The Indian Health Service, or IHS, has contracted with the Choctaw Nation in the first partnership of its kind to recruit dentists to flexible career and volunteer service "to make a significant difference in the lives of American Indians and Alaska Natives."
"We are starting this project in Oklahoma and will take it IHS-wide as we take some baby steps at first," said Dr. Timothy L. Lozon, deputy director of human resources for the IHS Division of Oral Health. "The Choctaw Nation will work with the IHS dental recruiter to develop a database to match dentists looking for these types of opportunities with IHS and tribal program vacancies."
Initial placements will be at sites in Oklahoma, Dr. Lozon said, though not necessarily with the Choctaw, which is one of 37 tribes in the state. As the database grows, IHS will move to broader geographic placement by matching dentist schedules with tribal needs. "That is what the Choctaw was hired to do, find out the needs, and we’ll make the match," he said.
IHS is the U.S. Public Health Service agency responsible for meeting the health needs of more than 1.4 million American Indians and Alaska Natives. The ADA Council on Government Affairs conducts biennial evaluations of IHS dental programs.
IHS and certain tribes manage dental programs in more than 230 hospitals and clinics in 35 states. The facilities are staffed by nearly 400 dentists and some 1,400 dental hygienists and assistants. "However, a gap remains between the number of new graduates who enter the IHS and the total need for dentists," Dr. Lozon said. Some 100 dentist positions in IHS and tribal programs are vacant, he said.
To attract younger dentists, the IHS promotes what Dr. Lozon called "a generous loan repayment program" to repay student debt in exchange for a service commitment to clinical practice. But the agency lately has shifted its emphasis to attracting established dentists seeking alternative and flexible practice opportunities. "IHS will attempt to match dentists with openings that meet their geographic and scheduling needs," said an IHS announcement.
Among listed options are two- to three-week volunteer positions with the IHS or a tribe covering travel and housing costs, two- to six-month paid positions covering travel costs in some cases and longer-term part-time paid or volunteer positions for dentists living near an IHS or tribal facility and who are available certain days or months.
The ADA will help market IHS’s dental service opportunities with announcements and information through such venues as ADA meetings and print publications, as well as ADA.org. An IHS classified advertisement in the July JADA promoted "nationwide opportunities [for] general dentists, specialists and registered dental hygienists to meet comprehensive, clinical and preventive needs of American Indians and Alaska Natives." A similar advertisement can be found by searching for "Indian Health Service" on ADA.org’s Careers and Classifieds page.
Dentists who are interested in obtaining more information about the program can call Dr. Lozon at 1-800-447-3368 or visit the IHS Web site ("www.dentist.ihs.gov").
