Chief, Medical Section

Chief, Medical Section

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The Staff Health and Welfare Service is a part of the Division of Human Resources Management (DHRM) responsible for ensuring that the workforce of UNHCR has a safe and healthy work environment, in the interests of good functioning and productivity. The Chief, Medical Section reports to the Head of the Staff Health and Welfare Service. The Service includes some 20 professional and support staff  providing medical and psychosocial support to the staff. Their work is further supported by regional functions providing medical and psychosocial support which are technically supervised by the Service.

The UNHCR workforce includes some 7000 staff members and 2000 affiliates. Around 40% work in non-family locations. UNHCR has a strict rotational policy resulting in highly mobile staff and family members. In addition to rotation, the frequent travel, high workload and field assignments in environments with limited resources add further challenges to staff health and well-being.  The Chief, Medical Section is responsible for ensuring that the health needs of staff are addressed through sound medical strategies.

The main activities include health hazards assessment, physical health pre-mission and pre- recruitment assessments, preventative measures (i.e. first aid training, HIV in the workplace), crisis interventions, support to work life balance, ergonomic conditions. The Medical Section addresses the concerns of staff members and, in some aspects, affiliated workforce, and retirees.

The section works in close collaboration with other sections of DHRM, respecting the professional code of ethics and confidentiality. The collaboration also extends to the bureaux and other sections and services outside DHRM that are involved in supporting the staff health and psychosocial welfare such as the Office of the Ombudsman, the Office of the Inspector General, the Office of the Ethics Director, the Field Safety Section, Career Management, Medical Advisor to the Administration and to insurance companies (MIP and UNSMIS) and others.

In close collaboration with the Staff Welfare Section and the Regional Medical Officers, the Chief, Medical Section will support, facilitate and implement, the projects/programmes identified at global and regional level, aiming at the health prevention, protection and promotion of national and international staff.

In addition to work with individual staff and teams in direct person-to-person service, the Section is responsible for overall implementation of the UNHCR's Duty of Care commitments as well as for the development of relevant policy documents that promote staff health and psychosocial welfare.

FUNCTIONAL STATEMENT

Accountability

- The promotion, prevention and protection of the health and safety of UNHCR staff  is in line with the UNHCR strategic objectives.
- UNHCR takes a holistic approach to staff health and psychosocial welfare.
- UNHCR staff receives effective and efficient health care and support. Similar services are extended to the affiliate workforce and retirees when possible and as needed.
- UNHCR has distinct staff health policies and programmes directly impacting on staff well-being such as a medical insurance plan, disability programmes, medical evacuation, sick leave management and support, management of special constraints to rotation, substance abuse in the workplace, HIV in the workplace, etc.
- The Medical Section has a communication strategy that supports advocacy, promotion and dissemination of relevant policies, measures and information of general interest within UNHCR and externally when appropriate.

