Position Openings: Survey Interviewers

The University of Florida, in partnership with the Health Equity Alliance of Tallahassee (HEAT), announces openings for the position of survey interviewer as part of HEAT Heart Health, a study about heart disease prevention among African Americans in Tallahassee.

Job Description

Survey interviewers are the most important part of any study, because the quality of information the study produces depends on the quality of each interview. Interviewers are the eyes and ears of the research team, and they are the most visible sign of the study’s presence in the community. These roles mean that interviewers are key to the long-term success of our efforts to understand and address heart disease among African Americans in Tallahassee.

The primary responsibilities of survey interviewers are: (1) to locate and enlist the cooperation of selected respondents, (2) to conduct interviews in a standardized way and ensure that information is recorded correctly, (3) to motivate respondents to provide complete and accurate answers, and (4) to ensure that materials and information are returned to the field office.

This is a time-limited position requiring a minimum three-month commitment.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent
• Valid driver’s license, dependable transportation, and willingness to travel to all parts of Tallahassee
• Excellent verbal skills, including a clear speaking voice and ability to deliver questions in a uniform way
• Good listening skills, including attention to respondents’ nonverbal cues
• Genuine enjoyment for interacting with people in diverse settings
• Attention to detail and dedication to obtaining high-quality interviews
• Willingness to follow set procedures
• Responsive to constructive feedback from supervisors to improve interviewing technique
• Ability to work 15–40 hours per week, including evenings and weekends on a weekly basis
• Familiarity with laptop and desktop computers
• Ability to carry 15–20 pounds of field equipment
• Successful completion of interviewer training (16 hours) and certification interview
• Successful completion of a background check

Characteristic Responsibilities

• Locate selected housing units and determine eligibility of residents for participation
• Make contact with selected respondents and establish rapport
• Describe the study and answer questions in a professional and ethical manner
• Schedule in-home interviews at a time that is convenient for respondents
• Conduct the interview using standardized techniques you will learn during training
• Enter respondents’ answers and other information into laptop computer during interview
• Measure blood pressure, height, weight, and other physical measurements
• Collect saliva and dried blood spots to measure biological indicators of health
• Maintain the security and confidentiality of all information you collect from respondents
• Complete and submit administrative materials, including informed consent, coversheets, timesheets, incentive receipts, and mileage reports
• Provide constructive feedback to supervisors about interviews and data collection procedures

Pay

• Rate of pay is $10 per hour plus $20 per completed interview
• Hourly pay will be administered biweekly from the University of Florida; interview completion payments will be administered monthly
• Regular payroll deductions (withholding taxes, FICA, etc.) will be made from all payroll checks
• Documented mileage for travel from field office to study housing units will be reimbursed at the State of Florida rate

About HEAT Heart Health

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and in Leon County. Heart disease is also more common among African Americans than among other groups, making it the most important cause of racial inequalities in life expectancy. HEAT Heart Health is a community-based participatory research project that will work to understand how stress, the social environment, and inherited (genetic) factors related to family health history affect the risk of heart disease among African Americans in Tallahassee. The information we gain from this study will guide the development of community outreach programs for heart disease prevention.

HEAT Heart Health includes a survey of about 350 African Americans adults in Tallahassee. We will select people at random (like the toss of a coin) to make the results representative of African Americans in Tallahassee. We will ask people to participate in interviews about stress, the social environment, and health. We will also measure blood pressure, weight, biological markers of stress, and genetic (inherited) factors related to heart disease and related conditions. All information will be kept strictly confidential. We will never publish information that could be used to identify participants.

The survey is scheduled to run between June and September 2011.

HEAT Heart Health is run by a Steering Committee of researchers from the University of Florida and community members from Tallahassee. We strive to involve community members as partners, not just as participants, in the research. We are also committed to making our study relevant to the community. The project is affiliated with the Health Equity Alliance of Tallahassee (HEAT), whose mission is to bridge the gap between research and action. We will organize community events to share results of the study and develop recommendations and outreach programs about heart disease prevention.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, please visit the University of Florida jobs website, complete the applicant tutorial, and create your application.

Application materials will be reviewed immediately and continue until positions are filled. The University of Florida is an equal opportunity institution dedicated to building a broadly diverse and inclusive faculty and staff. Minorities, women and those from other underserved groups are encouraged to apply.

For more information, please contact Dr. Lance Gravlee at the University of Florida (352-392-2253 x. 240 or cgravlee@ufl.edu).

Position Opening: Field Supervisor

The University of Florida, in partnership with the Health Equity Alliance of Tallahassee (HEAT), announces openings for the position of Field Supervisor as part of HEAT Heart Health, a study about heart disease prevention among African Americans in Tallahassee.

