Dental Assistant Lead

At Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center, we honor all members of our community and acknowledge the dignity of each person we serve. Our purpose is to provide high quality, comprehensive primary health care to the communities of Washington and Yamhill counties with a special emphasis on migrant and seasonal farm workers and a view to removing barriers to health care. We strive to provide an environment that welcomes and values the people we employ and serve.

If you are unsure whether you meet all the required qualifications for this role but are interested and passionate about this potential position, we encourage you to apply.

Job Summary: The Lead Dental Assistant will provide accountability of the daily operations of the dental assistants at their clinic site, with supervision and support from the Dental Operations Manager. As a dental member of a multi-disciplinary team, the lead DA will perform delegated clinical and administrative duties within the supervising provider's scope of practice consistent with the DA II education, training program, and demonstrated competency. The lead DA will be expected to model a friendly, supportive courteous, cooperative and professional relationship with providers, co-workers, supervisors and patients. This role will perform standard dental assisting duties as outlined in the DA II Job Description and travel and fill in at other VG Dental sites as needed.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

· Perform standard Dental Assisting duties as outlined in the DA II Job Description

· Delegation of Dental Assistant duties amongst DA team and accountability for duties being completed (ex: annual, monthly, weekly and daily maintenance, spore testing, water testing, etc.)

· Oversee maintenance schedule for autoclaves, Hydrim, compressor, amalgam separator and other equipment directly related to patient care on a weekly/monthly/quarterly basis (or as appropriate to the item)

· Ensure awareness of, and compliance with, all Quality Assurance/Infection Control regulations as relevant and applicable to Dental Assistants and delegate responsibilities amongst DA team

· Subject matter expert for Epic back-office workflows/pt. care

· Point of contact for completing purchase orders and receiving

· Coordinate oversight of students on·site, be a site buddy for new dental assistants/students rotating through dental sites

· Will be the point person for OSHA/HIPAA inspections as well as the Dental representative at our regularly scheduled safety meetings

· Help with regulating staff breaks/lunches

· Monitor that staff are adhering to their work schedule

· Identify areas that may need manager intervention

· Work closely with Dental Assistant Trainer to provide insight to update Dental Assistant workflows as needed

· Help maintain training manual for new DAs with DA Trainer

· Point of contact for instrument/sterilization repairs

· With support from the Dental Operations Manager, the Lead Dental Assistant will be responsible for providing staff feedback to ensure successful 1:1's with DAs

· Participate in monthly staff meetings- provide updates, needed refreshers/reminders

· Work with DA trainer and Dental Clinical Leadership to help identify areas where additional training may be needed for DAs

· Communicate with other lead DAs via Microsoft Teams to share products, ideas, and issues

· Complete 8 hours of CE related to Dental assisting annually using CE budget available

· Admin time will be allotted for these tasks and any required meetings

· Handle protected health information (PHI) in a manner consistent with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).

· Valid driver's license, reliable transportation, safe driving record and insurance coverage required.

· Perform other duties as assigned.

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HIPAA Requirements:

The Lead Dental Assistant (EFDA/EPDA) has access to PHI to create and maintain an accurate and up-to-date health record. Applying the minimum necessary standard of HIPAA, the designated record sets to which this employee will have access include all sections of the dental and medical record, patient demographic information in the practice management system, incoming records, reports, results, consultations, etc. The [position title] should read the content of these records only to the extent needed to accomplish the assigned task (e.g. filing or disclosure).

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:

• Must have excellent teamwork skills, and possess the ability to communicate both verbally and in writing.
• Knowledge of OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standards and adherence to safety rules and standards
• Skill in operating x-ray equipment and other common dental assisting armamentarium
• Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions and procedure manuals
• Ability to keep accurate and legible records
• Ability to work effectively with dentists, co-workers and patients
• Possess the verbal skill sets necessary to deal effectively with patients, providers, and employees, and embrace continuous practice and improvement of these skills
• Possess the knowledge of modern office equipment, systems, and procedures required to fulfil this position.
• Proficiency with Microsoft office suite (Word, Excel, Outlook)
• Ability to be culturally sensitive and to relate to people of varied racial, educational, and socio-economic backgrounds
• Valid Oregon driver's license, reliable transportation, safe driving record and insurance coverage required
Ability to work with patients who have limited knowledge of dental home care and treatment.

Education and Experience Required:

• High School Diploma or equivalent
• Three (3) or more years of experience as a Dental Assistant 2 (EFDA) at VGMHC.
• Valid certificate of Expanded Functions Dental Assistant (EFDA) or Expanded Preventive Dental Assistant ( E FPDA) issued by the Oregon State Board of Dental Examiners
• A valid certificate of radiology proficiency issued by the Oregon State Board of Dental Examiners
• Sealant certification completed, required. Intermediate proficiency preferred.
Basic Life Support (BLS)/Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certification required, or ability to obtain within 30 days of hire

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Behavioral Competencies:

Physical Requirements:

· Sitting: up to 75%

· Standing: 25%

· Walking: 25%

· Use of Computer: 25%

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Ability to Lift/Carry up to 30 lbs.

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Working Environment/Physical Hazards:

· Work in well-lighted, ventilated environment.

Exposure to blood borne pathogens and potentially hazardous chemicals.

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Travel Required:

Yes. May travel to other dental sites as needed

Job descriptions represent a general outline of the essential and major job duties, functions and qualifications required. They cannot be all-inclusive and comprehensive due to the dynamic nature of work performed to accomplish VGMHC's Mission.