Today@Sam Article
University Contact Tracing Project Offers New Job Opportunities
Nov. 19, 2020
SHSU Media Contact: Emily Binetti
11/19/20 Update - New job openings available:
To help contain and control COVID-19 many states have turned to enhanced contact tracing initiatives. In Texas, Sam Houston State University is collaborating with Texas State University System campuses and communities to recruit people in support of the statewide contact tracing program.
In coordination with the Texas Department of State Health Services’ Texas Health Trace initiative, SHSU is hiring approximately 200 people to serve as Case Investigators and Epi Leads. Team members will work remotely to track COVID-19 cases across the state.
SHSU’s Office of Research & Sponsored Programs along with the university’s Center for Community Engagement will oversee the hiring, training and daily activities of the contact tracing workforce according to Chad Hargrave, associate vice president of the ORSP.
“Contact tracing is essentially detective work,” Hargrave said. “Working remotely, tracers notify and monitor others who have come in contact with infected people. They also help arrange quarantines to prevent further transmission of the virus while ensuring high levels of privacy and security.”
Many of the positions currently available are part-time jobs with work options on weekends and evenings, making it an ideal way for students to earn an income from home while pursuing a degree. Additionally, community members interested in working remotely with flexible hours may be attracted to these opportunities.
Working on behalf of the TSUS, SHSU’s system-wide effort will leverage the geographic expanse of the TSUS, capitalizing on existing partnerships and relationships between component institutions (Lamar University, Sam Houston State University, Sul Ross State University and Texas State University) and local communities. These connections between institutions and their communities are expected to maximize recruiting and help meet staffing demands of the statewide contact tracing effort.
As the need for COVID-19 contact tracing continues to surge in Texas, SHSU plans to move swiftly in filling all open contact tracing workforce positions. Those interested are encouraged to apply immediately.
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