CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: $70,000-$80,000

Position Summary

Works under the direction of the Director of Radiation Safety of the Division of Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology and, administratively, to the Director of Clinical Operations, General Dentistry; educates and supervises students in radiographic technique and associated topics; educates patients on radiation safety and the significance of accurate radiographic images in dental care; performs all radiographic duties associated with acquisition, processing, submission for interpretation, and archiving of all dental imaging modalities, as requested by referring clinician and consistent with practice guidelines.

Responsibilities

• • Educates and supervises students in radiographic technique and associated topics, including but not limited to head and neck clinical and radiographic anatomy, patient positioning, examination techniques, equipment protocols, radiation safety, and patient care.
  • Educates patients on radiation safety and the significance of accurate radiographic images in dental care.
  • Understands and checks radiographic prescriptions for appropriateness based on clinical information provided.  All questionable prescriptions are communicated to the in-clinic radiologist for final approval.
  • Performs correctly all types of intraoral, extraoral, and advanced dental imaging, namely bitewing, periapical, panoramic, cephalometric, and CBCT imaging, after training by the Director of Radiation Safety of the Division of Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology.
  • Positions patients correctly and selects appropriate imaging settings to ensure best case imaging, based on the College’s Standard Reference on Image Technique and Quality, and all current standard practice protocols of the American Dental Association and the American Academy of Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology.
  • Offers concise explanation of imaging procedure to patients and answers their questions on x-ray risk, safety, procedures, and equipment clearly and correctly.
  • Places surgical guides and dental-related appliances correctly inside patients’ mouths as needed for imaging.
  • Observes patient while in the imaging area for changes in status, and identifies and corrects problems as appropriate, with all critical occurrences reported to the in-clinic radiologist.
  • Images the prescribed anatomic region completely, correctly, and efficiently.
  • Mounts and processes all acquired imaging in electronic format correctly and efficiently.
  • Judges diagnostic quality of all acquired imaging and makes necessary corrections with consent from the in-clinic radiologist prior to submission for interpretation.
  • Ensures all documentation pre- and post- imaging are complete.
  • Assists students in image technique, image quality assessment, and associated documentation, as necessary to ensure patient workflow efficiency.
  • Performs radiography- and radiology-related duties as assigned, including but not limited to: clerical responsibilities associated with acquisition, processing, duplicating, and archiving of patient records and radiologist reports, import and export of imaging into and out of the clinical management system and electronic health record, mounting external images received from outside offices, and provision of any requested imaging-related material to faculty, residents, and students of the College of Dental Medicine for academic and research purposes, with approval from the in-clinic radiologist.
  • Operates, troubleshoots, and maintains x-ray equipment on a daily basis, including but not limited to being the first-line support for all x-ray related hardware and software technical issues, working with Radiology Information Technology (IT) to resolve issues, as well as checking and maintaining instrument inventory and distributing supplies.
  • Maintains logbooks with x-ray equipment performance data; performs quality assurance; maintains records for and participates in quality assurance inspection.
  • Conforms to all applicable HIPAA, OSHA, Infection Control, Safety, and Billing Compliance guidelines.
  • Other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Requires a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in education, training, and experience, plus three years of related experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Must be able to remain calm in stressful situations, display courtesy and empathy towards patients, students, coworkers, and dentists. 
• Must be able to make sound judgments, execute the appropriate actions based on the needs of patients and knowledge of divisional policies and procedures.  Must be able to take all necessary steps to ensure efficient workflow.
• Excellent communication skills and maintain confidentiality per HIPAA guidelines.

Other Requirements

• Successful completion of the National Board Dental Hygiene Examination and the American Board of Dental Examiners (ADEX) Clinical Dental Hygiene Examination
• New York State Licensure as a Registered Dental Hygienist (RDH)
• 1 to 3 years’ prior experience in dental x-ray imaging
• Occasional heavy lifting of physically compromised patients, accessories, and supplies associated with all intraoral, extraoral, and advances x-ray machines.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

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