Zachary Kempf
Columbia,MO
Summary
Dedicated public health professional with over a decade of experience working in a healthcare/public health setting. Experienced in communicating with academic, local, state, and national audiences, in addition to being skilled in epidemiological research, statistical analysis and health informatics.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
Work History
Bureau Chief
Missouri Department Of Health And Senior Services
06.2022 - Current
- Oversee the Bureau of Data Modernization and Interoperability which is comprised of individuals experienced in data analysis, health informatics, and epidemiological surveillance who work to advance Missouri's ability to receive and report on key public health data sources such as electronic laboratory reporting (ELR), electronic case reporting (eCR), immunizations, and syndromic surveillance.
- Advance the modernization of Missouri's public health data infrastructure by increasing the interoperability of data between various public health surveillance systems across DHSS and collaborating with programmatic and epidemiological staff to identify recommendations for system improvements.
- Established Missouri’s first inter-jurisdictional, bi-directional, immunization data exchange via the IZ Gateway which allows DHSS to exchange immunization data with other states, the Veteran’s Health Administration (VHA), and the Department of Defense (DoD) for the first time in Missouri’s history.
- Developed comprehensive Data Modernization Workforce Plan that assessed the data science and health informatics capacity of staff across DHSS and identified opportunities for growth and improvement over the next three years.
- Collaborated with DHSS Office of General Counsel and DCPH Division Leadership to create new data sharing and user agreements between DHSS and LPHAs to enable the sharing of core public health information used to influence decision-making and health outcomes.
- Selected by the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) and CDC to help develop the first nation-wide standard operating procedures for TEFCA and advise its implementation across the United States’ public health and healthcare sector.
- Coordinate efforts with federal partners including, but not limited to, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), CDC, ONC, VHA, and DoD to make sure Missouri is aligned with national data modernization initiatives and is prepared to handle future public health challenges.
Senior Epidemiologist
Missouri Department Of Health And Senior Services
09.2021 - 06.2022
- Served as the Data Systems Manager for Missouri’s COVID-19 disease surveillance system, EpiTrax, and Missouri’s immunization information system, ShowMeVax; and worked with third-party, health information technology vendors to identify and implement improvements to these applications.
- Analyzed COVID-19 immunization data collected in ShowMeVax, developed public-facing vaccination dashboards, and gave regular statewide briefings to illustrate trends in COVID-19 vaccinations.
- Collaborated with the CDC and third-party, health information technology vendors to establish and automate the mandated reporting COVID-19 vaccine administration data to increase Missouri’s reporting efficiency and decrease DHSS staff workload.
- Provided grant management, statistical analysis, and evaluation support as the Lead Chronic Disease Epidemiologist for Missouri's Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), Violent Death Reporting System (MOVDRS), Comprehensive Cancer Control Program, and other chronic disease programs.
Epidemiologist
Missouri Department Of Health And Senior Services
09.2019 - 09.2021
- Served as the Lead COVID-19 Vaccine Epidemiologist providing data to local, state, and national leaders regarding the administration of COVID-19 vaccinations across the State of Missouri.
- Trained local public health agencies (LPHAS) how to conduct proper epidemiological case investigation and contact tracing and how to enter their data into both the Missouri Advanced Contact Tracing System (MOACTS) and EpiTrax databases during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Provided data, analytical, and evaluation support for the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), and other Maternal and Child Health (MCH) programs.
- Developed materials that promote regular dissemination of data including grant related reports, fact sheets, data briefs, infographics and presentations, for both internal and external stakeholders at the local, state, and national levels.
Associate Epidemiologist
Missouri Department Of Health And Senior Services
07.2018 - 09.2019
- Provided data support and technical assistance to all contracted home visiting programs and report results back to federal health organizations and local public health agencies on a monthly basis.
- Served as lead data analyst for the Missouri Violent Death Reporting System (MOVDRS) and assisted with the abstraction and data entry into the system.
- Assisted with the evaluation of the Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) program and analyzed its data to prepare childhood asthma and lead poisoning research reports for dissemination.
Project Specialist
Missouri Department Of Health And Senior Services
05.2018 - 06.2018
- Analyzed data from past Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) and disseminated the results to local education agencies and other partners.
- Collaborated with other DHSS programs to prepare and disseminate YRBSS infographics and fact sheets highlighting key public health information.
- Conducted research using focus groups & interviews to determine which infographics were able to reach the greatest number of people within the target audience.
Patient Care Technician
University Of Missouri Hospital
05.2011 - 06.2018
- Provided direct patient care by assisting with activities of daily living, and recorded patients’ vital signs, blood glucose values, and EKG results.
- Performed administrative and clerical duties for the Internal Medicine Unit and maintained communication between healthcare providers, social service agencies, ancillary health care organizations, and government agencies.
- Participated in committees designed to assist with the evaluation of existing policies and the development of new intervention strategies in order to improve the patient experience during an admission.
Graduate Research Assistant
University Of Missouri
01.2018 - 05.2018
- Performed statistical, qualitative, and quantitative analysis on data collected by Master of Public Health program to evaluate the effectiveness of specific student internships.
- Prepared research reports and presented findings during conferences.
- Collaborated with academic faculty to develop new policies and to implement project improvement plans for future internships and classes.
Public Health Intern
Lafayette County Health Department
05.2017 - 12.2017
- Conducted Community Health Needs Assessment to identify areas for public health improvement within the county.
- Identified cost-effective solutions that the county government can implement to increase the health of their communities.
Education
Masters of Public Health - Health Promotion & Policy
University of Missouri - Columbia
Columbia, MO05.2018
Bachelor of Science - Biochemistry
University of Missouri - Columbia
Columbia, MO05.2014
Skills
- Data Modernization
- Public Health Interoperability
- Process Development and Streamlining
- Project Management
- Grants Management
- Interpersonal Communication
- Epidemiology
- Statistical Analysis (SAS, SQL, SPSS, STATA, Python, Tableau)
- Health Information Technology (HL7, FHIR, CDA, XML, JSON, CSV)
- Public Health Surveillance Systems (WebSurv, EpiTrax, ShowMeVax, REDCap, MOVDRS, PRAMS, MOCHAPS, BRFSS, YRBSS, YTS, MCR)
- Data Exchange Standards (Meaningful Use, TEFCA, USCDI, CMS Promoting Interoperability)
Timeline
Bureau Chief
Missouri Department Of Health And Senior Services
06.2022 - Current
Senior Epidemiologist
Missouri Department Of Health And Senior Services
09.2021 - 06.2022
Epidemiologist
Missouri Department Of Health And Senior Services
09.2019 - 09.2021
Associate Epidemiologist
Missouri Department Of Health And Senior Services
07.2018 - 09.2019
Project Specialist
Missouri Department Of Health And Senior Services
05.2018 - 06.2018
Graduate Research Assistant
University Of Missouri
01.2018 - 05.2018
Public Health Intern
Lafayette County Health Department
05.2017 - 12.2017
Patient Care Technician
University Of Missouri Hospital
05.2011 - 06.2018
Masters of Public Health - Health Promotion & Policy
University of Missouri - Columbia
Bachelor of Science - Biochemistry
University of Missouri - Columbia
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