Registrar - Public Health Medicine

About the Role

Fixed term position

Appointment as Public Health Medicine registrar in the Grampians Public Health Unit (GPHU) provides an exciting opportunity to have a vital training role experiencing the GPHU’s functions and culture. Hosted by Grampians Health, the GPHU is a local Public Health unit covering the Grampians region and is part of a state-wide restructure of Public Health delivery in Victoria. GPHU staff specialists provide their judgement, energy, expertise and advice in a number of ways as the GPHU responds to communicable conditions and threats to health, and prevention and population health imperatives in our region.

Given the established state of the local Public Health units in Victoria, a Public Health Medicine registrar’s experience includes a training focus in one or more of the GPHU’s pillars covering the breadth of Public Health practice:

• Health protection - communicable conditions and environmental health including the impacts of climate change,
• Health promotion and disease prevention - Informed by evidence and the Grampians Region Population Health Plan 2023-29 developed across nine population health priority areas in the Grampians region.  Commencing with considering primary and secondary prevention of key conditions responsible for high levels of morbidity and mortality in our community, such as ischaemic heart disease and cancer, and incorporating Victorian health promotion priorities of active living, healthy eating and reducing harms from tobacco, and regional health promotion priorities of oral health, sexual and reproductive health, and thriving children,
• Population health and its social determinants - including work to enhance the health and well- being of priority communities including children, older people, First Nations Australians, people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, and numerous other sub-groups warranting targeted prevention and population health attention, all for whom our work may also incorporate active living, healthy eating and reducing harms from tobacco initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

Under supervision, work to learn about and support

• The clinical and operational performance of Grampians PHU and appropriate engagement with relevant external parties/collaborators
• Engagement with and the development of strategic linkages between the GPHU and metropolitan and regional PHUs and DOH officers, as well as broader stakeholder groups within and beyond disciplines of expertise (for example engaging with Grampians general practitioners and Western Victoria Primary Health Network, clinical specialists, community health centres, and other health protection and population health stakeholders including local government authorities)
• The functions of local Health Protection Working Groups and any other such structures throughout the Grampians region
• The establishment of Public Health training capacity for clinician groups and for support functions such as epidemiology and data intelligence
• Emergency management activities as required and assist in the response to Public Health incidents and emergencies and

Under supervision, provide medical advice to

• Manage and respond to routine and urgent notifiable conditions 
• Manage complex situations in communicable diseases outbreaks
• Strategic and proactive health protection and disease prevention activities to analyse data, detect, investigate, prevent and respond to existing and new Public Health risks and emerging health protection trends (including by designing and implementing interventions to address increased risks).
• Advance clinical epidemiology and Public Health across the Grampians PHU catchment

Under supervision, undertake and grow capacity in

• Surveillance to rapidly identify Public Health risks and appropriately prioritise a response
• Research in Public Health and epidemiology, population health, communicable diseases and infection control
• Literature reviews, evaluation and critical thinking on a range of Public Health issues
• Work to attenuate the impacts of social and structural determinants of health and health inequalities across the Grampians region

Under supervision

• Participate in the GPHU on-call roster as required
• Undertake other duties consistent with role as needed.

Skills & Experience

Essential qualifications:

• General Registration, Medical Board of Australia
• Masters Degree in Public Health or equivalent or higher qualification
• Eligible to commence or have commenced as a Public Health Medicine advanced trainee with the Australasian Faculty of Public Health Medicine, Royal Australasian College of Physicians

Desirable Skills and Experience:

• Experience in communicable diseases outbreak investigations, case investigation, case management and contact tracing.
• Experience of effective communication, including ability to explain Public Health risks in a way that is understood by diverse audiences, including media.
• Research and/or clinical audit activities and/or quality assurance activities.
• Demonstrated aptitude for problem solving with skills to effectively engage, negotiate and build engagement with key and diverse internal and external clients or stakeholders.
• Experience in developing Public Health approaches to Public Health problems including by identifying issues, stakeholders, risks and formulating solutions.
• Demonstrated capacity to contribute to a diverse multi-disciplinary team to achieve shared objectives.

Desirable

• Higher degree in research
• Knowledge of health issues in relation to populations covered by the Grampians PHU

Culture & Benefits

At Grampians Health, we recognise our staff are our greatest asset.  We are committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for our staff, patients, residents, visitors, volunteers and contractors at all sites.

About Grampians Health

Grampians Health provides healthcare to a large region at our campuses based in Ballarat, Dimboola, Edenhope, Horsham and Stawell. 

Our mission is to deliver sustainable healthcare tailored to evolving community and workforce needs. We strive to enhance services and careers, providing quality healthcare to rural and regional communities. Joining Grampians Health means being part of a diverse team, with a variety of career opportunities in acute, maternity, mental health, allied health, aged care and support services.

Ballarat Region
Ballarat is the largest centre in Western Victoria and the states fastest growing inland city.  Dubbed Australia’s most liveable city in 2020, Ballarat is home to first class education, fine dining and boutique shopping.  Uniquely located within easy access to Melbourne, Geelong, Bendigo and the Western district, Ballarat is blessed with some of Australia’s most significant heritage buildings and natural landscapes.

How to apply

Click APPLY or contact Dr Saman Farahangiz on 0428 901 *** for a confidential discussion.

All appointments are subject to a satisfactory police records check, immunisation clearance and Working with Children check and/or NDIS Worker Screening Check.

All employees must be willing and able to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when required, which at a minimum is a surgical mask.  Additional PPE requirements are role-dependent.

Grampians Health is a child safe organisation, committed to the safety and wellbeing of all children and young people.

Grampians Health is committed to providing a diverse and inclusive workforce. We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people with disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, mature age workers and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (or questioning), intersex and asexual LGBTQIA+.