IPC Referent/Advisor W/M

Department

The Medical Department of Operational Center – Paris (OCP) provides medical support to country missions for medical dossiers, including Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). The reason of the medical department is to accomplish the social mission of the association through its leadership, expertise and advocacy by:

• The co-construction of medico-operational strategies,

• Context-adapted relevant medical support,

• Continuous improvement in the quality of care and respect for medical ethics,

• Conducting operational research and new medical approaches,

• Internal and external advocacy based on field needs, our experience and the results of our research, and

• Develop a link between MSF and the medical world.

Project

MSF, and particularly OCP, is committed to providing hospital-based secondary and tertiary care to those ill and injured across the range of the organization’s mission contexts. For instance, surgical and neonatal programs are a major component of our hospital activity. Infections of soft-tissue, bone, and bloodstream acquired either prior to hospitalization or in-hospital are a major challenge to the successful outcome for these patients, particularly considering the global problem of AMR. In recognition, MSF has made AMR a focus of operations, policy, and advocacy.

Placed under the hierarchical responsibility of OCP Deputy Medical Director and under the functional responsibility of the AMR Clinical Lead based in New York, the IPC Referent contributes to the constant skill improvement related to her/his/their area of expertise in MSF projects. She/he/they is a member of the AMR multidisciplinary team including an IPC advisor (based in Dubai), Infectious Diseases and Microbiology Advisors (based either in New York or in Paris). She/he/they also works in collaboration with other members of the medical department based in Paris, Sydney and other MSF branch offices.

Main Responsibilities

The IPC Referent helps to improve patient care in medical facilities supported by MSF. The incumbent contributes to the development of an efficient and standardized IPC model adapted to the contexts and constraints of MSF projects.

A.Projects and Mission Support:

• Respond to field queries regarding infection prevention and control (IPC) (which includes sterilisation practices)

• Participate in response for outbreaks in healthcare facilities related to  

  • Multidrug resistant organisms’ that have access to microbiology

  • Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI) outbreaks

  • Other communicable or contagious diseases as needed (e.g., Cholera, Ebola)

• Validates certain products related to IPC as required.

• Make regular visits to projects:

  • Assessment of practices concerning IPC (standard and transmission-based precautions) and sterilization.

  • Participate in the implementation of an action plan and propose solutions adapted to the field.

• Have a global and precise vision of needs on trained human resources in IPC in different MSF projects.

• Ensure that the projects’ IPC focal points also work within a multidisciplinary AMR team.

• Briefings and debriefings of international mobile staff (IMS) assigned to positions involved in IPC and or sterilization.

• Act as coach and mentor for IPC focal points.

B.Headquarters Roles and Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the different departments in the NY/Paris/Sydney offices (operations, programs, communications, fundraising, field HR, Access Campaign)

• Participate in different MSF activities: general assembly, info days, webinars, etc.

• Represent MSF at different conferences, meetings with academia and other NGOs.

MSF OCP has developed an Antimicrobial Resistance roadmap around 3 pillars: Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), Antimicrobial Stewardship and Access to Microbiology

The IPC Referent, guided by this roadmap, enables measurable improvements in IPC through various objectives:

Implementation of Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI) Surveillance and Monitoring: Co-implement practical and robust systems to track infection trends, enabling early detection and rapid response to outbreaks. This involves collaborating with E-health or Epicentre on effective data management practices to ensure reliable quality data is consistently collected from projects and missions. Strengthen Isolation Precautions Evidence-based Concept: Set clear pragmatic strategies for isolation, especially for MDRO patients. Integration of Operational Research: Conduct or advocate for operational research to evaluate the effectiveness of IPC interventions, identify areas for improvement, and generate data-driven insights for decision-making. Apply Research Findings for Continuous Improvement: Use outcome from operational research to refine IPC protocols, optimize resource allocation, and continuously improve IPC practices based on evidence. Identify learning needs or facilitate Staff Training and Education: Provide ongoing IPC training sessions at project level as needed, workshops, and webinars for best practices. Strengthen Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Work closely with clinical and non-clinical teams/advisors to align IPC practices and address cross-functional challenges.

• This involves collaborating with other Medical Referents/Advisors as required.

• Close collaboration with Hospital Management, and the Construction Team on all new construction and rehabilitation projects.

• Intersectional IPC group collaboration with other Operational Centre IPC Advisors/Referents.

• Other working groups within MSF movement as required.

C.Participation in the activities of the medical department:

• Actively participate in the definition of medico-operational policies by providing expertise and support in their implementation.

• Prepare the annual and / or multiannual plan.

• Participate in trainings and their development.

• Collaborate with other members of the medical department and participate in working meetings, in particular those on hospital projects.

• Analyze the data, design the indicators, and participate in the development of the annual medical activity analysis report.

• Write and contribute to guidelines, medical policy documents and update MSF catalogs.

• Support the HR department for the technical validation of CVs in her/his/their area of competence.

• Contribute to the formulation of operational research questions relevant to IPC.

• Participate in the IPC contact group, established with the other operational sections of MSF, and collaborate with relevant IPC partners, both within and outside MSF.