04/21/1997 33925

ORAL HEALTH PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR

DEFINITION: This is highly responsible administrative and consultative work in oral health on a statewide basis.

The employee in this class is responsible in the central office for a statewide program of preventive dental health and oral health services. Work involves the promotion of community water fluoridation, development and implementation of policies, procedures, and standards pertaining to preventive dental health and the responsibility for analyzing and evaluating existing statewide oral health programs for the purpose of improving or expanding services. Duties include the interpretation of policies and procedures for school dental hygienists, nurses, school administrators, and governmental officials; providing consultation in planning, developing, and approving district oral health and preventive dental services programs; and providing consultation to the Department of Education on public school dental hygienist certification and to other departments with dental programs on matters pertaining to their
programs. The employee maintains extensive contact with professional groups at all levels to explain, promote, coordinate, and provide consultative services for any and all statewide programs pertaining to oral health. Technical direction is provided to community health district staff in planning and developing school or other oral health programs. Work is assigned in the form of goals and objectives and; employees work with considerable independence in the planning and developing of oral health programs. Work is reviewed by an administrative superior through conferences and analysis of reports.

EXAMPLES OF WORK: Plans, develops, coordinates, implements and evaluates the statewide oral health and preventive dental health services program in the central office.

Contacts lay and professional groups and other departments in the state to promote an understanding and acceptance of preventive measures through dental health education.

Develops policies, procedures, standards, and guidelines for the oral health and preventive dental health services programs.

Interprets policies and procedures for district personnel, school dental hygienists, nurses, school administrators, and governmental officials.

Evaluates the effectiveness of school dental service programs and mandated dental examination programs.

Provides assistance to district professional staff on planning and conducting in-service training and workshops for school dental hygienists and nurses; also plans, develops, and conducts in-service training programs on dental health for nurses and psychiatric aides in state schools and hospitals and health personnel in nursing homes and homes for the aged.

Plans, develops and provides consultation for educational prevention programs for pre-school children in early childhood education centers; plans, develops, and provides consultation with district professional staff for educational programs for adults and children in well baby clinics, expectant parent classes and senior citizens groups.

Provides consultation and recommendations to school nurses and administrators in upgrading the mandated dental examination program.

Consults with Department of Education and school administrative personnel on certification of public school dental hygienists.

Provides consultative services to other departments with dental programs.

Plans, develops, initiates, directs, and evaluates statewide demonstration projects of preventive dental health.

Provides consultation on oral health matters to professional and lay organizations.

Advises bureau directors, district professional staff, professional and lay organizations, and other interested groups of recent developments in oral health and of the implications to public health in general.

Prepares educational materials for use in school district oral health programs, child health conferences, and early childhood education centers; also, reviews and recommends the purchase of dental health films, teaching materials and other dental audio-visual aids.

Meets with Commonwealth, school district and early childhood development officials to explain departmental rules and regulations, procedures for program plan development and revision, and reimbursement for dental programs rendered.

Reviews and analyzes district activity reports to determine work being performed, program trends and program effectiveness.

Employees in this class may participate in the performance of their subordinates work consistent with operational or organizational requirements.

Performs related work as required.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: Knowledge of the principles, practices, and current developments in the field of oral health.

Knowledge of oral health and its relationship to public health.

Knowledge or preventive dental procedures.

Knowledge of the School Code of 1949 and subsequent amendments, particularly those portions which apply to the operation of public school dental hygiene programs.

Knowledge of the principles, practices, methods, and materials of statewide health education and their relationship to oral health.

Knowledge of the principles of consultative, supervisory, or administrative services.

Ability to obtain necessary transportation during working hours in order to visit the various work sites, as required.

Ability to plan, develop, coordinate, implement and evaluate statewide oral health and preventive dental health services programs.

Ability to administer a multi-faceted statewide dental program including components in dental hygiene education, school dental hygiene, fluoride supplement projects, and the like.

Ability to provide technical supervision, advice, consultation, and training to personnel in the operation and administration of statewide dental programs.

Ability to work with bureau directors, public health consultants, deputy secretaries, and program officials from other departments to integrate the components of a statewide program with a comprehensive statewide oral health and preventive dental health programs.

Ability to plan, organize, and conduct formal in-service training programs and workshops in the methods and techniques of teaching dental health education to community health nurses, school administrators, dental hygienists, teachers, nurses, individuals, and public or private groups.

Ability to plan, implement, review, evaluate, and recommend changes in fiscal and other components of a statewide oral health program.

Ability to promote favorable public relations and work effectively with statewide organizations of the handicapped, the aged, lay and professional groups, the general public, and other employees.

Ability to explain the fundamentals of preventive dental health care and oral hygiene to both large and small groups on a statewide basis, as well as individuals.

Ability to maintain or coordinate the maintenance of statistical records pertaining to oral health and to interpret the significance and impact of these statistics for statewide program planning.

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING: Five (5) years of professional experience in the practice of dentistry, including two (2) years of administrative experience.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENT: Possession of a license to practice dentistry issued by the Pennsylvania State Board of Dentistry.