• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: $82,000-$88,000

Position Summary

The Community Dental Health Coordinator (CDHC) will work under the supervision of a licensed dentist in compliance with local state laws. The CDHC promotes health by providing education, leadership, as well as preventative services to support underserved communities. CDHCs are typically members of the community where they serve and are trained to integrate information about oral health and overall health into the community’s own language, culture and value system, thus reducing many of the barriers to health services.

Under the general supervision of a dental director at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine or a designee licensed dentist, the purpose of the Community Dental Health Coordinator (CDHC) is to deliver high quality patient centered care and to assist underserved populations by connecting them to health care delivery systems through their roles as liaisons between patients, physicians, dentists, community health centers, and other social service agencies within the community. CHDC’s goal is to also perform community outreach and directly provide dental education and some preventative dental services. The CDHC addresses many of the social determinants of health through providing information, education, access to resources and assistance with patient navigation – with a focus on delivering easily understandable, age-appropriate and culturally sensitive coordination of care, and supporting a diverse patient population exhibiting a range of health care needs.

Responsibilities

The Community Dental Health Coordinator (CDHC) will be responsible for, but not limited to:

• Collaborate with community leaders to develop oral health initiatives
• Collaborate with organizations such as head starts, senior facilities, and school-based clinics
• Identify potential emergent dental care needs
• Develop referral recommendations for patients needing care from dentist and physicians
• Develop oral preventive recommended for approval by supervising dentist   
• Collect information to assist dentists in triaging patients
• Address social, environmental, and health literacy issues
• Provide dental health education and help people develop goals to enhance their oral health
• Coordinate care in accordance with a dentist's instructions
• Help patients navigate the complexities of the health care system
• Provide limited clinical services, including oral hygiene education, tobacco cessation, screenings, fluoride treatments, placements of sealants, coronal polishing, and radiographs
• Collect Health data including medical and dental histories, dental health screening and assessment (data collection), monitor vital signs, and dental charting
• Provide Administrative Support, including:
  • Collaborate with community partners, including phone management and communication skills
  • Coordinate telehealth screenings
  • Coordinate mobile dental van activities across multiple community partner sites and programs
  • Assist the dental director and his/her designee in managing day to day community engagement activities for CDM
  • Verify insurance eligibility
  • Build a productive patient schedule
  • Maintain flexibility regarding scheduling changes, communicating changes to patients, and team members
  • Coordinate the completion of all necessary paperwork (i.e. patient charts, referrals, appointment cards, welcome packets and treatment plan forms) as part of the pre- and post-visit in accordance with legal, risk management and regulatory compliance, i.e. HIPAA Consents, department of education/department of health consents for care, parent engagement information packets 
  • Prepare for submission any relevant reports for grant applications
  • Timely preparation and reporting of all community partnership activities (e.g. annual Manhattanville project reporting)
  • Make appointments and manage recall systems
  • Attend and participate in team meetings
  • Maintain supply inventory
  • Operate business equipment, including computers
  • Complete and process appropriate reimbursement papers
  • Other related duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in education and experience, plus four years of related experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Registered dental assistant or registered dental hygienist.
• Fluent in Spanish
• Social work background/experience is a plus.

Other Requirements

• Minimum of two years’ experience in dental office environment.
• Principles of business letter and report writing experience.
• Intermediate level of Microsoft Word, Excel and email systems.
• Ability to maintain quality, safety, and/or infection control standards.
• Skilled in all dental insurances, billing and business operations a plus
• Demonstrate and promote superior customer service skills.
• Aptitude to understand Dental terminology and treatment planning.
• Epic Dental Software Program or other clinic patient information system experience.
• Maintain professional demeanor in stressful and taxing environments.
• Maintain confidentiality of materials and information.
• Manage time, organize duties and assignments, and set priorities to meet multiple deadlines.
• Must be able to multi-task and work under pressure with minimal supervision.
• Demonstrate effective and professional written and verbal communication skills with all constituents.
• Demonstrate strong attention to detail.
• Demonstrate problem solving and follow-through skills.
• Demonstrate ability to be flexible and accommodating with changes that happen upon short notice.
• Work independently and as part of a team.

*Completion of CDHC training within 18 months of employment is mandatory. Employer will cover tuition expenses associated with the training. Training hours, if necessary to accommodate during the work-day, up to 7 hours per week, will be covered by the employer for 12 months. However, any training hours outside of normal business hours, such as evening classes, must be a personal commitment of the employee.  

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

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