Placement Organization: Partners In Health
Placement Location: Neno, Malawi
Eligible Citizenship: Malawian
Placement Location: Neno, Malawi
Eligible Citizenship: Malawian
About: 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, Guatemala, Mexico, Russia, Rwanda, Lesotho, Malawi, Burundi, Kazakhstan, the Dominican Republic, and Boston.
PIH has been working in Malawi since 2007 supporting MOH in strengthening health system and provide good quality health care in the Neno District.
Position Overview: The IT Networking and Medical Informatics Coordinator will work closely with the IT Manager in order to ensure that our systems are maximizing care for our patients.
Responsibilities:
Network administration at health facilities supported by Partners In Health.
- Bandwidth management and optimization using open source software and dedicated hardware tools
- Expansion of network coverage area with Wide Area Network design and implementation
- Installation and management of backup power systems for critical network hardware
- Management of computer systems including software updates, software and hardware troubleshooting
- Server setup, including installation of OpenMRS, an open source web-based electronic medical record system programmed in Java, a point-of-care system programmed in Ruby On Rails, and other systems
- Management of server software updates and backups for servers and databases
- Troubleshooting software problems in OpenMRS and others systemsServer administration for the Electronic Medical Records systems, file servers and network management servers
Using electronic systems to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the operations systems at Partners In Health
- Evaluate stock management systems and suggest possible improvements to track consumption of medications, consumables and other products; develop systems for accurate forecasting and supply chain management
- Evaluate and implement changes to quality improvement measures to enhance pharmaceutical supply chain management
- Strategize with management and assess appropriateness of applying electronic systems to other work areas
- Assistance in managing our electronic medical records system (OpenMRS) possibly including the creation of new HTML forms for data entry and assistance in creating and/or applying new modules in java to extend functionality
Required Skills and Experience:
The ideal candidate for this position will have a background in network and systems administration and/or 1-2 years of related experience. S/he will be very flexible, have great communication skills, the ability to take initiative, adapt to a fast-paced work environment, prioritize and manage multiple tasks.
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or another relevant field or work experience
- Knowledge OR experience in the following areas:
- Network and server administration
- Programming experience (e.g. java or MySQL or HTML or shell or C, or others)
- Proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel
- Familiarity with Unix and Windows Operating Systems
- Comfortable living in a rural area with ability to take initiative and work with minimal direction
- Fluency in Chichewa
- Excellent command of written and spoken English
- Ability to interact professionally and with sensitivity with diverse staff, clients, Health Workers and Partners (MOH)
- Willingness to take on additional work outside of the job description as required by PIH
Preferred Skills and Experience:
- Experience with VSAT and/or mobile internet network administration
- Exposure to issues relevant to public health or international development
- Web application development in Java and/or Ruby on Rails
- Experience working with alternative energy and power backup systems a plus
Living Conditions: Fellows will be provided with a room in a modest staff guesthouse in Neno, health insurance and a living stipend of $650/month. Fellows will receive an award of $1500 upon successful completion of the fellowship year. Flights to and from the placement site and all other costs associated with GHC programming are included, including $600 in professional development funds.
*Note: the living stipend and completion award may be paid out in USD or local currency, as determined by the placement organization.
To apply to this position click here: http://ghcorps.org/fellows/apply/application/
