Be a part of the mission at Whitney Young Health (WYH) to provide high quality healthcare that is affordable and accessible to our diverse community.
WYH has a robust benefits package including generous time off, affordable health, dental and vision insurance, 401k with safe harbor employer match, tuition reimbursement, term life insurance, commuter benefits and more!
GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES:
Assists Staff Dentists with the treatment of Whitney Young Health (WYH) Dental patients. Please note, this a full-time position, 40 hours a week.
SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES:
· Receives, seats and prepares patients for dental treatment.
· Reviews the dental record to ensure that the record is in order and the appropriate radiographs are available.
· Ensures that appropriate instruments and materials are ready for use by the dentist.
· Prepare dental restorative and impression materials and anesthetic syringes
· Take an accurate blood pressure reading
· Accurately record (dental charting) on the dental record existing conditions and treatment to be done as per dentist direction.
· Properly screen urgent care and emergency walk-in patients and take necessary dental radiographs
· Utilize acceptable technical skills in assisting the dentist during all phases of treatment.
· Consistently prepares patient for dismissal, confirms future appointments, and reinforces instructions given by the dentist concerning post-treatment care and the use of medications.
· Prepare the operatory between patients using proper disinfection and infection control procedures and in a timely manner.
· Create a dental claim on eCW as instructed by the provider
· Consistently keeps the lab, dark room and sterilization area clean and orderly, using infection control procedures
· Consistently maintains Infection Control logs
· Appropriately maintains necessary supplies in the treatment area
· Use various dental and office equipment and follow preventive maintenance procedures for such equipment.
· Properly expose dental radiographs, process and mount the film.
· Properly disinfect and prepare soiled instruments for sterilization.
· Perform weekly maintenance and spore testing on the autoclaves as assigned.
· Operate the autoclave and sterilize the instruments.
· File and retrieve dental records.
· Pour study models.
· Perform backup reception duties as needed
· Seeks direction and guidance from dentist in performing their duties regarding patient care.
· Demonstrates excellence in both internal and external customer service.
· Understands and is able to effectively communicate HIPAA compliance, corporate compliance and client confidentiality.
· Ensures and/or remains in compliance with local, state, and federal regulation, i.e. DHHS HRSA and NYSDOH, and all accreditation standards (e.g. Joint Commission and NCQA-PCMH).
· Adheres to the National Patient Safety Goals as defined by the Joint Commission and Whitney M. Young Jr. Health Center.
· Completes other duties as assigned.
Requirements
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
High school graduate or equivalent. Promotional opportunities based on years of experience (i.e. Dental Assistant 0 = no experience; Dental Assistant 1 = 1 year of assisting experience; Dental Assistant 2 = 2+ years of assisting experience).
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Certified by accredited Dental Assistant Program plus one year experience as Dental Assistant.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other legally protected status.
Salary range: $20.50 - $25.00 hourly
Established in 1971, Whitney M. Young, Jr. Health Center, Inc. (WYH) is a community based, 501(c) 3 non-profit corporation that provides affordable, accessible primary and preventative medical, dental and addiction services to the uninsured, working poor and medically under-served people of the Capital Region. Whitney Young currently operates from eight physical locations in Albany, Troy and Watervliet, including school-based health centers in three Albany elementary schools. In addition, Whitney Young Health provides mobile dental services through Seal-a-Smile, a partnership with the Healthy Capital District Initiative (HCDI).
Whitney Young Health fulfills its mission and vision by offering comprehensive primary care services to all, from birth to old age, with special focus on chronic illnesses, prevention and early intervention. Particular emphasis is placed on reducing health disparities identified through the needs assessment and deployment of the chronic care model in the medical setting. The design of WYH's delivery model is patient centered addressing clinical symptoms as well as behavioral issues to achieve measurable outcomes. Recently, the National Committee for Quality Assurance recognized Whitney Young’s Troy and Albany Health Centers as Level III Patient-Centered Medical Homes.
Most of the 21,000 patients WYH serves annually are under or uninsured minorities living in poverty. Moreover, the conditions of high rates of unemployment and poverty; and the lack of health insurance cause higher rates of morbidity and consequent health disparities amongst Whitney Young’s target patient population.
Whitney Young Health works to alleviate barriers accessing care and augment its primary care services by providing transportation, translation, patient education, nutrition and case management services as well as by employing culturally diverse clinical and support staff.