Job Description

The Field Supervisor (FS) plays a critical role in any research study, because the quality and impact of the study depends on how well data collection activities are managed. For HEAT Heart Health, the Field Supervisor is also the link between survey interviewers and the Steering Committee. These roles make the FS essential to the long-term success of our efforts to understand and address heart disease among African Americans in Tallahassee.

The primary responsibilities of the FS are: (1) to ensure that data are collected according to HHH protocols and are of highest quality, (2) to coordinate interviewers’ work so that data collection activities are completed efficiently and on schedule, and (3) to anticipate and help solve problems in field work.

This is a time-limited position requiring a minimum three-month commitment.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in an applied social science; a Master’s degree in Public Health (MPH) is an advantage
• Familiarity with computers and database management
• Proven management skills
• Attention to detail and dedication to obtaining high-quality data
• Willingness to follow and enforce set procedures
• Creativity and ability to take initiative
• Previous experience in field-based research, especially surveys, is strongly desired
• Ability to work 20–30 hours per week, including evenings and weekends on a weekly basis
• Ability to carry 15–20 pounds of field equipment
• Valid driver’s license, dependable transportation, and willingness to travel to all parts of Tallahassee
• Successful completion of interviewer training (16 hours) and certification interview
• Successful completion of a background check

Characteristic Responsibilities

• Assign selected housing units to interviewers and prepare interviewing packets for selected households
• Maintain contact with interviewers, and take reports after each work sessionHelp survey interviewers solve problems in the field
• Maintain inventory of field equipment (e.g., computers, blood pressure monitors) and ensure it is in good working order before each interviewer work sessionCollect field equipment from interviewers after each work session
• Ensure that biological samples collected by survey interviewers (saliva, dried blood spots) are stored properly and transferred to researchers at UF
• Ensure that the disposition of each sampled household is determined and recorded correctly
• Transfer survey data daily to UF researchers via Internet-based server
• Demonstrate enthusiasm for the project and be able to describe the study and answer questions in a professional and ethical manner
• Assist in continued training of survey interviewers, as necessary
• Maintain the security and confidentiality of all information collected from respondents
• Complete, manage, and submit administrative materials, including informed consent forms, coversheets, timesheets, incentive receipts, and mileage reports
• Provide constructive feedback to supervisors about interviews and data collection procedures

Pay

• Rate of pay is $15 per hour
• Hourly pay will be administered biweekly from the University of Florida
• Regular payroll deductions (withholding taxes, FICA, etc.) will be made from all payroll checks
• Documented mileage for travel from field office to study housing units will be reimbursed at the State of Florida rate

About HEAT Heart Health

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States and in Leon County. Heart disease is also more common among African Americans than among other groups, making it the most important cause of racial inequalities in life expectancy. HEAT Heart Health is a community-based participatory research project that will work to understand how stress, the social environment, and inherited (genetic) factors related to family health history affect the risk of heart disease among African Americans in Tallahassee. The information we gain from this study will guide the development of community outreach programs for heart disease prevention.

HEAT Heart Health includes a survey of about 350 African Americans adults in Tallahassee. We will select people at random (like the toss of a coin) to make the results representative of African Americans in Tallahassee. We will ask people to participate in interviews about stress, the social environment, and health. We will also measure blood pressure, weight, biological markers of stress, and genetic (inherited) factors related to heart disease and related conditions. All information will be kept strictly confidential. We will never publish information that could be used to identify participants.

The survey is scheduled to run between June and September 2011.

HEAT Heart Health is run by a Steering Committee of researchers from the University of Florida and community members from Tallahassee. We strive to involve community members as partners, not just as participants, in the research. We are also committed to making our study relevant to the community. The project is affiliated with the Health Equity Alliance of Tallahassee (HEAT), whose mission is to bridge the gap between research and action. We will organize community events to share results of the study and develop recommendations and outreach programs about heart disease prevention.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, please visit the University of Florida's jobs website and create an application.

Application materials will be reviewed immediately and continue until positions are filled. The University of Florida is an equal opportunity institution dedicated to building a broadly diverse and inclusive faculty and staff. Minorities, women and those from other underserved groups are encouraged to apply.

For more information, please contact Dr. Lance Gravlee at the University of Florida (352-392-2253 x. 240 or cgravlee@ufl.edu).

Next HEAT meeting is May 24

The next HEAT meeting will take place Tuesday, May 24, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m., at the FAMU School of Allied Health Sciences Conference Room, 103. We are grateful to FAMU for offering to host this meeting. We will discuss the launch of the HEAT Heart Health survey, an effort to understand and address heart disease among African Americans in Tallahassee. We will also consider new funding opportunities and discuss priorities for action-oriented research for health equity. Please join us!

Next HEAT meeting is Nov. 16

The Health Equity Alliance of Tallahassee (HEAT) will hold its next regular meeting next tomorrow, Tuesday, November 16, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at the Roberts and Stevens Medical Center (1515 Old Bainbridge Rd.). Thanks to our colleagues at the Leon County Health Department for hosting this meeting.

