University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Job Profile Title

Administrative Assistant A

Job Description Summary

The core duties of contact tracing include reaching out to patients diagnosed with an infectious disease associated with an outbreak or pandemic. It also entails identifying and reaching out to their close contacts. In all instances, contact tracers gather information about any potential exposures and document demographic and health care information. Contact tracers also educate patients on quarantine procedures and testing protocol.

Job Description

Responsibilities:

• Conducts interviews of patients with confirmed or probable COVID-19, with a focus on motivational interviewing and cultural competency
• Communicates with contacts to notify them of exposure
• Provides disease-specific information; assessing signs and symptoms, and underlying health conditions; discussing symptom onset to determine window period for contact elicitation and exposure risk for close contacts; discussing work, social, recreational, and community activities to identify who may have been exposed; eliciting information on close contacts, including names, exposure dates and locating information
• Assesses support needs to maintain health and compliance during self-isolation.
• Facilitates testing and referral to healthcare services and resource care coordination, as indicated.
• Provides recommendations for self-isolation and review of daily monitoring procedures.
• Conducts daily monitoring during self-isolation until patient is no longer infectious or until quarantine ends.

Qualifications generally include having excellent and sensitive interpersonal skills, cultural sensitivity, and interviewing skills. Contact tracers should be skilled at asking questions and being sympathetic, with an understanding of medical terminology. They can maintain trust with patients, have difficult conversations and understand patient confidentiality.

Please note this is a Temporary, Fixed Term Position with an anticipated end date of June 30, 2021

Job Location - City, State

Department / School

Provost's Center

Pay Range

Affirmative Action Statement 

Penn adheres to a policy that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class.

Special Requirements 

Background check required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.