JOB SUMMARY:

Under the direction of the Chief Operations Officer, the Dental Clinic Operations Manager provides administrative oversight for multiple dental clinics at the El Dorado County Community Health Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC). The manager oversees the operational efficiency and strategic coordination of dental services across multiple dental sites. This role ensures seamless integration of dental operations with organizational objectives, focusing on multi-site management, resource allocation, and performance optimization. The Dental Operations manager collaborates with the Chief Operations Officer, Dental Director, Chief Clinical Officer, and Dental Office Supervisors to support clinical and administrative excellence while ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. The Dental Clinic Operations Manager will help align dental services with broader health center objectives.

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Clinic Operations Management:

Oversees the operational performance of dental services at all dental sites, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives and patient care standards.
Develops and implements standardized operational workflows across sites to enhance efficiency, reduce variability, and improve patient access to dental care.
Monitors key performance indicators such as patient visit volumes, wait times, confirmation rate, and operational costs, and implements strategies to meet or exceed targets.
Coordinates with Dental Office Supervisors to ensure consistent staffing levels, equipment availability, and supply chain management across all sites.
Oversees the equipment management process to ensure that all clinical and non-clinical equipment is properly maintained and repaired as needed; ensures that all equipment-related activities are properly documented.
Facilitates cross-site communication to share best practices, address operational challenges, and promote a unified approach to dental service delivery.
Create and enforce standardized policies and procedures across clinics to enhance efficiency and comply with regulations.

Staff Leadership and Development:

Guide Dental Office Supervisors on operational management, distinct from their daily staff and patient scheduling duties.
Oversee recruitment, hiring and orientation of new dental staff, ensuring updated job descriptions for new hires.
Work with Supervisors to conduct annual performance evaluations and develop individualized staff development plans.
Develop training programs for staff on compliance and efficiency.
Conduct regular meetings with supervisors to review performance metrics and address operational challenges.
Partner with the Dental Director to support staff training on best practices and technology.
Manage disciplinary processes and resolve escalated staff issues, supporting supervisors in maintaining team morale.

Collaboration and Community Engagement:

Provide leadership and mentorship to Dental Office Supervisors, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Acts as a liaison between dental operations and other departments, such as finance, human resources, and information technology, to support integrated care delivery.
Collaborate with the Dental Director to ensure operational support for clinical initiatives, such as tele-dentistry or community outreach programs.
Partner with the Dental Director and COO to implement consistent clinical protocols and quality standards across clinics.
Coordinate with the Dental Van Coordinator to optimize dental van utilization, ensuring effective outreach to rural and underserved areas.
Engage with internal departments, including primary care and behavioral health, to develop interdisciplinary care models for holistic patient care.
Build and maintain partnerships with community organizations, schools, local health departments, and other stakeholders to promote oral health education, increase access to dental services, and address community health disparities.
Represent the dental program in community events to advocate for resources.

Quality Improvement and Compliance:

Ensures all dental sites comply with operational regulations, including those related to facility management, safety, and waste disposal, in coordination with the Dental Director’s clinical compliance efforts.
Implements and monitors quality improvement initiatives focused on operational processes, such as patient flow, appointment scheduling, and billing accuracy.
Oversees the dental billing and collections process, working with Billing Department to ensure timely and accurate claims and coding.
Conducts regular site audits to assess operational performance, identify gaps, and implement corrective actions.
Ensure clinics comply with federal, state, and local regulations, including HRSA, HIPAA, OSHA, Dental Board of California through regular audits and policy updates.
Works with the Dental Director and the Chief Compliance Officer to oversee the resolution of escalated patient complaints and incident reports, ensuring timely, professional responses per EDCHC’s policies, and analyze trends to prevent recurrence.
Prepare and present comprehensive reports on key performance indicators, such as patient satisfaction, clinic productivity, and financial metrics, to the Dental Director and Chief Clinical Officer, recommending actionable improvements.
Ensure staff training on compliance updates and quality improvement processes, coordinating with Dental Office Supervisors to maintain consistent standards across clinics.
Monitor adherence to infection control protocols, ensuring regular reviews and updates to align with DBC, CDC, and OSHA guidelines.

Financial and Performance Management:

Assists in developing the annual dental department budget.
Contributes to setting financial and productivity targets for the dental program, including annual patient visits, revenue per visit, procedures per visit, and visits per provider.
Generates regular reports to track dental productivity metrics, such as number of visits, procedures performed, and provider-specific activity, to evaluate performance against goals.
Monitors payer mix to ensure it supports the financial sustainability of the dental program, adjusting strategies as needed.
Conducts regular meetings (weekly or monthly) with dental staff to review progress toward departmental goals and address operational or financial challenges.
Closely monitors systems integrating front office, providers, and billing to optimize scheduling, eligibility documentation, co-pay and outstanding balance collection, prior authorizations, dental charting, encounter documentation, and claims submission/reconciliation processes.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Knowledge of:

Healthcare operations in an FQHC or community health center setting
Regulations governing dental clinics, including HRSA, OSHA, DBC, and Medi-Cal
Patient-centered care and multi-site clinic management
Budget management and grant compliance
Cultural competency for underserved populations
Principles of personnel training, supervision, evaluation, and corrective action

Skills in:

Leading diverse teams to meet organizational goals
Communication with staff, patients, and community partners
Problem-solving in a fast-paced environment
Analyzing data for performance improvement
Managing multiple projects and tasks

Ability to:

Develop policies to enhance operations and care
Provide proactive, positive, and professional leadership
Collaborate and work respectfully and effectively with clinical team, patients, and administrative leaders
Communicate both orally and in writing in a professional manner
Adapt to changing priorities
Maintain compliance with regulatory standards

QUALIFICATIONS

Experience:

Three years minimum supervisory experience in dental outpatient clinics, community health centers, or dental office
Multi-site management and team leadership experience preferred
Computer literacy required with Microsoft Office and experience with utilization of electronic practice management and electronic health record systems required

Education:

High School Diploma or equivalent require
Bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration, business administration, or public health preferred
Diploma or Certificate of Completion from a Dental Assisting Education Program or Graduate of Registered Dental Hygienist accredited program preferred
Valid, unrestricted Registered Dental Hygienist or Registered Dental Assistant California License preferred
Ability to obtain BLS certification

Physical Requirements:
Normal health center/interior office, dental van, and clinic environment. Occasional outdoor marketing events. Communicate, discern, detect, walk or move about, sit and/or stand for long periods of time, reach, stoop, bend, lift up to 50 lb. Requires repetitive hand movement; use and view a computer; use of dental tools and equipment, also operate fax, copier, and telephone. Ability to observe and work with patients in the clinic setting. Ability to drive and operate a car.

El Dorado Community Health Centers

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Dental Clinic Operations Manager