Maternal Health Mentor

Title: Maternal Health Mentor
Reports To: Manager of Maternal & Reproductive Health
Location: Ranomafana, Madagascar
Percentage Effort: Full-time
Key Words: Global health, clinical mentorship, maternal & reproductive health,
health system strengthening
Start Date: August to October 2021, flexible to candidate availability
Expected Commitment: 1 year

Organizational Profile

PIVOT (www.pivotworks.org) is a global health care NGO guided by the principle that all people have intrinsic worth and deserve to live healthy and productive lives. As a social justice organization working in a setting of extreme poverty and disease, PIVOT’s core objective is to address social inequity by advancing universal access to quality healthcare, while working within the government health care system to create a model for district health care that can be used across the country of Madagascar. Since 2014, PIVOT has partnered with the government of Madagascar to strengthen the health system and create a model health district in Ifanadiana district, adjacent to Ranomafana National Park and 11 hours from the capital. The district has a catchment area of 200,000 people, more than 75 percent of whom live in extreme poverty. In its initial years, PIVOT had largely focused on the 6 most accessible communes in the district. The primary objective for 2021 is to ensure the expansion of PIVOT programmes to all areas of the district regardless of accessibility.

PIVOT collaborates directly with the Madagascar Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) to strengthen a district hospital, 22 health centers, and community health programs. The model is advanced across three major components: 1) facility readiness (e.g. infrastructure, supply chain, personnel), 2 integrated clinical programs (e.g. maternal and child health, malnutrition, tuberculosis), and 3) data systems and research. Currently, PIVOT is a 225-person organization with 7 international staff in Madagascar, and a small support team based in the U.S.

Position Overview

• Mentorship and clinical education of doctors, midwives and other health workers to improve quality of maternal and reproductive care at the community, primary and secondary levels. The aim is to transfer skills (rather than act as an extra human resource) so that improvements in quality of care are sustainable.
• Work closely with PIVOT and MOPH staff to improve and expand existing maternal health programs most notably including: cervical cancer screening; early identification, referral and management of high-risk pregnancies; and programmes to improve health centre delivery rates.
• There is also potential for proposing and designing new interventions based on observed needs. These proposals will need to be agreed upon by the deputy director for primary care and the medical director.
• Coordinate with other team members to expand maternal health services to remote areas of the district
• Collaborate with PIVOT and Ministry staff for the development of community and facility sensitization materials and development/improvement of clinical protocols related to maternal and reproductive health.

Key Relationships

• Reports directly to the manager for maternal and reproductive health (or the deputy director of primary care if the former position is vacant).
• Works closely with other relevant PIVOT staff, including but not limited to deputy directors (most frequently the Deputy Director of Hospital Care); managers (most frequently the manager for maternal and reproductive health), the Medical Director and the Associate Medical Director.
• Works closely with the ministry manager for maternal and reproductive care representative at the district office
• Works with ministry staff across all levels of the healthcare system.

Qualifications

• Qualified midwife or medical doctor with specialized training in obstetrics and gynecology (at least 3 years of post-graduate training in this specialty) or family medicine with relevant competencies (described below).
• Competent in: obstetric ultrasound, management of obstetric emergencies at primary and secondary care level, and basic procedures such as speculum examination for cervical visualization and biopsy.
• Post-graduate work experience, with a preference for experience in resource-limited settings.
• Experience managing clinical programs and providing direct clinical care for women and girls.
• Professional French language proficiency required including reading, writing and conversing – proficiency in English considered a plus.
• Malagasy language ability is considered an extraordinary asset, as is any substantial experience in Madagascar or working with the Malagasy public health system.
• Demonstrated commitment to global health, social justice and working in solidarity with the rural poor. It is critically important to believe strongly in the work PIVOT does, to advocate on behalf of the patients, and truly enjoy working to fulfill the mission of the organization in accordance with our values.

Requirements

• Commitment to living and working in rural Madagascar for 1 year.
• Ability to embrace Malagasy culture and customs with the goal of mentoring other Malagasy and international staff on high-quality clinical care for women.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Flexibility, patience, and ability to adapt to a rapidly changing environment.

Desirable assets

• Willingness to travel to remote parts of the district where modern amenities are limited for at least 1 week at a time.
• Willingness to learn basic Malagasy to improve communication with patients and health workers.