General Dentist, Emergency Disaster Response

E

Essential Healthcare Solutions LLC

General Dentist, Emergency Disaster Response

Fife, WA
Full Time
Paid
  • Responsibilities

    General Dentist, Emergency Disaster Response

    Location: Travel – Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; potential Tinian/Rota outreach

    Position Overview

    Unified Health Partners, LLC (UHP), between Pinnacle Solutions & Consulting Group (SDVOSB) and Essential Healthcare Solutions (WOSB), is mobilizing clinical teams to support post-typhoon emergency healthcare operations in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The operating environment is austere: degraded infrastructure, intermittent power and potable water, limited definitive-care referral capacity, and a patient population that includes displaced residents, first responders, federal personnel, and transient humanitarian workers.

    Dental emergencies increase sharply in the weeks following a major tropical cyclone — odontogenic infections from disrupted hygiene and water access, trauma from debris and response activity, and acute exacerbations of untreated chronic disease. The general dentist is a critical member of the ESF-8 medical footprint and is the only provider of dental care for most of the affected population.

    The General Dentist delivers urgent and emergent dental care within a forward-deployed clinical footprint (fixed facility, field clinic, or mobile dental unit) operating under UHP's site medical governance. The role is hands-on, fast-paced, and resource-constrained. Providers are expected to operate independently within their scope, exercise sound triage judgment, and coordinate MEDEVAC to Guam or CONUS for cases exceeding in-theater capability.

    Compensation

    Estimated Compensation Range: $150. per hour

    Compensation will be commensurate with qualifications, experience, credentials, and final contract funding.

    Travel & Lodging: All travel (air from CONUS/Hawaii, ground transport on-island), lodging, and per diem provided by UHP or reimbursed per FTR/JTR standards.

    Equipment: UHP provides dental operatory setup, supplies, PPE, and any site-issued equipment. Providers bring personal loupes and preferred hand instruments if desired.

    Insurance: Professional liability coverage during deployment is provided or arranged by UHP consistent with the contracting vehicle (federal FTCA coverage where applicable).

    Term: Initial rotation confirmed at activation; additional rotations available based on performance and operational need through the period of performance.

    Minimum Qualifications

    Education & Licensure

    • DDS or DMD from a CODA-accredited U.S. dental school (or equivalent foreign credential evaluated and recognized by a U.S. state dental board).
    • Active, current, and unrestricted dental license in at least one U.S. state or territory.
    • CNMI dental licensure OR demonstrated eligibility for CNMI emergency practice authorization. UHP will support the provider through the CNMI Board of Dental Examiners' emergency practice pathways and any Stafford Act or gubernatorial emergency order reciprocity in effect at the time of deployment.
    • Current DEA registration; willingness to obtain CNMI controlled-substance registration if required at the assigned site.
    • Current BLS (AHA or equivalent). ACLS strongly preferred; PALS preferred for pediatric-heavy sites.

    Clinical Experience

    • Minimum three (3) years of post-graduate clinical dental practice. Residency training (AEGD, GPR, OMFS exposure) counts toward this minimum.
    • Demonstrated proficiency in surgical extractions, I&D, and management of odontogenic infections.
    • Comfort practicing without the full range of advanced diagnostic imaging (CBCT, panoramic may be unavailable; periapical and handheld X-ray will be standard).

    Federal Credentialing & Background

    • Ability to pass a federal background investigation at minimum Tier 1 (Public Trust); higher clearance acceptable.
    • Current negative drug screen and tuberculosis screening consistent with CDC/ACIP and UHP credentialing standards.
    • Immunizations current to CDC ACIP recommendations, including Hepatitis B, Tdap, MMR, Varicella, annual influenza, and COVID-19 as policy requires.
    • HIPAA, bloodborne pathogens, and site-specific safety training completion within 7 days of activation.

    Deployment Readiness

    • Ability to deploy within 72 hours of activation notice.
    • Valid U.S. passport (required for CNMI itinerary routing through Guam or international connections).
    • Physical capacity to sustain 10–12 hour shifts, tolerate tropical climate (heat, humidity, post-storm mold/mildew exposure), stand and perform dental procedures for extended periods, and lift up to 50 lbs during clinical setup and mobile unit operations.
    • Psychological readiness for austere-environment practice, including exposure to distressing patient presentations and limited communication with home support networks.

