Dentist (Assistant Chief)

Summary The primary purpose if the position: The assistant Chief Dentist, Dental Service serves as a practicing Dentist who performs a full range of professional dental procedures in connection with the treatment of commonly encountered dental diseases or dental health problems requiring standard corrective, restorative, or preventive measures. Learn more about this agency Duties The Assistant Chief, Dental Service shall be knowledgeable of all disciplines of clinical dentistry as listed below. The Assistant Chief should also possess the expertise and competency to perform their specific scope of practice defined through the medical center credentialing and privileging process. CLINICAL DUTIES a. Patient Care: Clinical Dentistry is the practice of prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases, injuries, and malformations of the teeth, jaws, and human oral cavity and its adjacent tissues and structures. It is comprised of the following disciplines. i. Oral Surgery is the dental discipline that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of oral conditions requiring surgical interventions including uncomplicated removal of teeth, recontouring of the alveolus, and other routine hard and soft tissue oral surgical procedures. ii. Prosthodontics is the dental discipline of making artificial replacements for missing parts of the mouth and jaw iii. Periodontics is the dental discipline that deals with diseases of the supporting and investing structures of the teeth including the gums, cementum, periodontal membranes and alveolar bone. vi. Endodontics is the dental discipline concerned with diseases of the pulp. v. Orthodontics is the dental discipline dealing with irregular alignment/relationship of he teeth/jaw and their correction. b. Infection Control and Equipment Sterilization i. Demonstrates proper infection control procedures ii. Completes annual mandatory Infection Control Training c. Information Management i. Maintains patient confidentiality per HIP AA with written and verbal information. ii. Protects printed and electronic files containing sensitive data in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act of 1974 and other applicable laws, federal regulations, VA statutes and policy, and VHA policy. iii. Protects the data from unauthorized release or from loss, alteration, or unauthorized deletion. iv. Follows applicable regulations and instructions regarding access to computerized files, release of access codes, etc., as set out in the computer access agreement. d. Patient Safety i. Modifies care as necessitated by patient's age and abilities (patient transfer and position). ii. Provides accurate and understandable instructions to patients. iii. Participates in patient identification and time out per Joint Commission requirements. iv. Monitors patient condition during treatment, being alert for signs of physical distress. Completes annual mandatory patient safety courses. e. Employee Education i. Complies with Employee Education requirements of 40 hours/year. ii. Completes mandatory annual safety training sessions per medical center policy. iii. Continuing Education will be identified, planned, supported, documented and validated for each Employee. ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES a. Is knowledgeable of and maintains Service compliance with a) VHA Handbooks and Directives, b) VISN Policies, c) Medical Center Memorandum and d) Service Policies and Procedures pertinent to dental clinic management. b. Is knowledgeable of regulatory requirements for VA dental residencies with an emphasis upon Resident Supervision. c. Is knowledgeable and capable for responding to Congressional inquiries regarding issues germane to the Dental Service. d. Is knowledgeable and in compliance with accreditation standards, including IG, Joint Commission, and other applicable survey/oversight entities. i. Is knowledgeable and in compliance with Safety and Environment of Care (EOC) standards and programs including the following: ii. MSDS Requirements iii. The Joint Commission EOC Standards iv. Disposal of Hazardous Wastes v. GEMS Program vi. Facility Emergency Preparedness Plan vii. Infection Control Guidelines for Dentistry including management of RME. This is a supervisory position that develops performance metrics for all provider classification to drive performance and to direct desired behavior. Work Schedule: Monday - Friday, 7:30am to 4:00pm Telework: Available, Ad-hoc Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Functional Statement #: 54072-F Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized Requirements Conditions of employment You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job. All applicants tentatively selected for VA employment in a testing designated position are subject to urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Applicants who refuse to be tested will be denied employment with VA. Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959. Must be proficient in written and spoken English. Subject to background/security investigation. Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents). Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Must pass pre-employment physical examination. