Who we are:  La Clínica de La Raza is a community-based health center committed to providing culturally appropriate, high-quality, and accessible health care to the diverse communities of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Cristo Rey de la Salle - La Clinica Work Study

Building Healthier Communities
Who we are: La Clínica de La Raza is a community-based health center committed to providing culturally appropriate, high-quality, and accessible health care to the diverse communities of the San Francisco Bay Area. We have spent over 40 years advocating for and creating a health home for the many that have been denied access to care. As health care activists, we are dedicated to making sure individuals who do not have health coverage get the same level of quality healthcare as those who have it. From our genesis as a community health center in 1971, we understood that we cannot heal our communities without also addressing the economic and social factors that affect health. Many times, this requires that we go outside and provide services in other settings to build the bridge that links individuals to our health center for preventive and primary care. Over 90,000 individuals come to La Clínica because it is a welcoming place that addresses the whole person, coordinating and connecting them to a broad network of services to improve and maintain their health and well-being. While we are still known for our activism and spirit of social justice, we are also proud to have grown into a sophisticated provider of primary health care services with 35 sites across Alameda, Contra Costa and Solano counties.

Be part of an excellent care team: We are looking for students who want to serve as a valuable member of our care team by work alongside clinic healthcare workers and administrators. In our field, you will be relied on for your superb technical skills to improve the quality and efficiency of our clinic while at the same time providing a human touch to the overall patient or client facing experience. Many people excel at one of these areas, but it takes someone with a special combination of skills and character to do both. To be successful, you need to enjoy interacting with all kinds of different people, to feel energized by a fast-paced environment, and remain cool under pressure even when serving a person who is upset, disrespectful or impatient. You should have a successful history of being responsible, reliable and capable of solving problems while being friendly and helpful in looking for ways to support other care team members.

Major Areas of Responsibility include but are not limited to:

Patient Care & Customer Service

• Communicate and work effectively with all members of the care team to best serve patients.
• Greet visitors, ascertain purpose of visit, and register patients in the appropriate electronic system.
• Answer telephone inquiries and provide information or route incoming telephone calls to the appropriate person or department.
• Schedule, confirm, and process appointments.
• Ensuring dental exam rooms are adequately stocked and are ready for patients.
• Prepare patients for dental examination by taking and recording vital signs and medical/dental histories.
• Effectively communicate and/or translate information between patients and dentist and other team members.
• Assist the dentist during a variety of treatment procedures such as exams, cleanings, fillings, extractions, etc.
• Clean, sterilize, and maintain an adequate supply of functioning instruments and equipment.
• Clean and disinfect treatment room following care, prepare room for next procedure.
• Prepare instruments, materials and medication for use in dental procedures.
• Instruct patients in oral hygiene and plaque control programs.
• Provide patients with instructions for oral care following surgery or other dental treatment procedures.
• Record treatment information in patient records using Electronic Dental Records system.

Commitment to Quality

• Adherence to La Clínica all ethical and professional standards, including infection control and occupational safety standards and La Clínica's policies and procedures.
• Demonstrate a commitment to excellent patient experience and quality outcomes in equal measure.
• Communicate and work effectively with providers and other members of the dental care team to best serve patients.

General Office Duties

• Perform general office duties, such as scheduling appointments for patients, answering telephones, sorting mail, filing photocopying, and record keeping duties as required.
• Greet and log in patients arriving at office or clinic in the appropriate electronic system.
• Assist patients in completing forms.
• Operate standard office equipment including computer, calculator, fax and copy machines.
• Receive and route messages or documents, such as laboratory results, to appropriate staff.
• Other duties as assigned by supervisor.

Abilities

• Demonstrate good judgment in identifying effective solutions or approaches to customer service-related problems.
• Communication: Clear and effective written and verbal communication skills in English. Ability to follow oral and written instructions. Bilingual in English and Spanish preferred
• Physical: ability to work in four-handed dentistry and other job functions that involve continuous movement.
• Interpersonal Skills: Able to work professionally and collaboratively as a team member to support the quality/efficiency standards established for the clinic; able to work and communicate with people from various ethnic, socio-economic, educational and life experience. Flexibility in accepting change gracefully.
• Administrative Skills: Ability to perform clerical duties in a methodical, independent, and thorough manner with speed and accuracy with minimal supervision. work independently
• Ability to maintain strict confidentiality regarding patient information

Knowledge

• Candidates in this position will be trained in:
  • Basic dental assisting practices, terminology, and equipment used.
  • Techniques for cleaning and sterilization of dental equipment, exam rooms and patient treatment areas.
  • Knowledge of basic medical/dental terminology and office procedures and processes
  • Effective approaches to customer service delivery.
  • Dental office procedures including but not limited to scheduling, registration, treatment estimates and payment collection.
  • Working with modern computer applications and electronic health records