Research Assistant - Institute

Who We Are

Point32Health is a leading not-for-profit health and well-being organization dedicated to delivering high-quality, affordable healthcare. Serving nearly 2 million members, Point32Health builds on the legacy of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Tufts Health Plan to provide access to care and empower healthier lives for everyone. Our culture revolves around being a community of care and having shared values that guide our behaviors and decisions. We’ve had a long-standing commitment to inclusion and equal healthcare access and outcomes, regardless of background; it’s at the core of who we are. We value the rich mix of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences of all of our colleagues, which helps us to provide service with empathy and better understand and meet the needs of the communities where we serve, live, and work.

We enjoy the important work we do every day in service to our members, partners, colleagues and communities. Learn more about who we are at Point32Health .

Job Summary

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute (HPHCI) is currently seeking a highly motivated individual to join a Division within the Department of Population Medicine (DPM; www.populationmedicine.org) as a Research Assistant. The DPM is jointly sponsored by Harvard Medical School and the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute.

The Research Assistant will join the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) project (https://echochildren.org/), a longitudinal research study exploring the effects of prenatal nutrition, neighborhood environments, and lifestyle factors on pregnancy and childhood health outcomes. We are enrolling pregnant persons, and their children once born, as part of a new study cohort.

The Research Assistant will recruit for, schedule, and conduct research visits with infants and children and their caregivers enrolled in our ECHO cohort. The Research Assistant will also be responsible for obtaining informed consent and performing data entry while following all research protocols and scripts. Evening and weekend hours, and some local travel, are required. This position requires excellent communication skills for work with research participants, and close collaboration with investigators and project managers both within HPHCI and with external institutions and collaborators.

Job Description

DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES – what you will be doing

• Perform study visits at our office and at participants’ homes. Obtain informed consent from study participants and carefully follow study protocols and scripts to collect data.
• Collect biospecimen samples from research participants and safely transport the samples to the lab. Obtain clinical data such as body measurements. Administer additional study assessments, questionnaires, and interviews.
• Communication with research participants including but not limited to recruitment; scheduling, confirming, and rescheduling appointments; performing research visits. Maintain a positive and accommodating relationship with study team and participants.
• Work collaboratively with study investigators and other staff, both at HPHCI and other institutions.
• Enter study data into Microsoft Excel or other databases.
• Attend weekly team meetings, project meetings and consortium-wide meetings as necessary.
• May coordinate outreach to targeted community for specific research.
• May administer questionnaires through personal interviews and record data and follow up as appropriate if additional documentation or clarification is needed.
• Perform out-of-the-box thinking, collaborate with others, and make a difference every day! Other duties and projects as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS – what you need to perform the job

EDUCATION, CERTIFICATION AND LICENSURE:

High School diploma or equivalent; Bachelor’s degree preferred.

EXPERIENCE:

• 1 year with related experience in a health care, research, or academic environment preferred. Experience with Microsoft Office, Word, and Excel required.

SKILL REQUIREMENTS:

• Capable of completing very detail-oriented tasks.
• Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Able to handle confidential and sensitive information discreetly.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with others, prioritize work, operate under tight deadlines, and meet deadlines.
• Ability to operate independently and with good judgment.
• Resilient, collaborative, flexible, innovative. Sp…