This position serves as the Lead Dental Assistant at the James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital and Clinic. Works with the supervisor or Dental Service Chief to monitor and make work assignments, provide input on performance, resolve daily workplace issues, and maintain efficient flow of patient care. May approve brief periods of leave, provide training to staff dental assistants, students and/or trainees; may recommend special advancements and promotions, disciplinary actions, etc.

Duties

Lead Major duties: Serve as a work leader, assuring the work assignments of employees in the unit are carried out. Coordinate daily dental assistant work assignments at the start of the shift and throughout the day as the need arises. Obtain assistance from the supervisor as needed for major issues or problems which arise. Participate in the management of dental supplies to assure adequate stock levels and appropriate storage. Serve as a liaison between the scheduler and the dentist to maintain efficient and productive use of the dentists' patient care time and minimize missed opportunities. Make written instructions, reference materials, and relevant background material available. Report to the supervisor on individual performance, progress, and training needs of employees, and on performance problems. Customer Service: Shows courtesy, respect, and a positive attitude for patients, co-workers and the public. Provides assistance to customers with questions or concerns, provides service recovery. Chairside Assisting: Keep operative field clear of debris and retracts oral tissues effectively and comfortably. Accomplish all intra-operative procedures within standard infection control protocols. Assist in specialized dental procedures, such as oral surgery, endodontics, periodontics, prosthodontics, implant placement and restoration. Maintain both routine and specialty dental equipment per manufacturer instructions and dental service standards. Dental Imaging: Expose both standard and specialty dental imaging (i.e. TMJ, ceph, cone beam) in traditional and/or digital formats. Image are characterized by diagnostic quality, accurately oriented and exposed. Imaging requests are accomplished within the desired time frame. Share comprehensive working knowledge of imaging techniques and provides instruction to others. Infection Control and Equipment Sterilization: Demonstrates proper infection control procedures in setting up and cleaning operatories. Properly prepares instruments for transfer to SPD for sterilization. Works closely with SPD to ensure availability of instruments so that clinical care is not delayed. Clinical Appointment Management: Assist in filling gaps in the doctor's schedule due to late cancellations and failed appointments. Work closely with HAS to ensure all scheduling requests are completed in a timely manner. Advanced VistA, Computerized Patient Record System and Dental Records Manager capability. Receive, assign and manage all service level patient complaints and patient advocate complaints to ensure a prompt resolution. Information Management: Maintain patient confidentiality per HIPAA with written and verbal information. Patient Safety: Modifies care as necessitated by patient's age and abilities (patient transfer and position). Participates in patient identification and time out per Joint Commission requirements. Monitors patient condition during treatment, being alert for signs of physical distress. Employee Education: Complies with Employee Education requirements Complete mandatory annual safety training sessions Direct Patient Care: Monitor patient vital signs (BP, pulse, pulse oximeter) and condition during invasive treatment and during recovery period following procedure. Makes impressions for diagnostic casts and preliminary impressions for prosthetic fabrication. Provides patient preventative education and oral hygiene instruction. Provides post-operative and other appropriate patient education. Work Schedule: Monday thru Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 70193F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Not required

