Careers

School Clinic Dental Assistant

Primary objective is to provide direct patient services at the school clinic located on site at the San Felipe Elementary School

Job Description:

Primary objective is to provide direct patient services at the school clinic located on site at the San Felipe Elementary School, Head Start, and other community locations to ensure essential dental and medical services are provided to the school age population of the Pueblo of San Felipe.  The incumbent will assist and work closely with the School Clinic Dental Hygienist in dental procedures. The incumbent will be a member of the health care team, which is dedicated to ensuring health care service access to all tribal members. This is a community-based position that focuses on assisting the providers and clinicians of the school-based health center clinic to promote wellness and increase community knowledge of disease prevention. Incumbent will be responsible for supporting providers and patients through a variety of tasks related to dental and medical patient care management, organization, and communication.

Duites:

Dental Essential Duties: 

• Performs all routine and advanced chair side dental assisting functions under the direction of the School Clinic Coordinator in accordance with the Pueblo of San Felipe Tribal Administration, New Mexico Dental Board and the Indian Health Service contract.
• Under direct supervision of the Collaborative Dental Hygienist: applies agents, dental sealants, and performs coronal polishing.  
• Under direction of the School Clinic Coordinator: orders necessary supplies and keeps dental/medical clinic/operatory properly stocked at all times, ensures clinic/operatory area are clean and in operative condition.  Properly sterilizes instruments and complies with OSHA and IHS standards.   Takes intra and extra-oral radiographs. 
• Under direction of the School Clinic Coordinator:  coordinates equipment maintenance for San Felipe School Health Clinic and Head Start Program.
• Performs all and any dental services with which employee was trained and licensed to perform under the New Mexico Dental Board and Indian Health Service contract.
• Patient education regarding treatment plan and services that are diagnosed by the examining Dentist.
• Provides patients and parents with instructions for oral care following any dental treatment procedures.
• Utilizes Dentrix & medical software to create new patient charts, make appointments, and to update patient information as needed.
• Answer incoming phone calls, and makes appropriate dental appointments for patients.

Clinic Essential Duties:

• Assists school-based health center clinic with answering phones, calling patients, faxing forms, answering patient questions, and any other office duties as needed.
• Makes and updates patient charts, files paperwork, and informs licensed staff of calls that require follow up with patients.
• Greet patients and confidentially check them in for appointments with their scheduled provider as well as obtaining signatures on required forms and consents.
• When necessary, will rotate and fill in for school health assistants in front desk, back office, and third assistant duties that appropriately fall in scope of practice.
• Addresses patients, visitors, and co-workers in a pleasant and respectful manner; displays courtesy at all times.
• Maintain health office organization, order supplies, and make copies as needed. 
• Taking patient medical histories, documentation of history, relaying pertinent information to provider.
• Obtaining patient vital signs appropriately as trained and providing data to provider for further follow up.
• Preparing exam and treatment room with necessary equipment as well as prepare patients for examination and treatment procedures.
• Assisting provider during examinations and procedures to include completing tasks as delegated within scope of practice.
• Provide patient education instructions and handouts as instructed by provider.
• Communicate with medical, dental and behavioral health care providers regarding student health needs.
• Contacting parents when a treatment consent is necessary but not on file and ensuring a witness is able to co-sign telephone consents as needed at the school-based health center clinic.  
• Review all paperwork submitted by patients for completion and signatures before submitting to providers.
• Provide patients with updated consent forms, required documents for appointment completion, and any necessary forms for services provided for the patient visit. 
• Contacts families of patients in need of medical appointments, dental appointments, and immunizations and scheduling the needed services.
• Document patient visits appropriately on printed and electronic forms per education and certification scope of practice.
• Onsite when Child Find, Registration, and Immunization events are occurring to ensure accuracy with data, consents are completed, education information is provided to families, and assistance with smooth flow of events.  These events may take place at clinics, schools, and community settings.
• Assists providers with health education classes including planning, set up, interpretation of health and wellness information, clean up, and program evaluation. 
• Assists providers with maintaining health programs that are culturally appropriate and align with the community values, customs, and traditions. 
• Completes medical, dental, or behavioral health continuing education annually to ensure awareness of current health care trends to help support best practices in providing services.
• Per the school-based health center clinic cleaning guidelines, complete required cleaning and disinfecting processes to ensure compliance with infection control.
• Other duties and responsibilities as required.

*Note* This position description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties performed by this employee. He or she will be required to follow any other instructions or to perform any other duties requested by his or her supervisor.

Qualifications:

Education:  HS Diploma or equivalent preferred.  Successful completion of a dental assisting education program that meets or exceeds credentialing standards.

Experience/Basic Knowledge: Prefer one (1) year of dental assisting experience.

Required Licenses/Certifications:  

• Valid driver’s license 
• Currently Certified Dental Assistant in New Mexico or National Dental Assistant Certification (DANB) (Renewed as necessary to stay current)
•  New Mexico Radiology Certification (Renewed as necessary to stay current)
• Current CPR Certificate and renewed every two (2) years to stay current
• OSHA, Blood borne Pathogens course completion certificate and HIPPA course completion certificate (must be obtained within 30 days of hire and completed annually thereafter)

Physical Requirements: Must have manual dexterity to enter and retrieve data from a computer. Ability to sit and stand for long periods. Bends and stoops regularly.  Lifting and carrying is necessary to set up equipment for special events, clinics and teaching programs. The position may require driving to other sites and community members homes for home visits.

Preferences: San Felipe Preference, AI/ NA, and/or Veteran’s Preference.

Background Check:  Must be able to pass the Bureau of Indian Affairs Background Check in addition to San Felipe tribal background check.

Reasoning Ability:  Able to apply reasonable judgement to carry out instructions in written, oral, or diagram form, to the appropriate level of training.  Able to maintain strict confidentiality concerning patient information based on Federal, State, and Tribal laws, regulations, and polices.  Release of confidential information to unauthorized individuals or parties is grounds for immediate termination.

Working Conditions:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those required by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job.

Predominately works in school clinic, San Felipe Elementary School or Head Start program

Flexibility in work location is expected due to working in various locations within the Pueblo of San Felipe, dependent on the needs of the community

Work in community settings may be required at times to include home visits and community events

Sits for long periods of times

Exposure to outside weather in all seasons in necessary to meet requirements to be at clinics, schools, and homes.

Travel is often on unimproved roads.

Frequent exposure to communicable diseases, body fluids, toxic substances, medicinal preparations, radiation, and other conditions common to a clinical environment are encountered.

May work after hours, weekends, or community events

The medical Working Conditions: Works in office. Sits for long periods of time and types. Frequent exposure to communicable diseases, body fluids, toxic substances, medicinal preparations, radiation and other conditions common to a clinical environment may routinely be encountered.

May work after hours, weekends, or events

Additional Info:

The medical work environment requires maintaining a professional appearance as well as protecting staff and patients from infection.

Clothing should fit well and allow for proper range of motion.

Scrubs or business casual clothing is acceptable.

Dirty, stained, wrinkled, frayed, and faded scrubs or other clothing are not acceptable.

Shoes should be close-toed, no flip flops or sandals should be worn.

Hair should be pulled back, secured or covered to ensure that it does not impede patient care.

Heavy perfumes, aftershave, or other strong smells are not acceptable as they may irritate patients with sensitivities. 

Uniforms or clothing should not be worn again without washing them to ensure patients and employees are safe from infection and cross contamination.

Jewelry should be kept to a minimum to avoid injury as it may get caught on something and it can also harbor germs.

Fingernails should be clean and trimmed. 

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