Research Associate - Department of Pediatrics

Link to position posting

Location:??Peoria, IL

Posting Close Date: 2/7/2024

The University of Illinois college of Medicine at Peoria, Department of Pediatrics is seeking applicants for a Research Associate I to manage quality improvement and research initiatives. This includes pre and post research activities, internal and external to the clinical setting.? The Research Associate I is responsible for assisting with the implementation and conducting of multiple research and quality improvement projects for the Children’s Hospital of Illinois (CHOI), the UICOMP Department of Pediatrics and the Pediatric Resource Center.? They will work with regulatory agencies and aid in data collection and management. They may help coordinate comprehensive patient protocol treatment schedules to maintain compliance to protocol requirements.?

Position Summary

This position conducts research by preparing literature reviews and assisting with the collection, entering, coding and cleaning of data and descriptive results.

This position is a dual role, with time split between management of quality improvement projects in the Children's Hospital of Illinois (CHOI) and the UICOMP Department of Pediatrics and research project and data management in the UICOMP Department of Pediatrics. It will involve collaborating with physicians, members of administration and OSF Mission Partners to expand and develop partnerships to facilitate research and quality improvement activities. A percentage of time will be specifically dedicated to the Pediatric Resource Center.

Duties & Responsibilities

Research

• Perform surveys, interviews, observations or uses other methods according to established research protocols.
• ?Prepare data for analysis and execute details of studies. Perform analysis and document results.
• ?May conduct literature searches.
• ?Order study supplies and maintain inventories.
• ?Implementing follow-up phone calls to patient families, as needed.
• ?Obtaining consents from subjects as needed.
• ?Enters, organizes, and cleans data.
• ?Completes required documentation for regulatory agencies.
• ?Executes other miscellaneous details of the studies.

?Communication

• Maintain detailed records of results and prepare written reports.
• ?Maintain and process required paperwork.

?Quality Improvement

• Review the ~ 30-40 new Departmental quality improvement (QI) projects begun annually, and submit paperwork to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for not human subjects research designation so that their outcomes can more easily be published at completion of the project.
• ?Manage QI spreadsheet that accurately tracks current and completed QI UICOMP/CHOI QI projects, in order to promote collaboration between PIs, decrease duplication of efforts and increase project innovation.
• ?Collaborate with the OSF research and data analytics teams to facilitate data acquisition and analysis for faculty, fellow and resident QI projects. Track timeliness and accuracy of data received, to assist with systems improvement.
• ?Work closely with appropriate SFMC/CHOI Quality and Safety personnel to help ensure project data integrity.
• ?Collaborate with the OSF and SFMC/CHOI data analytic personnel on projects that are examining issues across both CHOI and the Women’s and Children’s Service Line.
• ?Assist the CHOI Quality and Safety Physician in development of a QI and Safety tracking system, and manage the tracking data input.
• ?Assist with more specific chart abstraction for a limited number of safety projects (1-2/year).

Perform other related duties and participate in special projects as assigned.

Reporting to the respective Principal Investigator and Senior Research Specialist, the position conducts research by assisting in the collection, entering, coding, and cleaning of data and descriptive results.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in social science or related field required.
• Knowledge of fundamental research concepts, practices and procedures.
• Entry level knowledge of research methods.?

Preferred Qualifications

• Entry level knowledge of quality improvement methods, concepts, practices and procedures preferred.
• A minimum of 1 year of research and/or quality improvement experience preferred.
• Knowledge of clinical outcomes research preferred.
• Familiarity with tools used for data collection and management, such as Excel, REDCap, or specialized research databases.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills (e.g., responsiveness, attention to detail, flexibility, and willingness to accommodate others’ timelines and data needs) to support and maintain relationships and collaboration and drive improvement initiatives.\
• Able to work independently, manage and prioritize multiple projects and tasks concurrently.

About University of Illinois College of Medicine, Peoria (UICOMP) Department of Pediatrics and OSF Healthcare Children’s Hospital of Illinois:

UICOMP is one of the three regional campuses of the University of Illinois College of Medicine, one of the largest public medical schools in the country. ?UICOMP’s educational programs include 244 medical students and 300 residents/fellows in 21 different post graduate programs.? The Department of Pediatrics is one of the largest departments at UICOMP.? In collaboration with the OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois, the Department has 19 divisions and over 145 faculty members providing general pediatrics and subspecialty services to the pediatric population in Central Illinois.

About?Children’s Hospital of Illinois

The current research infrastructure within the Department includes office of research, a dedicated biostatistician and internal research funding mechanism to support our faculty.? The primary teaching hospital of UICOMP is Children’s Hospital of Illinois, a tertiary care facility serving a 37-county region with a population base of over two million. Children’s Hospital of Illinois provides comprehensive services to children, including Level IV NICU and a state-designated Pediatric Critical Care Center. Children’s Hospital of Illinois is a major medical facility with 136 beds and a 32-bed critical care unit and the only Level 1 trauma center in Illinois outside of Chicago. ?There are existing resources through UICOMP and Children’s Hospital of Illinois for seeding research funding, quality and outcomes focused academic work and innovation in health education.?

About Peoria, IL

One of the oldest communities in Illinois with a population of 112,936, Peoria is equal distance from Chicago and St. Louis. ?Here we have an enviable standard of living, exciting venues within a 15-20 minute drive from our homes, safe streets, quality and quantity shopping, our own symphony, our own ballet, Broadway Theater League, museums, art guilds, first-class medical facilities, the nation's oldest community theater and oldest Santa Claus parade.

Our vibrant riverfront showcases a multitude of festivals and celebrations that light up the summer nights much like our extraordinary Fourth of July Sky Concert fireworks show that draws well over 100,000 annually. ?Citizens are flocking to live in the refurbished warehouses and lofts on Water Street that produce the perfect lifestyle for a 24/7 city.

We have many global businesses that allow Peoria to play all over the world through their products and services. ?Peoria has begun to diversify its economy with infotech industries as well. ?Thus, our business community attracts some of the brightest graduates throughout the nation.

For fullest consideration, please submit your application by 11/29/2023 at:?

https://uic.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/7645?c=uic

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