VillageReach is an NGO that develops solutions to critical health system challenges in low-resource environments, with an emphasis on strengthening the “last mile” of healthcare delivery. VillageReach combines expertise across public health, technology, and business to bring life-saving innovation – new systems, programs and technologies – to scale and sustainability in the world’s most underserved communities. VillageReach is headquartered in Seattle, WA with offices located in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi and Mozambique.
Background
The Malawi Ministry of Health (MoH) and VillageReach, VillageReach, a non-profit public health organization, developed and piloted Chipatala cha pa Foni (CCPF) or “Health Center by Phone” in Balaka district between 2011 and 2013 as part of Concern Worldwide’s Innovations for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health initiative. CCPF extends the reach of healthcare to underserved communities and improves health system efficiency by increasing access to health information and services, and decreasing unnecessary visits to health facilities. In 2013, an independent evaluation found that CCPF contributed to statistically significant improvements in maternal, newborn and child health indicators. Since 2015, CCPF has collaborated with Airtel, and scaled up geographically to nine districts in Malawi and in scope to include all health topics. CCPF hotline is currently in the process of transitioning to the Ministry of Health and scaling up nationally to all 28 districts of Malawi by December 2017. Therefore, all hires will be paid in accordance to the government scale for their level as the government is working towards including the staff in the establishment.
Many donors, including USAID, Airtel Malawi, Johnson & Johnson, Seattle International Foundation, GIZ, Concern Worldwide and Vitol Foundation support CCPF.
Position Overview
The Hotline Workers will be located in Lilongwe at the CCPF hotline office at the MoH Health Education Unit. The following are the vacant positions:
- 1 Clinical officer
- 3 Medical Assistants
- 2 State Registered Nurses
- 13 Nurse Midwife Technicians
Duties and Responsibilities
Under the direct supervision of the Hotline Supervisor, the hotline worker shall perform the following functions:
- Answer questions asked by callers on a wide range of health topics;
- Follow a computer-based program to provide accurate, up-to-date information to callers on health issues;
- Collect accurate data about calls and callers;
- Refer callers to appropriate resources, including referral to hospitals, health centres or clinics;
- Refer calls to CCPF doctors when the hotline workers cannot answer the question;
- Participate in bi-weekly hotline review meetings;
- In collaboration with the Hotline Supervisor, ensure that follow-up of referred clients is done on time and is well documented;
- Support the review of the randomly selected hotline call recordings weekly to identify education needs of hotline workers, and consequently plan and facilitate refresher courses to address identified needs;
- In collaboration with the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, facilitate timely review of hotline call recordings for quality assurance, and help interpret CCPF data for reports and publications;
- Report any hotline technical issues experienced to the Hotline Supervisor, Program Manager and ICT Officer;
- Document any emerging issues and lessons learned from the callers’ interactions with Hotline Staff and assist the Program Manager in preparation of reports and documentation of the project, also identifying stories for possible publication;
- Assist the Hotline Supervisor in facilitating hotline bi-monthly meetings and taking notes on emerging issues requiring further discussion and follow up; and
- Perform any other duties as assigned by the authorities within this sphere of work.
REQUIREMENTS
- Degree, Diploma or Certificate in the relevant position applied. Community Nurses have an added advantage.
- 3-5 years of work experience in the health workforce preferred. Experience working in a fast past paced environment and experience interacting and working with people of all backgrounds.
- Fluency in Chichewa required, however, fluency in any additional Malawian language is highly preferred.
- Understanding and willingness to work for the Ministry of Health once CCPF has fully transitioned to government.
- Willingness to work on night duty shift as needed.
- Those with knowledge in Youth Friendly Health Services have an added advantage.
- Must be registered with their relevant bodies’ i.e. Medical Council or Nurses and Midwives Council of Malawi.
Please send application letters with a comprehensive CV and three traceable referees before 18/07/ 2017 through the button below OR
The Country Director, VillageReach, Box 31348, Lilongwe 3
Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
VillageReach is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer committed to workforce diversity. We believe that diverse, equitably weighted perspectives foster an organizational capacity to create novel solutions that improve health in the most underserved and hard-to-reach areas. To align our values, innovations and impact, VillageReach is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse global workforce.
