• Attend all relevant meetings in relation to the health program as may be required and feed in the IRC priorities during meetings.
• Facilitate field visits for internal and external stakeholders, when required.

Work Experience

• At least 3 years’ experience in managing and implementing Health program.
• Able to lead a team and experience in staff management.
• Previous experience in referral services is an added advantage.
• Experience in outbreak response interventions
• Ability to work with displaced communities with diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds.