Adams School of Dentistry: Policy on Affiliates

I. Introduction

A. Purpose

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill) Adams School of Dentistry (ASOD) welcomes volunteers and interns, visiting scholars, or aspiring dental professionals to learn more about the School's mission and/or operations through active participation or observation. The purpose of this Policy is to establish the expectations and approval process for all ASOD Affiliates.

B. Scope 

This Policy applies to all ASOD Affiliates, as well as ASOD personnel who invite, recruit, or supervise Affiliates.

II. Definitions

1. Affiliate: a visitor that contributes to ASOD operations and/or engages in experiential learning under the supervision of an employee. The term "Affiliate" encompasses a broad range of individuals, with the relevant categories for ASOD including Unpaid Interns, Volunteers, Visiting Scholars, and Shadow Observers. The term does not include currently enrolled School of Dentistry students, employees (including adjunct faculty members), or individuals being interviewed for admission to an Advanced Dental Education (ADE) program.
   1. Volunteer Affiliate: Individuals who offer their services without cost to ASOD and are NOT employed by ASOD.
      • Clinical Example: Give Kids a Smile volunteer.
      • Non-Clinical Example: Office volunteer.
   2. Unpaid Intern Affiliate: Individuals who meet AT LEAST ONE of the following circumstances:
      • Are currently enrolled an accredited university, college, or high school and enrolled in a program that engages in experiential learning for academic or course credit. Most common examples of this includes Dental Assisting student rotations and Project Search.
      • Are obtaining work experience that is required for professional licensure/certification under the supervision of a licensed/certified professional for a maximum of 18 months.
      • Are engaging in experiential learning in a profession under the supervision of an appropriate ASOD supervisor or manager for a maximum of 18 months.
   3. Unpaid Visiting Scholar Affiliate: Individuals who work at another academic or research institution and are visiting to work with a particular faculty/staff member on a project or teaching a new clinical skill, but do not receive a paid position.
   4. Shadow Observers: Individuals who will be observing only in an on-site, ASOD clinical area, with no access to sensitive clinical areas (instrumentation, processing, charting, etc.), for a maximum of 8 calendar days.
2. Sponsor: Department Chair, Administrative Head, or an appointed designee who will be the "supervisor" of the Affiliate.
3. Minor: an individual under the age of eighteen (18).

III. Policy

ASOD must ensure that visits by Affiliates are conducted in a manner that:

1. protects the health, safety, and privacy of our patients and our personnel;
2. complies with all applicable UNC-Chapel Hill policies and procedures; and
3. does not unduly burden business operations.

IV. Procedure

General Affiliates

1. With the exceptions of SHAC, Project Search, Dental Assisting Interns, or Postdoctoral (ADE Program) Clinical Observational Externships, all other proposed Affiliates and Sponsors are expected to complete the following process.
2. All proposed visits by Affiliates must first be approved by the Department Chair, Administrative Head, or designee, which will act as the sponsor for the specific division or clinic. Due to stringent limitations by UNC-Chapel Hill, under no circumstances may a minor be approved for a visit as an Affiliate.
3. It is recommended that this process be initiated at least three weeks prior to the scheduled visit (for international visitors, please allow up to three months). For more details on this approval process, including the required forms, visit the UNC-Chapel Hill Policy on Unpaid Volunteers, Interns, and Visiting Scholars.
4. Sponsor or Designee will:
   • Gather the following Affiliate information: a) Affiliate Legal Name; b) Affiliate Email; and c) Affiliate PID (if Affiliate has one; not required).
   • Initiate the ASOD Affiliate Form by selecting "Sponsoring Employee" and following the guided steps.
   • Instructions specific to the Affiliate's type are sent to both the Affiliate and Sponsor.
     • NOTE: If Affiliate does not have a PID, a "ZPID" is generated, which is only used for internal documentation purposes.
   • Affiliate returns to complete ASOD Affiliate Form by selecting "Potential Affiliate," select "Something Else" when indicating "Affiliate Role," and following the guided steps.
     • NOTE: If a ZPID was generated, the ZPID must be entered by Affiliate.
   • Pre-filled documentation is emailed to both Affiliate and Sponsor with instructions for next steps.
   • Sponsor may be required to submit additional documentation and/or information through Connect Carolina, which will be indicated in the automated response email. 
5. Sponsor is responsible for ensuring that the Affiliate fulfills the applicable requirements outlined in the emailed response. Confirmation is completed by reviewing the "ASOD Affiliate Compliance" tile, within the ASOD Compliance Portal.
6. Affiliates are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times. Failure to do so will result in termination of the affiliation.

SHAC, Project Search, and Dental Assisting Interns

1. Special affiliation partnerships exist where a modified Affiliate approval process is needed.
2. Affiliates in one of these categories initiates the process by completing the ASOD Affiliate Form, selecting the option to indicate they are a Potential Affiliate, and select which program they are under (e.g., SHAC Shadow Observer, Project Search Participant, or Dental Assistant Intern).
3. Pre-filled documentation and instructions are sent to both the Affiliate and Sponsor, indicating next steps.
4. Confirmation of compliance is completed by reviewing the "ASOD Affiliate Compliance" tile, within the ASOD Compliance Portal.
5. Affiliates are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times. Failure to do so will result in termination of the affiliation.

Postdoctoral (ADE Program) Clinical Observational Externships

Affiliates who intend to visit an Advanced Dental Education (ADE) Program or assist with Research may need additional approvals. Applications must be reviewed by the Associate Dean for ADE, in consultation with the Program Director for the specialty area. Additional trainings required not listed on the Affiliate Packets include:

• EHS Bloodborne Pathogens Training
• EHS Tuberculosis Awareness and Infection Control Training
• Any laboratory training required by the Department of Oral & Craniofacial Health Sciences, as applicable.
• Affiliates are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times. Failure to do so will result in termination of the affiliation.

V. Related Requirements

A. External Regulations and Consequences

1. UNC-Chapel Hill Policy on Unpaid Interns, Volunteers, and Visiting Scholars
2. UNC-Chapel Hill HIPAA Training Policy and Procedure
3. UNC-Chapel Hill Environment, Health and Safety Manual - Chapter 01.11: EHS Management System - Enforcement of Training and Medical Surveillance
4. UNC-Chapel Hill ITS Security Training and Compliance
5. UNC-Chapel Hill HIPAA Training
6. UNC-Chapel Hill Bloodborne Pathogens Training
7. UNC-Chapel Hill Tuberculosis Awareness and Infection Control Training

B. Unit Policies, Standards, and Procedures

1. Adams School of Dentistry CPR Policy

VI. Contact Information