Director- Dental

At UC Health, we're proud to have outstanding teams and clinicians collaborating toward our common purpose: to advance healing and reduce suffering.
As the region's adult academic health system, UC Health strives for innovation and provides world-class care for our community and patients from across the region and beyond. The Freeman Center Dental Clinic represents an opportunity to expand access to high-quality dental care for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and other patients who may face significant barriers to receiving dental care in traditional settings.
 

The Dental Director will provide the strategic, clinical, and operational leadership needed to develop, launch, and grow the Freeman Center Dental Clinic. This role is responsible for establishing the clinical program, developing care models and workflows, providing and overseeing high-quality dental services, building relationships across UC Health and the community, and creating a sustainable program centered on accessible, patient-focused dental care.
This position is dedicated to the Freeman Center Dental Clinic and does not include leadership responsibility for the Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) program.

UC Health is an EEO employer.

Position Summary
The Director of the Freeman Center Dental Clinic provides strategic and clinical leadership for the development and operation of the Freeman Center dental program.
The Director will lead the creation of a comprehensive dental program designed to meet the oral health needs of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and other patients requiring additional support to successfully receive dental care. The Director will establish clinical services, workflows, policies, quality standards, and interdisciplinary partnerships while helping develop a model of care that improves access across the continuum from routine outpatient dentistry to more complex care.
In addition to providing clinical dental care, the Director will serve as the program's clinical leader, working collaboratively with UC Health leadership, Freeman Center programs, physicians, nursing, anesthesia, operating room services, community partners, caregivers, and other healthcare professionals.

Leadership, Program Development, and Growth

• Provides strategic and clinical leadership for the development, implementation, and ongoing operation of the Freeman Center Dental Clinic.
• Develops the clinical model, goals, standards, policies, protocols, and procedures necessary to provide safe, effective, and patient-centered dental care.
• Identifies opportunities to improve access to dental services for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and other patients who experience barriers to traditional dental care.
• Leads the development of clinical pathways that support patients with varying levels of medical, behavioral, physical, and accessibility needs.
• Works with UC Health and Freeman Center leadership to establish short- and long-term priorities for the dental program.
• Develops partnerships with internal departments, community organizations, caregivers, referring providers, and other stakeholders to strengthen access to dental services.
• Represents the Freeman Center Dental Clinic at internal and external meetings and serves as an advocate for improving access to oral healthcare.
• Participates in grant development, philanthropic initiatives, and other opportunities that support the growth and sustainability of the program.

Clinical Practice and Quality

• Provides comprehensive general dentistry services appropriate to the patient population, including diagnosis, preventive dentistry, periodontics, restorative dentistry, prosthodontics, endodontics, and oral surgery.
• Examines patients, diagnoses dental and oral conditions, develops individualized treatment plans, and provides or coordinates appropriate treatment.
• Develops patient-centered approaches that account for medical complexity, developmental disabilities, behavioral needs, communication differences, mobility limitations, caregiver involvement, and other factors affecting successful dental treatment.
• Establishes appropriate pathways for patients requiring additional support to complete dental treatment.
• Coordinates specialty referrals and interdisciplinary care when treatment needs exceed the scope of the clinic.
• Promotes prevention and oral health education tailored to patients, families, caregivers, and support teams.
• Ensures accurate and complete documentation of patient evaluations, treatment plans, clinical encounters, and care provided.
• Promotes continuous quality improvement, patient safety, and evidence-based clinical practice.
• Ensures dental services comply with applicable federal, state, and local requirements and professional standards.

Interdisciplinary and Complex Care Coordination

• Works collaboratively with physicians and other healthcare professionals to integrate oral healthcare into the broader care of Freeman Center patients.
• Develops effective referral and consultation pathways between the dental clinic and other UC Health services.
• Supports coordination of care for patients whose medical, behavioral, or functional needs require multidisciplinary planning.
• Collaborates with anesthesia, perioperative services, nursing, and other clinical teams when patients require dental treatment in a hospital-based or procedural setting.
• Helps establish processes for transitioning patients between routine outpatient dental care and more complex treatment environments when clinically appropriate.

Operations and Financial Stewardship

• Provides clinical leadership for the day-to-day operation of the Freeman Center Dental Clinic.
• Participates in staffing plans, equipment selection, technology implementation, supply planning, facility development, and other operational needs of the program.
• Works with administrative leadership to develop and monitor operating budgets and capital needs.
• Supports appropriate coding, documentation, billing, and revenue-cycle processes.
• Monitors clinical access, patient flow, quality, program growth, and operational performance.
• Identifies opportunities to improve workflows, reduce barriers to care, and use clinical resources effectively.
• Supports development of a financially responsible and sustainable model for special care dentistry.

People Leadership and Program Culture

• Participates in recruitment and selection of dentists, hygienists, dental assistants, and other team members supporting the Freeman Center Dental Clinic.
• Provides clinical direction, mentorship, and leadership to members of the dental team.
• Helps establish roles, responsibilities, clinical expectations, and team-based workflows.
• Builds a culture emphasizing dignity, inclusion, patient safety, teamwork, accountability, and excellent patient and caregiver experiences.
• Promotes professional development and continuing education related to special care dentistry and treatment of patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Required

• Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS) or Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) degree from an accredited dental school.
• Current or eligibility for appropriate dental licensure in the State of Ohio.
• Active DEA registration as applicable to clinical responsibilities.
• Current Basic Life Support (BLS) certification.
• Demonstrated ability to provide comprehensive general dentistry and manage patients with complex dental treatment needs.
• Strong clinical judgment and knowledge of contemporary dental diagnosis, treatment planning, preventive dentistry, restorative dentistry, and oral disease management.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with patients, families, caregivers, clinical staff, physicians, and other healthcare professionals.
• Demonstrated leadership skills and ability to develop clinical programs, processes, and standards.

Preferred

• Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification.
• Completion of an ADA-accredited AEGD or GPR program or other advanced clinical training.
• Experience providing dental care to adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities, medically complex patients, or other special healthcare needs.
• Experience with special care dentistry, hospital dentistry, sedation, or dental treatment performed in an operating room or procedural setting.
• Leadership experience within a dental practice, academic health system, hospital-based dental program, or other complex clinical environment.
• Experience developing or expanding clinical programs.
• Experience with budgeting, regulatory compliance, quality improvement, grants, philanthropy, or dental practice operations.
• Experience collaborating across medical, surgical, anesthesia, nursing, or other healthcare disciplines.