Jacob Chávez

Supervision and management of STI epidemiological reporting for the State of Louisiana in compliance with State Sanitary Code.

• Supervise collection, management, and transmission of Louisiana's nationally reportable STI data.
• Successfully produced Louisiana's Enhanced Gonorrhea Surveillance Program from conceptualization, survey development, staff hiring/training, piloting, and implementation.
• Produce routine publications for state STI surveillance data including monthly, quarterly, and annual reports
• Utilize multiple data sources to create more complete datasets for national reporting
• Matching large-scale datasets to fill missing epidemiological variables, including use of secondary data sources such as Lexis Nexis, Medicaid, and COVID testing data
• Develop protocols and training materials for evolving state surveillance methods
• Develop statistical analysis programs to query and analyze data for internal and external stakeholders
• Manage grant deliverables to help ensure funding streams exceeding a million dollars.
• Assist in authoring Health Alert Notifications for healthcare providers throughout the State of Louisiana
• Collaborate in analysis of contemporary epidemiological events such as describing relationships among Monkey Pox and other STIs in the State of Louisiana

• Supervised all field staff and operations for NHBS, coordinated functional direction for staff and interns
• Oversaw program area requirements, including data management, analysis and reporting, staff and staffing needs, supplies and all quality assurance (QA) measures
• Ensured compliance with Center for Disease Control/Office of Public Health (OPH)/funder requirements and attainment of program deliverables
• Worked with linkage and other programs to ensure clients accessed all needed services including HIV/Hepatitis C/sexually transmitted disease care and treatment
• Conducted academic research; conducted data analysis, conducted interviews following CDC guidelines; provided referrals for appropriate services; conducted HIV testing and other testing as needed; conducted training of NHBS full-time and part-time interviewers and interns in operations and data collection
• Processed 722 potential respondents within 4 months for most recent research cycle

• Primary Data Analyst for the New Orleans National HIV Behavioral Surveillance site
• Utilized qualitative and quantitative research methods to inform ongoing HIV research for The Centers for Disease Control
• Participated in development of local research questions tailored to issues unique to New Orleans
• Coded local research questions in Questionnaire Development System software
• Conducted over 260 structured interviews to collect data among target populations in diverse field environments
• Conducted/analyzed ethnographic interviews with members of at-risk communities
• Developed and implemented training programs for temp staff including ongoing performance evaluation
• Performed rapid HIV and Hepatitis C testing and counseling
• Developed research and testing protocols
• Maintained control of volatile/lethal situations while upholding professional standards
• Established and maintained mutually beneficial relationships with community stakeholders
• Established ongoing rapport with target populations including people who inject drugs, high-risk heterosexuals, men who have sex with men, and members of the Trans Community

• Oversaw groups of students and assisted with academic projects
• Assisted Sociology and Criminal Justice department with ongoing research projects
• Facilitated class discussions, accumulated syllabus materials, propagated attendance spreadsheets, and grading obligations
• Engaged with, and supported student organizations affiliated with The Sociology and Criminal Justice department