The Open Door Clinic is a free health clinic for uninsured and under-insured adults in Addison County, Vermont who meet our financial eligibility guidelines. Our patients are our neighbors, friends, and family, keystone members of our community who work on and support local farms, restaurants, and small businesses. We serve special populations: Latin American migrant and immigrant workers who face profound language and cultural barriers, and seasonal agricultural and hospitality workers from the Caribbean. Seventy percent of current clinic staff speak Spanish.
We are currently hiring for one position. We also host 10-week summer and 4-week winter internships for Middlebury College students. Stipends or compensation for these internships may be available through Middlebury College.
Part-time Dental Hygienist
Position summary: Open Door Clinic is seeking to hire a registered dental hygienist (RDH) to work 1-2 days per week in our dental clinic, located at Middlebury Dental Group. The hygienist will provide dental care, oral health education, referrals, and associated services to our diverse patient population. There is also potential for outreach screenings.
Desired qualifications: Excellent communication skills and ability to work both independently and as part of a team. While individuals with Spanish language ability are strongly encouraged to apply, we also provide interpreters for our Spanish-speaking patients. The Open Door Clinic offers competitive pay and a collaborative work environment.
How to apply: Please send a cover letter, resume, and contact information for three references via email or mail to: Heidi Sulis, Executive Director, Open Door Clinic, 100 Porter Drive, Middlebury, VT 05753, at [email protected].
Questions? Contact Dental Coordinator Fernanda Canales, at [email protected] or (802) 610-4393.
Open Door Clinic Internships (Spanish/English) for Middlebury College students
Currently, one or two competitive, stipended summer internship opportunities to work with Open Door Clinic are available to Middlebury College students through the Center for Community Engagement Shepherd Addison County Privilege and Poverty (P&P) Program. Apply via the CCE, here. The 2025 deadline was Friday, February 21st.
A winter (J-term) internship opportunity is also available to Middlebury students, for credit and with access to housing. The 2024 application deadline was in mid-November. The successful candidate may apply for credit, and on-campus housing access. Funding is extremely limited and awarded on a first-come, first-served basis from the Middlebury Center for Careers and Internships (CCI). See here (including the FAQs) or contact the CCI for details, and plan to apply early if you wish to request funding.
Those interested in working with Open Door Clinic can learn more about what an internship with ODC would be like, below.
Job Description:
The four-week (winter) or 10-week (summer) internship experience will provide the Middlebury College intern with a unique, bilingual, and multicultural perspective on healthcare, public health, and provision of services to special populations. The intern will perform a variety of administrative responsibilities, including but not limited to reaching out to patients and volunteers via phone, email and WhatsApp; updating information in our database, website and social media; typing and revising rosters for clinic nights; and interpreting for medical appointments.
Open Door Clinic is small but mighty, serving over 1,300 unique patients last year. As ODC’s paid staff time adds up to only 6 FTE (full time equivalents), the intern will have the rewarding opportunity to be an integral member of ODC’s team, gaining hands-on experience in varied aspects of the daily operations of a small, free, non-profit health clinic.
In collaboration with other ODC staff members and/or volunteers, the intern will:
- Communicate with Spanish-speaking and other prospective patients over the phone, WhatsApp and in-person
- Interpret for appointments at ODC clinics and for ODC patients referred to other Addison County healthcare providers/services
- Complete administrative tasks associated with clinic preparation, follow-up, and case management
- Assist in updating records, databases, social media, and other important communication tools and record-keeping integral to the organization and operation of the clinic
Required Qualifications:
- Ability to maintain patient confidentiality
- Spanish and English fluency
- Attention to detail and problem-solving skills
- Interest in assisting with a range of communication efforts
- Flexibility and ability to manage multiple priorities and tasks
- Pleasant and professional phone manner
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
Preferred Qualifications:
- Previous lived or direct experience working with Vermont’s migrant farmworker population, and/or other immigrant populations, and/or low-income populations
- Training as a medical interpreter (see below)
Skills
- Active Listening, Coordinating Skills, Critical Thinking, Reading Comprehension, Service Orientation, Social Perceptiveness, Speaking
- No Minimum GPA requirement.
Additional Information
Preference will be given to applicants who have attended an Open Door Clinic volunteer training, either in-person or online, by the final internship selection date.
Position details
Summer Open Door Clinic Bilingual (Spanish/English) Internship
Onsite, Middlebury, Vermont, United States
30-35 hours/week for 10 weeks (6/9 - 8/15 in 2025), including support to evening clinics, Tuesday from 4-8 pm.
Winter Open Door Clinic Bilingual (Spanish/English) Internship
Onsite, Middlebury, Vermont, United States
25-40 hours/week for 4 weeks in January, including support to evening clinics, Tuesday from 4-8 pm.
How to apply
Applications for winter internships will open via Handshake in Fall 2025. On Handshake, please provide a cover letter and resume, including names and contact information (emails preferred) for three references. Questions? Contact Susannah, at [email protected], or (802) 388-0137.
ODC is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. Those from BIPOC communities, immigrant communities, women, the transgender and non-binary community, as well as the LGBTQIA+ community at large, individuals with disabilities, and other marginalized communities who have experienced systemic oppression and/or gender-based violence are highly encouraged to apply. ODC believes that one of the greatest strengths of a community is a rich diversity of perspectives.