About Lakewood Lakewood Health System is a comprehensive rural healthcare system in central Minnesota. Leading the way in providing quality, personalized healthcare for a lifetime, Lakewood prides itself on remaining fiercely independent to prioritize its patients, staff, and communities in all decisions. Voted as one of Star Tribunes Top Workplaces for the third year in a row, we do rural healthcare differently at LHS by providing a solid foundation of family practice providers with access to best-in-class specialty services, all right here at Lakewood. Across the spectrum of life, Lakewood Health System provides compassionate, quality care for the Brainerd Lakes region and beyond. About the Unit/Department/Team This Hospital Nursing Department supports the mission, vision and values of Lakewood Health System. We are a 25 bed Critical Access hospital serving Medical, Surgical, and Swing Bed Patients and Families. Our team consists of Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, Health Unit Coordinators and Nursing Assistants. The Hospital team provides a plan of care based on Provider instruction and Nursing Care Planning to meet patient goals providing optimal care for their health and safety to promote quality of life. Mission for Position The Infection Preventionist is responsible for identifying, investigating, monitoring, and reporting healthcare-associated infections, collaborating with teams and individuals to create infection prevention strategies, provide feedback, and sustain infection prevention strategies to support high-quality patient care. Position Summary Strategic Priority: Develop System-Wide Infection Prevention Program Develop, implement, and evaluate the organizational infection prevention program. Identifies trends and conducts root cause analysis for the identification of process change. Develop, interpret and assist with implementation of infection prevention and control policies and protocols. Develop an annual surveillance plan based on the population(s) served, services provided, and analysis of surveillance data. People Priority: Communicate, Educate and Collaborate Communicate infection prevention and control information and data to various committees and healthcare workers across the organization as assigned. Leads the Infection Control Committee for the organization. Assess and address learning needs of those served. Create educational goals, objectives, and strategies using learning principles and available educational tools and technology. Evaluate the effectiveness of educational programs and learner outcomes. Facilitate compliance with regulatory and accreditation standards. Orient (or delegate the responsibility to orient) new staff in direct care on infection control practices at Lakewood. Work with Employee Health Program on areas including but not limited to return to work policies and vaccination programs. Operations Priority: Implementation, Evaluation and Reporting of Infection Prevention Utilize epidemiologic principles to conduct surveillance and investigations Evaluate and modify the surveillance plan as necessary. Comply with regulatory and mandatory reporting requirements at the local, state and federal levels. Stay current on infection prevention and control regulatory and accreditation standards Implement successful corrective action plans in affected problem areas Ensures submission of required metrics including but not limited to data with influenza vaccination, National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN), and MHA data. Active member of the antimicrobial stewardship team supporting measures for safe and appropriate antibiotic use. Position Type Full time, salaried Qualifications Qualifications Current MN licensure in nursing, public health, epidemiology, clinical laboratory science, medical technology or related field. BA/BS preferred Three to five years of current clinical experience in an acute care setting required. Certification in Infection Control preferred or willingness to seek certification within 3 years of employment. Expertise in data collection and analysis, report writing and data presentation. Ability to work independently and take initiative in completion of tasks. Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and software technologies. Strong oral and written communication skills Conflict resolution expertise. Program and project management. Ideal Candidate Problem-solves with can-do attitude Multi-tasks while maintaining attention to detail Prioritizes, organizes and executes multiple, competing tasks Communicates effectively with customers and co-workers both verbally and in writing Benefits Lakewood Health System is growing and looking for great people to join our mission of providing personalized, quality healthcare for a lifetime. At Lakewood, our people are our most valued asset! Generous Flex Time Off & Wellness Time Off 401K Match Annual tuition assistance of $2,000 per year Best-in-region employer HSA contributions New in 2024 - employer paid premiums for individual-only healthcare coverage! With ample opportunities for growth within the system and support as you pursue your personal goals, it's safe to say that Lakewood Health System is a great place to launch or continue your career in healthcare! Next Steps Interested, but will the schedule work for you? Have questions on organizational culture, team fit or day-to-day experience? >>>Contact Sarah Baumgartner to discuss the possibilities further : Sarah Baumgartner P: 218-894-8505 E: (e-mail removed) Apply Online | Careers - Lakewood Health System Lakewood Health System provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.