Responsibility

- Provide guidance to the organization and the staff and implement measures on issues related to the occupational health and Safety.
- Establish functional and operational relations with the Regional Medical offices, manage and leader the regional offices of the Medical Section, in order to constitute a functionally coordinated unit.
- Ensure that the allocated human, financial and other resources are managed effectively and in accordance with UNHCR requirements.
- Provide appropriate leadership and guidance to staff in the delivery and management of their tasks and ensures the quality of the services provided, in terms of technical and ethical standards and client service orientation.
- Ensure that the Section and its regional offices have a comprehensive strategy that links the elements of service provision, capacity building (training) and policy work.
- Supervise and support service organization and provision: walk-in clinic, emergency first aid, medical aptitude certificates, sick leave management and support during sick leave, work related illness and accident processes, mission readiness, vaccination program and campaigns, distribution of medical and first aid kits, staff awareness of alcohol and drug abuse and their impact on staff health and at the workplace.
- Provide support and assist in fully implementing the activities and programs related to UNHCR Policies and IOMs/FOMs relevant to staff health, safety and welfare.
- Perform as required and assesses the daily medical examinations and clearances for staff concerning:  recruitment, periodic medical examination, pre-departure briefing for missions to the field, etc.
- Ensure compliance to UNCARES HIV/AIDS recommended activities including preparation and dissemination of the PEP kit country specific protocols, facilitated access to PICT and VCCT.
- Report and analyze regular mortality and morbidity statistics from causes of sick leave, medical evacuations, deaths, work related illnesses or accidents.
- Identify the main health hazards (work related or environmental) which could affect the health of the staff and their dependents in their respective area.
- Ensure that each functional area in the Section has a well-established code of ethics, including confidential date recording mechanisms, adhered to by the staff concerned and shared with the staff and management of UNHCR worldwide.
- Ensure that the Medical Section collaborates closely with similar services in other UN organisations with a purpose of harmonising the practices as much as possible, and of identifying the best practices.
- Ensure that the Medical Section keeps abreast of relevant and current occupational health and safety research and state of the art practices, in order to maintain the expertise of its staff.
- Coordinate the establishment of comprehensive strategies for prevention and mitigation of the negative medical hazards to include, advocacy, learning activities, and appropriate technical medical interventions.
- Along with the Staff Welfare Section, provide induction and briefing on staff health challenges to in-coming managers with particular respect to medical evacuation procedures and SOPs, medical referrals in country and mass casualty planning.
- Ensure that all field offices have an efficient and validated medical evacuation plan and provide support in establishing one when needed. Supervise, manage and authorize medical evacuations. Ensure that there is an up-to-date database of medical facilities and providers globally. 
- Establish and maintain very close collaboration with the counterparts in other UN organizations or international organizations. Maintain contacts with outside collaborators (hospitals, clinics, research institutions, universities) in order to support the work of the Occupational Health and Safety in UNHCR.
- Serve as Medical Advisor/Member of the Executive Board of UNSMIS and MIP (reimbursements, justification of bills, health promotion programs, etc.), the UN Compensation Claims Committee in Geneva (work-related illnesses and accidents) and of the UN Pension Fund in New York (disability benefits). Provide advice to HR policy makers on health issues and propose the policy drafts directly related to this area.

Authority

- Authorize medical evacuations, assess and clear the centres for medical evacuations for UNHCR workforce and family members.
- Review, if necessary, decisions about work accommodations, fitness for work, and mobility that are based on medical assessments, monitoring of care and follow-up of chronic medical conditions diagnosed and for which treatment has already started.
- Undertake or advice Head of the Staff Health and Welfare Service on delegation to missions to the field and requests operations to implement programs to mitigate health risks to staff.
- Endorse the work plans and make final decisions on priorities.
- When needed, authorize payments for implementation of activities.
- Provide surge capacity to the corporate and UN System emergency response capacity (UNMERT) including mass casualty incidents.

ESSENTIAL MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

- Diploma of Medical Doctor (MD).
- Minimum 15 years of clinical practice as a Medical Doctor/ Practitioner of which at least 5 years should be in an international organization.
- Demonstrated leadership, management and team building skills.
- Excellent communication, presentation and drafting skills.
- Fluency in English and very good knowledge of French.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & COMPETENCIES

- Experience in occupational health and safety, emergency management (crisis or disaster medicine), travel medicine, tropical and infectious disease.
- Knowledge of the UN and UNHCR  Personnel policies (especially concerning the medical clearances, the medical examination's procedures, sick leaves, compensations (appendix D),disability benefits, medical evacuation schemes, MIP, UNSMIS, etc...).
- Knowledge of the functioning of the UN Medical Services networks (UN Medical Services, UNDP dispensaries, UN examining physicians, etc...).
- Knowledge and ability to work with the International Classification of diseases of WHO (ICD 10).
- International Travel and Health book. WHO. International Travel and Health book: CDC.
- Knowledge and ability to work with electronic health record systems.
- Project design and management
- Training experience and facilitation is an asset.