The Tennessee Valley Health Care System is recruiting for one full-time Dental Assistant. The incumbent will provide assistance to dentists, dental hygienists and expanded function dental auxiliaries (EFDA) to provide dental services to the veteran population enrolled at the Tennessee Valley Healthcare Systems, Nashville, Campus.

Duties

The dental assistant is an integral member of the dental treatment team and assists the dentist in many aspects of direct patient care and performs other clinical, dental laboratory and administrative/clerical functions independently of direct supervision. Duties include but are not limited to: Clinical. The dental assistant has the technical skills to provide support in general dentistry and all dental specialty disciplines such as Oral Surgery, Prosthodontics, Periodontics, Endodontics and Orthodontics. Dental Laboratory. Has a working knowledge of laboratory procedures, materials, and methods, including safety and proper handling of laboratory equipment. Administrative/Clerical. Is in compliance with all VHA, Medical Center and Service Directives, Memorandums and Policies. Effectively participates in staff meetings and service conference calls. Collaborates with dentists, dental hygienists dental laboratory technicians and schedulers in a manner that enhances coordination of patient care. Has knowledge and expertise in the use of the functionalities applicable to medical record documentation and patient management contained in both the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) and Dental Record Manager (ORM). Customer Service. Effectively communicates with the patient's assigned dentist, dental hygienist, dental laboratory technician and schedulers to facilitate and accomplishment needed dental care. The dental assistant's relationship with supervisors, co-workers, patients, visitors, and the general public is consistently courteous, respectful cooperative in nature, and overall contributes to the effective operation of the service. The dental assistant anticipates and avoids potential causes of conflict, and activity promotes cooperation among co-workers. Provides assistance to customers with questions or concerns and actively participates in service recovery. Patient Care. Follows standard operating procedures for all reusable medical equipment (RME) in use in the dental clinical area. Keeps patients informed of clinic delays. Directly communicates with patients when treatment will not commence within 20-minutes of the patient's scheduled appointment time. Provides patient with an anticipated time that the patient will be seen. Charts findings and treatment plans in Dental Record Manager. Completes electronic return to clinic orders using the Computerized Patient Record System. Captures and saves quality intra and extra-oral digital images. Computer Security. Protects printed and electronic files containing sensitive data in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974 and other applicable laws, Federal regulations, VA statutes and policy, and VHA policy. Follows applicable regulations and instructions regarding access to computerized files, release of access codes, etc. Assignment. The assistant will assist in the full spectrum of dental specialty procedures. He/She will be a user of both the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) and Dental Record Manager (DRM) functionalities. This includes entry of diagnostic findings, entry of planned procedures, capturing as well as storing digital images, placing return to clinic orders and completing IMED consent and Time-Out notes electronically. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:00am- 3:30pm Telework: Not available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 91067321 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: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Experience and Education (1) Experience. Six months experience that demonstrates the applicant's ability to perform the work, or provides familiarity with the work. OR, (2) Education. Successful completion of a 1-year dental assistant program accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). (3) 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. Provisions for Certification of Radiologic Competence: (a) Successful completion of the Dental Radiation Health and Safety Examination administered by the Dental Assisting National Board, Inc.; OR, (b) 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, (c) Successful completion of a radiation health and safety program or examination approved by a state board of dentistry or the Department of Defense (DoD). Non-certified applicants who otherwise meet the eligibility requirements for certification of radiologic competence may be given a temporary appointment as a graduate dental assistant under the authority of 38 U.S.C. § 7405 (a) (1) (D). Failure to obtain certification during that period is justification for termination of the temporary appointment. This will result in removal from the GS-681 series and may result in termination of employment. Certification by the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB). The American Dental Association (ADA) recognizes DANB as the national certification for Dental Assistants. DANB certification is not required, but highly desirable for the appointment of Dental Assistants up to and including the full performance level. English Language Proficiency. Dental assistants must be proficient in spoken and written English in accordance with chapter 2, section D, paragraph 5a, this part. 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). Grade Determinations: GS-6 (Full Performance Level) Experience. At least 1 year of experience equivalent to the next lower grade level that demonstrates the core competencies described at that level. In addition, the candidate must demonstrate the following technical KSAs: 1. Ability to identify normal oral anatomy. 2. Advanced knowledge of instruments, materials, and standardized dental procedures used in all phases of restorative, surgical, endodontic and periodontal care and procedures. 3. Ability to monitor and perform basic interpretation of vital signs. 4. Ability to independently provide procedure-specific patient education and appropriate referral of patient concerns to treating dentist. 5. Ability to capture standard and special dental images of good diagnostic quality in traditional or digital formats. 6. Ability to perform maintenance on dental equipment used for routine and specialty dentistry. 7. Ability to enter and retrieve data utilizing electronic dental records. 8. Ability to perform dental assistant-appropriate laboratory procedures. Preferred Experience: Specialized experience preferred. References: VA HANDBOOK 5005/46 APRIL 19, 2011 PART II APPENDIX G36 Physical Requirements: Work is performed in a clinical setting. Walking, standing, light lifting, typing, carrying, and bending may be required.

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 Tennessee Valley HCS - Nashville 1310 24th Avenue South Nashville, TN 37212 US
• Name: Barbara Wortman
• Phone: 2158235800
• Email: [email protected]