Emergency Preparedness and Business Continuity Specialist

The Specialist is a key process lead on the Emergency Management and Business Continuity team and supports emergency management functions within the HealthPartners organization. The Specialist reports to the Emergency Preparedness and Business Continuity Manager.

The Specialist is responsible for implementing a comprehensive emergency management program to ensure an all-hazard, system-aligned approach to preparedness and response involving emergencies and disasters. The colleague designs and manages activities to build, sustain, and improve HealthPartners’ capability to mitigate, prepare for, respond to, and recover from hazard impacts.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Education, Experience or Equivalent Combination:

  • A bachelor's degree in a related field and/or five years of related experience with healthcare project / program management, emergency management, business continuity, and/or workplace violence prevention.

  • Experience with emergency preparedness / management and business continuity programs and project management.

• Licensure/ Registration/ Certification:

• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills with great attention to detail and accuracy, including the ability to interact with all levels of leadership.

  • Proven project management skills, including the ability to handle multiple projects and prioritize concurrent tasks.

  • Strong critical thinking skills to ensure response and recovery strategies are effective, efficient and provide value.

  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team, multi-task, and prioritize deadlines.

  • Workplace Violence Prevention in healthcare setting principles and program management.

  • Working knowledge of industry standards, or the ability to learn them, in areas including, but not limited to:

    • FEMA

    • IAEM

    • DRI

    • TJC

    • CMS

    • Minnesota Department of Health

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Education, Experience or Equivalent Combination:

  • Experience with mass notification software.

  • Experience working within the business continuity and incident management domains.

• Licensure/ Registration/ Certification:

  • CBCP (Certified Business Continuity Professional) certification preferred.
  • FEMA Certified in IC 100, 200, 300, 400 and 800.
  • State/federal certification in Emergency Management/Preparedness such Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) from the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), or certification in healthcare emergency preparedness, such as from the Association of Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Professionals (AHEPP)

• Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

  • Business Impact Analysis (BIA) / Business Continuity Planning (BCP)

  • Emergency Management cycle and process improvement within the emergency management profession.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

• (15%) – Emergency Preparedness Awareness, Training, and Communication: create and manage a training strategy to educate staff and essential partners of their roles within the emergency management program, all phases of an emergency, and the role of the Incident Command System (ICS). Design and conduct training for organization leadership who may be assigned a role in the Incident Command System (ICS) to ensure they are prepared to respond. Design annual education for all staff on emergency management. Manage the design and use of the organization’s alert and notification systems and procedures. Develop and manage interoperable and integrated communication strategies and technology to facilitate communication and information sharing during a healthcare emergency. Emergency Preparedness Compliance, Law, Regulatory Subject Matter Expert: ensure compliance for sites covered for Emergency Management Standards for regulatory bodies

• (15%) – Emergency Preparedness Coordination with Stakeholders: engage stakeholders including executive leaders, operational and department leaders, team members, external partners in emergency management planning. Lead HealthPartners multidisciplinary Emergency Preparedness Committees at the system level and for each HealthPartners Hospital. Lead various projects and committees with department leaders on emergency topics. Represent HealthPartners Emergency Preparedness on various internal and system committees, work groups, councils, projects, and teams as requested. Build and manage relationships with local, regional, state, and federal partners such as public health, public safety, emergency management, first responders, other health care systems, regional Health Care Coalitions, and community groups to enhance preparedness, coordination, and communication with response partners.

• (15%) – Emergency Preparedness Response Operations: establish local and system-wide procedures that support effective decision making during a crisis/incident. Provide Subject Matter Expertise on the Incident Command System (ICS) and its role related to coordinating response operations. Serve as Liaison Officer and/or Technical Specialist role as assigned during local and/or system-wide Incident Command activations during exercises and real events. Advise and assist local or system-level incident response decision-makers and Incident Command teams throughout HealthPartners during planned or unplanned disruptions. Coordinate and monitor information flow with external local, regional, state, and federal partners such tracking incoming requests and responses.

• 
  (15%) - Build and maintain business continuity strategies to reduce risk and close gaps identified through risk assessment, business impact analysis, and exercising. Lead business impact analysis (BIA) and business continuity plan (BCP) work across all HealthPartners entities. Assess the resiliency of HealthPartners entities in response to various types of incidents and identify and implement mitigation strategies. Develop, coordinate, and deliver exercises to care delivery and business colleagues and leaders across the organization to identify gaps and validate plans. Assure that all plans are updated annually. Conduct business impact analysis interviews with key care and plan business areas to document changes in process dependencies and recovery requirements. Coordinate recovery requirements with enterprise technology partners and associated disaster recovery plans. Develop and refine straightforward, actionable business continuity plans for key processes across the organization.

• (10%) - Interact with senior leaders and colleagues from across all the employment homes represented in the organization. Other duties as assigned.

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  Job description rankings/percentages are intended to reflect normal averages over an extended period of time and are subject to daily variances. Quality and efficiency standards should at no time be compromised to meet the average expectations expressed above. Job descriptions are subject to change to accommodate organization or department needs.

ORGANIZATIONAL EXPECTATIONS:

Excellence: We strive for the best results and always look for ways to improve.

Compassion: We care and show empathy and respect for each person.

Partnership: We are strongest when we work together and with those we serve.

Integrity: We are open and honest, and we keep our commitments.

Additional Expectations:

• Complies with safety instructions, observes safe work practices, provides input on safety issues, and promotes a safe work environment.

• Maintains regular and timely attendance.

• Protects confidentiality.

• Demonstrates participation in and support of the organization's Corporate Integrity Program by participating in compliance-related education and training and complying with the organization's policies and procedures.

• Timely completion of all mandatory education and organizational requirements (i.e., licensure/certification, Employee Health and Wellness requirements, annual training, etc.)

  • Emergency management (mitigation, planning, response, and recovery; regulatory and accreditation compliance; leading table-top and functional exercises; alignment with local, state, and Federal level compacts and coalition bodies)
  • Business continuity management (business impact analysis; business continuity planning; technology disaster recovery partnership with Information Technology Department; continuity of operations planning, alignment with emergency management; compliance with all legal, regulatory, and insurance requirements)
  • Workplace Violence Prevention programs and initiatives for the assigned region.

We’re a nonprofit, integrated health care organization, providing health insurance in six states and high-quality care at more than 90 locations, including hospitals and clinics in Minnesota and Wisconsin. We bring together research and education through HealthPartners Institute, training medical professionals across the region and conducting innovative research that improve lives around the world.

At HealthPartners, everyone is welcome, included and valued. We’re working together to increase diversity and inclusion in our workplace, advance health equity in care and coverage, and partner with the community as advocates for change.

Benefits Designed to Support Your Total Health
As a HealthPartners colleague, we’re committed to nurturing your diverse talents, valuing your dedication, and supporting your work-life balance. We offer a comprehensive range of benefits to support every aspect of your life, including health, time off, retirement planning, and continuous learning opportunities. Our goal is to help you thrive physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially, so you can continue delivering exceptional care.

Join us in our mission to improve the health and well-being of our patients, members, and communities.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identify, status as a veteran and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.