SEARHC

Managing Dentist - Pediatric

AK - Juneau Full time
Provides overall clinical leadership for the Pediatric Dental Program in close partnership with the Medical Director of Dental Services. Serves as the senior clinical authority for pediatric dentistry across SEARHC, including the Children’s Dental Clinic in Juneau and the consortium-wide field program that delivers intermittent specialty services to communities. Functions as the clinical deputy to the Medical Director for all matters involving pediatric dentistry, including policy development, scope-of-practice review, clinical standards, and specialty protocols.

Leads the planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of pediatric dental services, including direct and contracted resources. For the Pediatric Dental Department, provides clinical supervision and oversight for pediatric dentists, dental therapists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants, ensuring effective assessment, training, onboarding, evaluation, and calibration of clinical team members. Engages staff by planning, assigning, directing, and evaluating work and by supporting pediatric quality, safety, CAMBRA, and specialty program standards division-wide.

Collaborates closely with the System Director of Dental Operations and operational partners to support day-to-day clinical flow and clinic operations of the pediatric practice, offering guidance and direction to staff and maintaining high-quality pediatric patient care systems. Provides direct patient care, including field travel, and supports continuity of pediatric specialty services through coordination with internal and external partners.

SEARHC is a non-profit health consortium which serves the health interests of the residents of Southeast Alaska. We see our employees as our strongest assets. It is our priority to further their development and our organization by aiding in their professional advancement.

Working at SEARHC is more than a job, it’s a fulfilling career. We offer generous benefits, including retirement, paid time off, paid parental leave, health insurance, dental, and vision benefits, life insurance and long and short-term disability, and more.

Shift Details

  • 4/10s

Key Essential Functions and Accountabilities of the Job

Responsible for guiding and achieving strategic goals and metrics set forth by the Medical Director of Dental Services and/or System Director of Dental Operations.   

Leads pediatric oral health quality initiatives, ensuring alignment with ADA, AAPD, and/or Dental Quality Alliance benchmarks for preventive care, disease management, and patient experience. 

Develops, monitors, and communicates pediatric-specific quality metrics across SEARHC, such as caries risk management, fluoride varnish rates, sealant rates, and recall adherence. 

Promotes division level communication and education on regular basis (i.e.: quarterly). 

Provide oversight for all team members assigned to the Children’s Dental clinic including resolving employee concerns, encouraging teamwork, oversight of the disciplinary process, conducting standing meetings to promote communication, and performing annual performance reviews for assigned employees. 

Provide clinical supervision to all dentists, dental therapists, dental hygienists and dental assistants assigned to the Pediatric Dental Program. 

Support training, standard setting, calibration, and onboarding related to the Pediatric Dental Department of new consortium-wide clinical staff, including dentists, DHAT’s and hygienists. 

  • Participate in new certification and recertification for dental therapists.

  • Develop and support clinical remediation plans when deemed necessary.

  • These tasks may occur as part of a structured pediatric onboarding curriculum, skills verification checklists, behavioral guidance and anxiety management orientation, and training in pediatric emergency management.

 

Support Training, standard setting, calibration, and onboarding of new dental assistants 

  • Creates and maintains items, evaluations, competencies, rubrics and other items specific to the dental assistant career ladder. 

Serve as clinical advisor and consultant for all things related to pediatric dentistry. 

Collaborates with internal and external partners (e.g., Bartlett OR, private practitioners, Dental Operations, and referring providers) to support continuity of pediatric specialty services. 

Ensures clinic and field travel schedules are coordinated and aligned with patient care needs (scheduling performed by administrative or operations staff). 

Maintain standards for pediatric chart reviews for FPPE, OPPE, and on-going quality metrics for dental specialists, and the entire dental team. 

  • Ownership of pediatric-specific quality measures  

  • Monitoring, trending, and corrective action planning  

  • Pediatric sedation safety quality oversight  

  • Caries risk management implementation, calibration, and consistency 

  • Peer review, chart audit oversight, and QI cycles  

  • Incident review participation related to pediatric care 

Leads structured staff meetings, ensuring clear agendas, effective facilitation, accurate documentation and minutes, and follow-up action tracking. 

Provide direct patient care, including 10 weeks of field travel. 

Provides expert consultation on systems planning, including operatory standards, division-wide pediatric equipment selection, pediatric workflows, and specialty referral pathways. 

Performs additional duties as assigned.

Education, Certifications, and Licenses Required

  • DDS or DMD degree from a dental school accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation

  • Certificate/Degree from an accredited pediatric dental specialty residency program

  • Active Dental License in the USA.  Alaska license is preferred within 2 years.  Exceptions available for active duty USPHS.

  • American Board of Pediatric Dentistry Certification or board eligibility is required.

  • BLS/CPR or higher

Experience Required

  • 5+ years of work experience as a dentist and/or dental specialist.

  • 2+ years of management experience preferred.

  • 2+ years of work within tribal practice preferred.

Knowledge of

  • In-depth knowledge in a health care administration setting including staffing and clinic organization, scheduling, and patient flow.

  • Should have a working knowledge of the revenue cycle, facilities management, and other infrastructure areas impacting the clinic.

  • Knowledge of applicable certification and accreditation processes.

  • Knowledge of liability and risk management principles.

  • Working knowledge of proper infection control techniques

Skills in

  • Clinical dental skills

  • Accurate clinical judgment

  • Administrative, supervisory, and organizational skills.

  • Interpersonal skills including cross-cultural sensitivity.

  • Oral and written communication ability

  • Friendly communication skills during stressful situations and ability to maintain composure

  • Exceptional customer service skills

  • Leadership and mentorship skills

Ability to

  • Ability to manage clinic operations

  • Ability to direct dental clinic staff

  • Ability to mediate and resolve conflict.

  • Ability to provide leadership and foster collaboration.

  • Ability to recruit and retain qualified staff.

  • Computer application skills

  • Ability to organize, prioritize tasks, and complete projects

  • Ability to use judgment and make decisions in an independent manner

Required Certifications:

If you like wild growth and working with happy, enthusiastic over-achievers, you'll enjoy your career with us!