The Health Education Specialist will provide interviews, assessments, education, coaching and evaluations to patients on behaviors for cancer risk reduction. Develops, implements, and evaluates educational tools, including computer technology and multimedia to enhance opportunity for change. Evaluates the impact programs have on behavior change utilizing assessment tools.
JOB SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES
Provides quality care to individuals being seen in Cancer Prevention Center who have been identified at increased risk of cancer due to current behaviors related to lifestyle
* Utilizes current guidelines and evaluation tools to assess patients for cancer risk factors, to establish a patients’ baseline and risk profile, to motivate and monitor patient progress in behavioral/lifestyles changes to include: food & nutrition, physical exercise, psychosocial status (e.g. stress level), experience with complementary therapies, tobacco use, sun exposure, and sexual health.
* Conduct education/counseling for determined needs by using assessment tools and motivational behavioral change models.
* Establish goals for change with the patient.
* Provide information and education on internal and external health services and resources consulting for nutrition services, physical activity services, complementary services, psychosocial services, and tobacco services by using motivational interviewing or other techniques to navigate patients as appropriate
* Offer patients opportunities to participate in research protocols and refer as appropriate.
* Follow-up on goals, by appointment, phone call, mail, email, web, self assessment tools, and video resources as applicable.
* Reestablish goals as indicated with appropriate f/u.
Develops and maintains educational resources for the Cancer Prevention Center patients.
* Develops relevant educational programs to meet needs of program constituents.
* Develops health education materials as appropriate and conducts trainings.
* Establishes, cultivates and maintains working relationships and contacts with internal and community constituents, health care facilities and other entities to develop and facilitate collaborative partnerships.
* Establishes and maintains systems/databases to assure program quality.
* Creates educational tools, including multimedia and computer technology, to assist the patients in making healthy lifestyle changes, reinforcing these changes, and in navigating the patient to the appropriate support arena.
* Reviews and updates tools annually.
Explores, develops and utilizes new technologies to provide cancer risk reduction education, decision making and goal assessments.
* Remains current in the integrative health clinical service modalities as related to cancer risk reduction. Develops other modalities and education for our patients beyond integrative health as deemed necessary by Cancer Prevention Center health care providers.
* Maintains working knowledge of new trends in behavioral models and education, and technology and presents ideas for new projects as appropriate.
* Assists in writing recommendations for initiating new educational technology initiatives and keeping other educational methods current.
* Develops and maintains list of reputable health professional resources in the community.
Other duties as assigned.
EDUCATION: Required: Bachelor's degree in Public Health, Health Education, Community Health Education or related field.
EXPERIENCE: Required: Two years experience coordinating patient education programs.
Preferred: Experience in Health education, Health coaching, exercise coaching. Work in the cancer continuum a plus.
OTHER: Required: Must pass pre-employment skills test as required and administered by Human Resources.
It is the policy of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to provide equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by institutional policy or by federal, state or local laws unless such distinction is required by law. http://www.mdanderson.org/about-us/legal-and-policy/legal-statements/eeo-affirmative-action.html