    Preferred Qualifications

    • Prior disaster response experience: NDMS (DMAT / DMORT), Red Cross, USPHS Commissioned Corps, IMSuRT, state Medical Reserve Corps, or equivalent.
    • Indian Health Service, VA, DoD, or federal/state correctional dental experience.
    • Pacific-region or OCONUS clinical experience; familiarity with CNMI, Guam, or Pacific Island healthcare delivery context.
    • Working knowledge of Chamorro, Carolinian, Tagalog, or other languages common in CNMI patient populations.
    • Forensic dental identification training (DMORT Team B, ABFO familiarity).
    • Dental public health or trauma-informed care training.

    Duties and Responsibilities

    Clinical Care Delivery

    • Perform comprehensive dental examinations, triage, and stabilization for emergent and urgent presentations.
    • Provide definitive treatment within a limited-resource dental operatory, including extractions (simple and surgical), incision and drainage of odontogenic infections, management of dental trauma, temporization, and acute pain control.
    • Administer local anesthesia and appropriate pharmacotherapy, including antibiotics, analgesics, and controlled substances consistent with DEA registration and state scope.
    • Manage maxillofacial trauma within scope; coordinate oral-maxillofacial surgery consultation and MEDEVAC for cases requiring definitive surgical repair.
    • Provide pediatric and geriatric emergency dental services with age-appropriate modifications.
    • Recognize and initiate management of medical emergencies in the dental chair (anaphylaxis, syncope, cardiac events) per BLS/ACLS protocols.

    Clinical Governance & Documentation

    • Document all patient encounters in UHP's clinical record system within 24 hours, consistent with HIPAA, Privacy Act, and applicable federal record-retention standards.
    • Participate in daily clinical huddles, weekly case review, and After-Action Reviews for Tier 3 events (unexpected deterioration, MEDEVAC activation, mass casualty support).
    • Maintain compliance with UHP credentialing and privileging standards, infection control protocols, OSHA bloodborne pathogen requirements, and dental radiation safety standards.
    • Support surveillance reporting for public health conditions (oral-systemic manifestations of infectious disease, suspected abuse, reportable conditions under CNMI and federal public health authorities).

    Operational & Team Functions

    • Supervise dental assistants and, where assigned, dental hygienists operating under state and CNMI scope-of-practice rules.
    • Contribute to dental supply forecasting, inventory reconciliation, and pharmaceutical controls (including Schedule II–V handling) with the Site Medical Director.
    • Support mass-casualty incident (MCI) response in a medical-support or forensic identification role as requested; training in DMORT-style dental identification is a differentiator.
    • Coordinate with Indian Health Service, DoD medical, CNMI Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation (CHCC), and partner NGOs operating in-theater.

    Clinical Scope of Practice (In-Theater)

    The following procedures fall within the expected dental scope. UHP will match scope to the provider's privileges and the operational footprint at the assigned site.

    Emergent/Urgent

    Facial cellulitis / Ludwig's precursor
    Pulpitis, apical abscess, pericoronitis
    Dental trauma — avulsions, luxations, fractures
    Post-extraction complications (dry socket, bleeding)

    Acute Stabilization

    Extractions (simple and surgical)
    Pulpotomy / open-and-med
    Temporary restorations and provisional crowns
    I&D of localized odontogenic infection
    Splinting of luxated/avulsed teeth

    Out-of-Scope (MEDEVAC)

    Complex maxillofacial trauma
    Deep-space head/neck infections with airway risk
    Oncologic or pathologic lesions requiring biopsy
    Endodontic cases beyond emergent stabilization
    Implant or advanced prosthodontic reconstruction

    How to Apply

    Submit CV, copy of current DDS/DMD license(s), DEA registration, BLS/ACLS cards, and a brief statement of disaster-response availability to UHP Recruiting. Priority review for applications received within 72 hours of the operational activation notice.

    Email: recruiting@unifiedhealthpartners.com

    Patricia.hughes@essentialhcsolutions.com

    Operational Lead: UHP Program Director

    Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

    Unified Health Partners, LLC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. UHP is a joint venture between Pinnacle Solutions & Consulting Group, LLC (SDVOSB) and Essential Healthcare Solutions, LLC (WOSB). UHP does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected class.