Teledental Hub & Public Health Dental Hygiene Specialist

Contract Length: 5 years

Location: Hybrid, Frankfort KY (May require statewide travel)

Hours: 8AM - 4:30PM EST

Start Date: ASAP

We seek a detail-oriented and proactive RIH Teledental Hub & Public Health Dental Hygiene (PHDH) Specialist to facilitate the creation of a teledental hub network as part of an oral health initiative focused on expanding dental workforce capacity, creating new teledentistry infrastructure, and improving oral health access through innovative delivery models. RIH is one of five programs launched under Kentucky’s Rural Health Transformation Program (KY RHT), a statewide effort to strengthen rural health access and outcomes.

This role will help translate RHT’s broader vision into effective, on the ground implementation for RIH’s oral health focus.

The RIH Teledental Hub & Public Health Dental Hygiene (PHDH) Specialist supports the A3 Transformation Team (Aspire → Activate → Attain), which functions as Rural Health Transformation’s central “nerve center” for disciplined execution across all five initiatives. This position reports to the RIH Initiative Lead and works closely with the Initiative Coordinator. The current work environment is primarily hybrid (2-3 days a week in office).

This role may require statewide travel. This initiative falls under the Cabinet for Health and Family Services (CHFS) and is specifically managed by the Kentucky Department for Public Health (KDPH).

• Oversee deployment and scaling of teledental hubs to enable connection of Public Health Hygiene Teams to supervise dentists for billable consultations
• Facilitate coordination across the three teledental hubs to support a consistent and interoperable statewide model
• Support alignment of shared workflows, communication protocols, and service expectations across hubs, while respecting institution-specific clinical approaches
• Organize and lead cross-hub working sessions to identify leading practices, resolve inconsistencies, and promote continuous improvement
• Track and elevate cross-hub dependencies (e.g., staffing models, technology, MOUs, coverage areas) to ensure coordinated implementation of protocols

• Support development, refinement, and rollout of teledentistry-related protocols, in collaboration with academic partners and public health stakeholders
• Facilitate structured discussions across hubs and PHDH teams to define, test, and iterate protocols
• Design and implement standardized workflows between supervising dentists and LHD Hygiene Teams
• Identify gaps, inconsistencies, or barriers in teledental protocol adoption and coordinate resolution with appropriate stakeholders

• Serve as the primary liaison for hub operations between academic institutions, LHDs, and rural oral health providers
• Develop and distribute operational guidelines, toolkits, and other communication materials for hub and satellite sites
• Organize and facilitate collaborative sessions among key stakeholders to share leading practices and address implementation challenges

• Collect and validate hub performance data, such as consult volumes, response times, and patient outcomes
• Collaborate with the RHT Quality & Evaluation Lead to integrate hub data into statewide Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) and performance dashboards
• Identify trends and recommend actionable strategies to enhance efficiency, quality, and patient experience

• 3+ years of experience in healthcare operations, telehealth coordination, or oral health program management
• Technical proficiency with telehealth platforms, EHR systems, and secure data exchange protocols
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex projects, multi-stakeholder initiatives, including facilitating alignment across academic partners, public health teams, and dental providers
• Knowledge of HIPAA/HITECH compliance and health IT interoperability standards
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare reports, presentations, and stakeholder communications
• Strong data management and reporting skills, including compiling performance metrics and supporting compliance requirements

• Experience with teledentistry programs, oral health workforce development, or rural health initiatives
• Knowledge of telehealth reimbursement models, billing workflows, or value-based care strategies
• Familiarity with Kentucky’s public health ecosystem and rural community needs

• Bachelor’s degree in public health, health administration, dental hygiene, health informatics, or a related field
• Preferred, not required:
  Advanced degree in public health, health administration, health informatics, or related field