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). Complete all application requirements detailed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1 or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest. Qualifications Basic Requirements: United States Citizenship: Non-citizens may only be appointed when it is not possible to recruit qualified citizens in accordance with VA Policy. Education: Degree of doctor of dental surgery or dental medicine resulting from a course of education in dentistry. The degree must have been obtained from one of the schools approved by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for the year in which the course of study was completed. Approved schools are: (1) United States and Canadian schools of dentistry listed by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), in the list published for the year in which the course of study was completed. (2) Schools (including foreign schools) accepted by the licensing body of a State, Territory, or Commonwealth (i.e., Puerto Rico), or the District of Columbia as qualifying for full and unrestricted licensure provided the licensure requirements include a written examination measuring science achievement and a performance examination measuring clinical competence. Residency or Comparable Experience: Completion of an approved residency program in general practice or specialty, or comparable experience as a dentist actively involved in treating medically compromised patients. Licensure and Registration: Dentists (Except Residents). Current, full, and unrestricted license to practice dentistry in a State, Territory, or Commonwealth of the United States (i.e., Puerto Rico), or in the District of Columbia. The dentist must maintain current registration in the State of licensure if this is a requirement for continuing active, current licensure. Residents (Independent and Integrated Programs). Graduates of approved United States and Canadian schools of dentistry must have a current, full and unrestricted license to practice dentistry in a State, Territory or Commonwealth of the United States, or in the District of Columbia before the second year of VA residency, or, for integrated programs, meet any licensure, registration or other equivalent requirements established for residents of non-VA hospitals with which the VA facility is affiliated for training purposes. The resident must maintain current registration in the State of licensure if this is a requirement for continuing active current licensure. English Language Proficiency: Dentists, including residents, appointed to direct patient-care positions must be proficient in spoken and written English as required by 38 U.S.C. 7402(d) and 7407(d). Dentists in leadership positions must demonstrate outstanding professional ability in the practice of dentistry or a dental specialty, and healthcare administration, as well as the ability to guide the development and implementation of programs within their respective domain. These would include, but are not limited to dental practice, professional standards, personnel issues, quality and performance improvement. In addition to the above, Dentists in these roles must demonstrate effectiveness coordinating and managing interdisciplinary collaboration with both internal and external stakeholders to optimize the care of patients under their purview. It is expected individuals in these roles serve on a full-time basis. Preferred Experience: Completion of a GPR, AEGD program or 5 years experience in dentistry. Experience with digital dentistry Experience in all aspect of general dentistry Familiarity with surgical procedures Knowledge of accreditation standards Leadership or Supervisor Experience Reference: For more information on this qualification standard, please visit https://www.va.gov/ohrm/QualificationStandards/. Physical Requirements: This position may require potentially long periods of continued Light lifting under 15 pounds, Light carrying under 15 pounds, Straight pulling for .5 hours, Pushing for 1 hour, Reaching above shoulder, Use of fingers, Both hands required, Walking for 1 hour, Standing for 4 hours, Repeated bending for 3 hours, Both legs required, Ability for rapid mental and muscular coordination simultaneously, Both eyes required, Depth perception, Ability to distinguish basic colors, Ability to distinguish shades of colors, Hearing (aid may be permitted). See VA Handbook and Directive 5019. Education Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/. United States and Canadian schools of dentistry listed by the Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA), in the list published for the year in which the course of study was completed. NOTE: If your school has changed names, or is no longer in existence, you must provide this information in your application. NOTE: If your school was accredited by CODA at the time of graduation but is no longer listed on the CODA website, you must provide documentation of accreditation with your application packet. Additional information This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies. This position is in the Excepted Service and does not confer competitive status. VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply. The health-related positions in VA are covered by Title 38, and are not covered by the Schedule A excepted appointment authority. If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. Expand Hide  additional information Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Benefits A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. Review our benefits Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.