Chief Technician

Chief Technician

Working under the clinical direction of the Director of Radiation Safety in the Division of Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology and under the administrative direction of Director of Operations for General Dentistry in the College of Dental Medicine, the primary focus and duties include but are not limited to: educating and supervising students in radiographic technique and associated topics; educates patients on radiation safety and the significance of accurate radiographic images in dental care; performs all radiographic duties associated with acquisition, processing, submission for interpretation and archiving of all dental imaging modalities, as requested by referring clinician and consistent with practice guidelines.

Responsibilities

• Educates and supervises students in radiographic technique and associated topics, including but not limited to head and neck clinical and radiographic anatomy, patient positioning, examination techniques, equipment protocols, radiation safety, and patient care.
• Educates patients on radiation safety and the significance of accurate radiographic images in dental care.
• Understands and checks radiographic prescriptions for appropriateness based on clinical information provided. All questionable prescriptions are communicated to the in-clinic radiologist for final approval.
• Performs correctly all types of intraoral, extraoral, and advanced dental imaging, namely bitewing, periapical, panoramic, cephalometric, and CBCT imaging, after training by the Director of Radiation Safety of the Division of Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology.
• Positions patients correctly and selects appropriate imaging settings to ensure best case imaging, based on the College's Standard Reference on Image Technique and Quality, and all current standard practice protocols of the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology.
• Offers concise explanation of imaging procedure to patients and answers their questions on x-ray risk, safety, procedures, and equipment clearly and correctly.
• Places surgical guides and dental-related appliances correctly inside patients mouths as needed for imaging.
• Observes patient while in the imaging area for changes in status, and identifies and corrects problems as appropriate, with all critical occurrences reported to the in-clinic radiologist.
• Images the prescribes anatomic region completely, correctly, and efficiently.
• Mounts and processes all acquired imaging in electronic format correctly and efficiently.
• Judges' diagnostic quality of all acquired imaging and makes necessary corrections with consent from the in-clinic radiology prior to submission for interpretation.
• Ensures all documentation pre and post imaging are complete.
• Assists students in image technique, image quality assessment, and associated documentation as necessary to ensure patient workflow efficiency.
• Performs clerical responsibilities associated with acquisition, processing, duplicating, and archiving of patient records and radiologist reports, including but not limited to import and export of imaging into and out of the clinical management system and electronic health record, and provision of any requested imaging-related material to faculty, residents, and students at the College of Dental Medicine for academic and research purposes, with approval from the in-clinic radiologist.
• Operates and maintains x-ray equipment daily, such as checking and maintaining instrument inventory and distributing supplies.
• Maintains logbooks with x-ray equipment performance data; performs quality assurance; maintains records for and participates in quality assurance inspection.
• Conforms to all applicable HIPAA, OSHA, Infection Control, Safety and Billing Compliance guidelines.
• Perform other related duties and responsibilities as assigned/requested.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and at least three years of related experience or equivalent in education, training and experience or Master's degree and at least one-year experience.
• Successful completion of the Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) exam of the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB), or equivalent, such as certification in limited scope radiography.
• Certification as a Certified Dental Assistant (CDA), or equivalent, such as a Limited Medical Radiologic Technologist (LMRT)
• Dedication and willingness to do intraoral x-ray imaging.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience in all types of dental x-ray imaging, including intraoral, extraoral, and CBCT.
• Certification as a Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH).
• Certification as a Radiologic Technologist (RT).

Other Requirements

• Experience in teaching and training student healthcare providers.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.