POSITION SUMMARY:

The Health Education Communications Specialist (HECS) reports to the clinical manager, Patient Education and collaborates with content experts across Dana-Farber to develop, review, and publish educational resources for patients and their caregivers. The HECS creates and/or edits patient education content that explains complex cancer treatment concepts that everyone can comprehend. The library of content represents education that patients and caregivers require from diagnosis of cancer, through treatment and into survivorship.

Located in Boston and the surrounding communities, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute brings together world renowned clinicians, innovative researchers and dedicated professionals, allies in the common mission of conquering cancer, HIV/AIDS and related diseases. Combining extremely talented people with the best technologies in a genuinely positive environment, we provide compassionate and comprehensive care to patients of all ages; we conduct research that advances treatment; we educate tomorrow's physician/researchers; we reach out to underserved members of our community; and we work with amazing partners, including other Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospitals.

PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Write and create patient educational materials

• Collaborate with content expert(s) to create and/or edit educational materials for patients and their caregivers.
• Conduct independent literature reviews to fact-check information and applies principles of health education, plain language, and learning theory in the editing process, assuring content complies with the departmental style guide.
• Collaborate with the program coordinator, internal stakeholders, external vendors, illustrators, and consultants to produce critical elements of the materials.

2. Project Leadership and Support

• Partner with the clinical manager, Patient Education to manage incoming project requests and guide internal project workflow within the Patient Education Program.
• Lead and/or participate in projects across departments as directed by the clinical manager, Patient Education.
• Lead and collaborate with multidisciplinary project teams to create or modify patient education content, including scriptwriting, editing, and developing storyboards.
• Facilitate all phases of project management, including initiation and planning; developing schedules and timelines; tracking key milestones and deadlines; and implementation. An example is facilitating the development of a new workbook with a disease center.
• Collaborate with project teams to identify metrics to evaluate project effectiveness and analyze results.
• May participate in scholarly activity related to projects, such as developing papers or presentations.

3. Program Support Database(s) Maintenance

• In collaboration with Patient Education team, manages and maintains accurate, timely Patient Education Program information and record-keeping through established Smartsheet system.
• Manage workflow for material revisions in collaboration with content expert(s), and pharmacists to amend revision dates as indicated.
• Maintain Patient Education Program guidelines, templates, Standard Operating Procedures, and style guide.
• Contribute to process improvement efforts as Program expands.

4. Publication and Delivery of Educational Resources

• Collaborate with the program coordinator, with guidance from Communications and/or Information Services, to publish educational resources to DFCI intranet, external website and other modalities that will include a content management system.
• Support the program coordinator to manage requests for translation, printing, and other digital services with external vendors.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:

• Knowledge of Smartsheet®, Visio, and/or Adobe Creative Suite.
• Strong knowledge of health literacy principles.
• Strong writing and editing skills.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Ability to manage and coordinate multiple projects happening simultaneously.
• Ability to work autonomously according to program guidelines.
• Ability to work with people across the institution and build relationships in different departments.
• Ability to manage time independently and prioritize tasks, attention to detail.
• Ability to remain flexible and adaptable to growing demands of Patient Education Program.

MINIMUM JOB QUALIFICATIONS:

Education:  

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, health education, nursing or related field; Master’s degree in health communication, nursing, or health education preferred.

Experience:

• 2 years of experience editing, writing health educational materials for lay audiences.
• Experience using content management web platforms such as Drupal or Sitecore.
• Experience working in a hospital/ambulatory atmosphere and experience collaborating with clinicians preferred, specifically within cancer therapeutics.
• Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) preferred.

At Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, we work every day to create an innovative, caring, and inclusive environment where every patient, family, and staff member feels they belong.  As relentless as we are in our mission to reduce the burden of cancer for all, we are equally committed to diversifying our faculty and staff.  Cancer knows no boundaries and when it comes to hiring the most dedicated and diverse professionals, neither do we. If working in this kind of organization inspires you, we encourage you to apply.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is an equal opportunity employer and affirms the right of every qualified applicant to receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability, age, ancestry, military service, protected veteran status, or other groups as protected by law.