Requirements

Qualifications

Applicants pending the completion of educational or certification/licensure requirements may be referred and tentatively selected but may not be hired until all requirements are met. Basic Requirements: Citizenship. Citizen of the United States. (Non-citizens may be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified candidates in accordance with chapter 3, section A, paragraph 3g, this part.) Experience and Education Experience. Six months experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work, or provides familiarity with the work. OR, Education. Successful completion of a 1-year dental assistant program accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on [Dental] Accreditation [(CODA)].Experience/Education Combination. Equivalent combinations of experience and education are qualifying. Certification. Public Law 97-35 requires that persons who administer radiologic procedures meet the credentialing standards in 42 CFR Part 75. Essentially, they must have successfully completed an educational program that meets or exceeds the standards described in that regulation, and is accredited by an organization recognized by the Department of Education, and be certified as radiographers in their field. (DOCUMENTATION REQUIRED) Provisions for Certification of Radiologic Competence Successful completion of the Dental Radiation Health and Safety Examination administered by the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc.; OR, Successful completion of the Principles and Practice of Dental Radiology and Radiographic Safety courses and examinations developed by the Assistant Under Secretary for Health for Dentistry. OR, Successful completion of a radiation health and safety program or examination approved by a state board of dentistry or the Department of Defense (DoD). Certification in basic life support methods is highly desirable. Certification by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB). (REQUIRED) Loss of Credential. An employee in this occupation who fails to obtain licensure/certification/registration within the required time frame, or who fails to maintain the required licensure/certification/registration must be removed from the occupation, which may also result in termination of employment. May qualify based on being covered by the Grandfathering Provision as described in the VA Qualification Standard for this occupation (only applicable to current VHA employees who are in this occupation and meet the criteria). Grandfathering Provision. [All persons employed in VHA in this occupation on the effective date of this qualification standard are considered to have met all qualification requirements for the title, series and grade held, including certification [(for positions above the full performance level)] that are part of the basic requirements of the occupation. For employees who do not meet all the basic requirements required in this standard, but who met the qualifications applicable to the position at the time they were appointed to it, the following provisions apply: 1. Such employees may be reassigned, promoted up to and including the full performance (journey)level, or [changed to lower grade] within the occupation, but may not be promoted beyond the journey level or placed in supervisory or managerial positions. Such employees [MUST] meet the [certification]requirement before they can be promoted to those higher grade levels. 2. Employees who are appointed on a temporary basis prior to the effective date of the qualification standard may not have their temporary appointment extended or be reappointed, on a temporary or permanent basis, until they fully meet the basic requirements of the standard. 3. Employees initially grandfathered into this occupation, who subsequently obtain additional education and/or licensure/certification/registration that meet all the basic requirements of this qualification standard must maintain the required credentials as a condition of employment in the occupation. 4. If an employee who was retained [ ] under this provision leaves [the] occupation, the employee loses protected status and must meet the full VA qualification standard requirements in effect at the time of reentry to the occupation. Grade Determinations:GS-7 Lead Dental Assistant Experience. At least 1 year of experience at the next lower grade level that demonstrates the core competencies described at that level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs: a. Advanced knowledge of dental assisting across multiple areas of practice, and demonstrated ability to provide guidance to staff dental assistants. b. Skill in coordinating clinical work flow and assignments. c. Ability to assist in dental program development, outcome management, and strategic planning. d. Skill in acting as liaison between staff dental assistants and the supervisor. e. Ability to provide professional oversight and consultation for staff dental assistants. Assignment. The Lead Dental Assistant works with the supervisor or Chief Dental Service to monitor and make work assignments, provide input on performance, resolve daily workplace issues, and maintain efficient flow of patient care; may approve brief periods of leave, provide training to staff dental assistants, students and/or trainees; may recommend special advancements and promotions, disciplinary actions, etc. Assignments at this level include but are not limited to: provides instruction to other assistants in achieving diagnostic quality radiographs, provides instruction in maintenance of all dental service equipment, provides primary support to the chief for the daily delivery of department programs, reporting, staffing and scheduling, coordinates the patients' care plans to reduce redundancies and delay in patient treatment. Lead Dental Assistants generally would be found in Complexity Level 1 (High Complexity) or Complexity Level 2 (Medium Complexity) facilities, or in facilities of lesser complexity levels where large dental services are found. Individuals may perform ancillary assignments, including program management duties on an occasional basis. Preferred Experience: Two years of experience as a Lead Dental Assistant is desired. Certification by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB) REQUIRED. Certification in basic life support methods ishighly desirable. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/46 PART II APPENDIX G36 The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-06. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is a GS-07. Physical Requirements: See VA Directive and Handbook 5019.

Education

IMPORTANT: A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Contacts

• Address James A Haley Veterans Hospital 13000 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard Tampa, FL 33612 US
• Name: Paula Velez
• Phone: 708-953-6248
• Email: [email protected]