Dental Assistant

Dental Assistant And Mobile Dental Unit Driver

The position is a hybrid role of a Dental Assistant (DA1) and mobile dental unit driver at The University of Chicago Medicine (UCM) Dental Research Study Clinic. The DA1 is an entry level position responsible for chairside assisting to dental providers providing dental care to patients at the University of Chicago Medicine (UCM) Dental Research Study Clinic at its main campus in Hyde Park as well as other study sites, including mobile dental units. The job will also provide driving services and operations support to the CHeSS Program in Oral Health mobile van and related University facilities. Using proficiency learned from on-the-job experience, operates, inspects, maintains, and repairs vehicles, including trucks, buses, and vans. Under a limited degree of supervision, delivers and transports people, supplies, records, and materials.

Responsibilities include:

• Helping patients feel comfortable before, during, and after dental treatment.
• Preparing patient for dental treatment by welcoming, comforting, seating, and draping patient.
• Scheduling clinical appointments with patients in person and over the phone.
• Asking about the patient's medical history, blood pressure, and pulse.
• Documenting measurements and treatments in the electronic dental record.
• Positioning and passing instruments for dentist's access.
• Suctioning patient saliva and debris during treatments.
• Maintaining patient confidence by keeping information confidential.
• Providing patients with instructions for oral self-care following dental treatments.
• Teaching patients appropriate oral hygiene strategies to maintain oral health; (e.g., tooth brushing, flossing and nutritional counseling).
• Providing information to patients and employees by answering questions and requests.
• Preparing treatment room for patient by following prescribed procedures and protocols.
• Adhering to infection control and sterilization procedures and prepare instruments and equipment.
• Providing instrumentation by working with Central Sterile Processing to sterilize and deliver instruments to treatment area.
• Maintaining safe and clean working environment by complying with procedures, rules, and regulations.
• Maintaining dental supplies inventory by checking stock to determine inventory level; anticipating needed supplies; placing and expediting orders for supplies; verifying receipt of supplies.
• Supporting, facilitating and coordinating daily study activities while working with investigators and other staff.
• Educating patients about study procedures to be performed, the study visit schedule, what to report between and during visits, and the risks and benefits of the procedures.
• Planning and coordinating the schedule for study non-clinical visits and activities.
• With guidance from study protocols, investigators, and staff, conducting screening and informed consent for potential study enrollees, administering study questionnaires/surveys with study enrollees, collecting intraoral images of study enrollees.
• Protecting patients and data confidentiality by ensuring security of research data and personal health information and compliance with federal regulations and sponsor protocols.
• Preparing for or participating in quality assurance audits under supervision or following specific protocol procedures.
• Participating in study-related documentation, such as protocol worksheets, procedural manuals, adverse event reports, institutional review board documents, or progress reports.
• Recruiting participants for other clinical research studies.
• Providing services at UCM Dental Research Study Clinic as well as affiliated study sites including mobile dental units across Chicagoland area, including on regular evening and weekend shifts.
• Driving the mobile unit to community locations, events and healthcare institutions in and around Chicagoland.
• Preparing mobile unit for deployment, ensuring supplies are stocked and setting up at each location insuring proper positioning and safe access for research participants.
• Taking down of the same set up at the end of the shift and returning mobile unit and supplies back to the Hyde Park Campus.
• Ensuring routine mobile unit maintenance for mechanical and safety issues are kept up to date according to service schedule.
• Completing and maintaining mobile unit inspection checklists, which includes a pre-trip inspection checklist, and an exterior/interior inspection checklist of the mobile unit before leaving any site.
• Participating in POH projects as assigned, including participant engagement, participant experience and process improvement projects from inception through planning and implementation.
• Conducting performance improvement initiatives, such as participating in interdisciplinary improvement teams.
• Ensuring that exam rooms are fully equipped and setup prior to research participant rooming and rooms the patients in coordination with the POH research team.
• Engaging participants, checking them in/out, and providing research support once vehicle is parked in the community.
• Assisting with planning and scheduling of community event logistics with community engagement coordinator as well as helps promote a safe experience for staff and participants.
• Adhering to established standard work and utilizing identified communication tools to ensure a consistent and exceptional research participation experience.
• Under a moderate degree of supervision, providing transportation services to University executives and dignitaries.
• Operating, inspecting, cleaning, maintaining, and repairing vehicles, including trucks, buses, and vans.
• Ensuring mobile units and vans are in compliance with all safety regulations: i.e. air flow functioning properly, hand sanitizer stations, proper emptying of the waste tank, etc.
• Assisting with and performing various administrative and operational tasks as assigned under direct supervision.
• Acquiring and applying knowledge of clinical studies to collect analyzable clinical research data and/or samples.
• Performing other related work as needed.

Minimum qualifications include vocational training, apprenticeships or the equivalent experience in related field (not typically required to have a four-year degree). Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through < 2 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Preferred qualifications include experience as a dental assistant, handling administrative tasks, and maintaining a dental office. Research experience. Previous customer service experience; especially in transportation services. Passenger endorsements with knowledge of routine maintenance/service experience a plus.

Preferred licenses and certifications include Dental Assisting National Board's Certified Dental Assistant certification. Valid commercial driver's license (CDL A or B) from a US state. Valid CDL.

Technical skills or knowledge include full knowledge of oral health clinical practice including visual identification of oral health disease and adversity, minor and major ailments. Learn and use ICE dental EMR, REDCap, Epic EMR, MouthWatch software, and Dexis software. Familiarity with general business practices. Learn and complete processes of research study participant recruitment. Learn processes and complete processes of administering questionnaires for survey-based research. Read and understand complex documents, e.g. protocols. Handle confidential information with utmost discretion and in compliance with HIPAA guidelines.

Preferred competencies include work independently and as part of a team. Commitment to providing a high level of service and high degree of professionalism. Attention to detail. Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills. Communicate with tact and diplomacy. Absorb large amounts of information quickly. Handle multiple tasks simultaneously and under tight deadlines. Strong analytical and organizational skills.

Application documents include Resume/CV (required) and Cover Letter (required).