Please join us.

Eliminating racial inequalities in birth outcomes

The latest edition of the Unnatural Causes newsletter featured a recent article by Michael Lu and colleagues, who propose a 12-point plan for closing the black-white infant mortality gap. The article, published in the journal Ethnicity & Disease, outlines a life-course approach to eliminating racial inequalities in birth outcomes. The authors boil down the approach to a 12-point plan:

• Provide interconception care to women with prior adverse pregnancy outcomes
• Increase access to preconception care to African American women
• Improve the quality of prenatal care
• Expand healthcare access over the life course
• Strengthen father involvement in African American families
• Enhance coordination and integration of family support services
• Create reproductive social capital in African American communities
• Invest in community building and urban renewal
• Close the education gap
• Reduce poverty among African American families
• Support working mothers and families
• Undo racism

What’s important about this list is that it identifies interventions at many different levels—from clinics to communities to the country. The list also moves beyond the usual focus on health care by identifying basic social and economic factors that drive health inequalities, including poverty and systemic racism. For each recommendation, the article reviews evidence for why each point matters and highlights interventions that have made a difference. This evidence-approach could help to strengthen current efforts to address infant mortality in Leon County.

The article is freely available from the Unnatural Causes website.

Next HEAT meeting is October 19

Update, 10/13/10:The location for next week’s meeting has been set: We will meet at the Greater Frenchtown Revitalization Council, 421 W Georgia St. Thanks to Miaisha Mitchell for hosting.

Hold the date for the next regular HEAT meeting: October 19, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. The location for the meeting has yet to be determined — if you are interested in hosting the meeting, please drop us a line.

We invite your input in crafting the agenda for the October meeting. After the summer break, our plan is to focus discussion on what we have accomplished to date and where we need to go next. In particular, we’d like to take stock of our work on Unnatural Causes and two HEAT spinoffs—the Food Policy Council and HEAT Heart Health—that are moving ahead with success. How can HEAT best support and integrate these projects? What are the priorities for future work? How can we ensure the sustainability of our efforts? What benchmarks should we use to gauge our success in promoting health equity?

Our work will succeed or fail by the strength of our partnerships, so please hold the date and stay tuned for more information about the meeting location. Come make your voice heard.

Next HEAT meeting is May 18

The next regular HEAT meeting will take place Tuesday, May 18, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Our host this month is Dr. Melvena Wilson of Thagard Student Health Center at Florida State University. We will meet in room 249/250 of the Askew Student Life Center (SLC) on FSU’s campus. The SLC is located on the corner of Woodward Avenue and Traditions Way. Parking is available in the lot across the street. Please see the map for directions. Light dinner and refreshments will be provided.

Please join us!

New report: Increasing access to healthy foods

One goal that has emerged from HEAT is to improve health by improving the local food environment. Three HEAT partners—the Leon County Health Department, Greater Frenchtown Revitalization Council, and the University of Florida—are collaborating on research funded by the Blue Foundation to understand how the food environment constrains healthy food choices in Tallahassee. A related group has initiated a local Food Council, which aims to improve access to healthy and sustainable foods in Leon County.

So many people and organizations will be interested in a new report just released by the Prevention Institute, “Recipes for Change: Healthy Food in Every Community.” As the Prevention Institute explains, “The paper outlines organizational practices and public policies to expand access to healthy foods in support of healthy eating and better overall health.” The report provides recommendations for creating healthy food retail environments, increasing access to healthy foods in schools and other public institutions, reforming federal food and nutrition assistance programs, and supporting regional food systems and agriculture. The overarching goal is to build a healthier food system in the United States, with a focus on increasing access to healthy foods in low-income communities and communities of color.

See the Prevention Institute website for more.

Next HEAT meeting is April 13

The next regular meeting of the Health Equity Alliance of Tallahassee will take place on Tuesday, April 13, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. This month our host will be the Roberts and Stevens Medical Center, Leon County Health Department, 1515 Old Bainbridge Road (south of Tharpe Street, next to New Mt Zion AME Church). We will discuss next steps following this week’s Town Hall Meeting and viewing of Unnatural Causes in observation of National Public Health Week. We will also get updates from the food council and HEAT-BP Steering Committee and discuss future funding opportunities. Refreshments will be provided.

Please join us!

Town Hall Meeting: A Call to Action

This week is National Public Health Week, and April is National Minority Health Month. HEAT and the Future Public Health Professionals of Florida A&M University will mark both occasions by hosting a Town Hall Meeting this Tuesday, April 6, at 6:30 p.m. The theme of this event, which will take place at the Leon County Health Department’s Southside location (872 W Orange Avenue), is “A Call to Action.” The goal is to engage the community in a discussion about the issues, recommendations, and actions we can take to achieve greater health equity.

Feel free to download the flyer (PDF) and distribute to your networks.