The Robert J. Dole VA Medical Center is seeking a highly qualified for a Supervisory Dental Hygienist position in Wichita, KS. **This announcement is open to all U.S. Citizens. . All applicants applying under this external announcement will be subject to Veteran's Preference. Current, permanent VA employees and employees of other Federal agencies, please apply to announcement number: CBSS-12648745-25-KS.*** 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.) Education. Applicants must possess an Associate degree or higher from an accredited dental hygiene program. The degree must have been obtained from an institution whose accreditation was in place for the year in which the course of study was completed. Approved programs are: Dental hygiene programs accredited by the American Dental Association's Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA). Education completed outside of the United States must be considered at least equivalent to that gained in CODA accredited United States programs and would enable the candidate to sit for the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination, which is administered by the Joint Commission on National Dental Examinations. Licensure. Applicants must be currently licensed to practice as a dental hygienist with a full, current, and unrestricted license in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States, or the District of Columbia. 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. Accredited dental hygiene programs contain curriculum addressing radiologic procedures which will meet the requirement for certification as dental radiographers. English Language Proficiency. Dental hygienists must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d), and 7407(d). Grade Determinations: GS-10 Experience. At least one year of experience at the next lower grade level, GS-09 that demonstrates the clinical competencies described at that level. Demonstrated Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA). In addition to meeting the KSAs for the GS-09 level, the candidate must demonstrate the following KSAs and demonstrate the potential to acquire the assignment-specific KSAs designated by an asterisk (*): Advanced knowledge of dental hygiene and/or dental assisting across multiple types of dental practice to provide guidance and training to dental auxiliary staff; Skill in coordinating clinical workflow and work assignments; Ability to develop policy, manage equipment requests and provide workload analysis in Dental Clinic operations; Demonstrated leadership and managerial skills, including skill in interpersonal relations and conflict resolution to deal with employees, team leaders, and managers; Ability to analyze clinically appropriate data and make recommendations to optimize quality, efficiency, performance, and productivity within service; and *Ability to perform the full range of supervisory duties which would include responsibility for assignment of work to be performed; competency assessments; performance evaluations; selection of staff; and recommendation of awards, advancements, and when appropriate, disciplinary actions. Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. The full performance level of this vacancy is GS-10. The actual grade at which an applicant may be selected for this vacancy is GS-10. Physical Requirements: Long periods of standing, walking, sitting, and bending are required. Pushing dental equipment and carts are necessary to deliver items to the operatory or procedure site. It is necessary to climb onto lifts to retrieve or store supplies, or to help the dentist carry out a surgical or dental procedure. Lifting of patients from gurneys or wheelchairs into the dental chair is required to position them for radiographs or dental examination and treatment. ["Robert J Dole VA Medical Center committed to Diversity and Inclusion. Together, we strive to create and maintain a working and learning environment that promotes professional growth and teamwork. We offer an inclusive, equitable, and welcoming environment where we celebrate our individual differences and unite as a team toward a common goal of providing outstanding service to our Nation's Veterans. The supervisory dental hygienist is responsible for the supervision, administrative management, and direction of dental auxiliary staff. They have full supervisory responsibility over a section or equivalent work unit; but may also be delegated full administrative and professional responsibility for planning and directing the dental auxiliary staff activities for the service or equivalent unit at an independent outpatient clinic. Supervisory dental hygienists' typical duties include preparing work assignments, monitoring clinical performances of dental auxiliary staff, conducting performance appraisals, and other clinical and administrative responsibilities to ensure that the mission of the service and the medical center has been satisfied. They ensure compliance with accrediting agency and regulatory requirements, establishes, and monitors the quality of the pre-analytical processes as part of the overall dental service quality management program, and assures corrective action is initiated as needed. They conduct orientation and competency assessments of assigned staff. They develop policies and procedures, manages document control, develop performance standards, position descriptions and functional statements, and are responsible for professional and administrative management of an assigned area to include budget execution. Supervisory dental hygienists maintain interdepartmental relations with other services to accomplish medical center goals. Patient Care 1. Sets up operatory for planned dental procedure and cleans dental unit for timely turnover. 2. Complies with patient identification, time-out and reusable medical equipment processes. 3. Possesses knowledge of medical treatment adjuncts and indications and ability to safely administer medicaments (e.g. local anesthesia and sulcular lavage) 4. Utilizes advanced medical assessment techniques (interviewing patients and evaluating clinical findings such as normal and critical lab values) and adapts treatment based on medical and psychological issues. 5. Handles instruments safely, accurately, and efficiently. 6. Takes and records vital signs, reviews medical history. 7. Charts oral conditions as indicated. 8. Assesses patient's medical, dental, anxiety/phobias, medications and comorbidities. 9. Assesses the impact of patient's medical and dental condition on maintaining oral health. 10. Recognizes age-related changes in individual patients, adapts patient environment, and maximizes patient's physical comfort. 11. Indicates use for and utilizes adjunctive diagnostic and therapeutic equipment safely (eg. sonic, magnetostrictive ultrasonic, and piezo ultrasonic scalers). 12. Provides safe and thorough prophylaxis, gross debridement, scaling and root planning, and soft-tissue curettage for complex periodontal and restorative cases. 13. Provides safe care for patients with complex medical/psychiatric issues. 14. Cleans dental prostheses, fixed and removable. 15. Applies appropriate topical fluoride solutions or varnishes. 16. Administers topical anesthetic agents 17. Administers local anesthesia 18. Applies desensitizing agents. 19. Performs routine maintenance of equipment components such as suction traps, water lines, etc. 20. Manages dental recall system, referring patients to the doctor for additional care when needed. 21. Manage consults per dental Chief's request by administratively complete, entering community care consults, and receiving class VI and class III consults. 22. Recommend OTC and prescription oral care products collaboratively with dental chief. b. Supervisory Duties 1. Possesses advanced knowledge of multiple types of dental practices for dental hygiene and/or dental assisting and utilizes knowledge to provide guidance to dental auxiliary staff. 2. Prepares work assignments, coordinates clinical workflow, monitors clinical performances of dental auxiliary staff, and provides workload analysis in Dental Clinic operations. 3. Analyzes clinically appropriate data and makes recommendations to optimize quality, efficiency, performance, and productivity within service. 4. Conducts performance appraisals and other clinical and administrative tasks to ensure dental service and medical center missions are satisfied. 5. Ensures compliance with accrediting agency and regulatory requirements. Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 08:00AM-4:30PM Telework: Not Available Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 000000 Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized"]
The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is the largest integrated health care system in the United States, providing care at 1,321 health care facilities, including 172 VA Medical Centers and 1,138 outpatient sites of care of varying complexity (VHA outpatient clinics) to over 9 million Veterans enrolled in the VA health care program. VHA Medical Centers provide a wide range of services including traditional hospital-based services such as surgery, critical care, mental health, orthopedics, pharmacy, radiology and physical therapy. In addition, most of our medical centers offer additional medical and surgical specialty services including audiology & speech pathology, dermatology, dental, geriatrics, neurology, oncology, podiatry, prosthetics, urology, and vision care. Some medical centers also offer advanced services such as organ transplants and plastic surgery.
