Dental Care News: Free dental care gives uninsured a reason to smile
Eastman Dental Celebrates Completion of $5.9 Million Renovations
Eastman Dental today celebrated the completion of a two-year, $5.9 million renovation and re-engineering project that allows a major increase in access to care in both downtown Rochester and at its main clinic site on the University of Rochester Medical Center campus.
Rochester Mayor Tom Richards, and representatives from the offices of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Representative Tom Reed, Representative Ann Marie Buerkle, Assemblyman Sean Hanna, and Assemblyman Mark Johns, and County Executive Maggie Brooks were present to help celebrate this new chapter for Eastman Dental, which for nearly 100 years, has been Rochester’s largest oral health care provider to the underserved.
Since the late 1990’s, patient demand each year increasingly exceeded capacity at both locations. The number of patients who came in for dental emergencies increased 100 percent over five years, placing significant strain on Eastman’s facilities and its ability to provide comprehensive care to all patients. In late 2008, Eastman Dental was awarded a $3.9 million New York State HEAL (Health Care Efficiency and Affordability Law) grant to enhance emergency services for the underserved, while creating a gateway to regular oral health and medical care, and to increase access and capacity for the underserved.
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With those funds, Eastman Dental built at its main site on Elmwood Ave. a first-of-its-kind urgent care dental clinic, added six new treatment rooms in its General Dentistry and Orthodontic clinics, expanded and reconfigured its check-in and check-out process to provide better quality care, and more efficient service for all patients. Eastman Dental Downtown added four new treatment rooms, allowing twice as many patient visits as before in this high poverty area of Rochester, as well as a much needed makeover to the waiting room and clinic areas. In both locations, aging equipment was replaced, new technology was incorporated to increase scheduling and treatment efficiency, and ongoing training for staff and streamlining operations was put in place.
Cyril Meyerowitz, D.D.S., M.S., director, Eastman Institute for Oral Health, announced that U of R and Eastman Dental alumnus and Midland Management President Jack W. Howitt, AB, DDS, made one of the largest individual gifts in Eastman Dental’s history, and dedicated the newly named Howitt Urgent Dental Care clinic during the ceremony.
“I’ve always had a firm connection to dentistry and watching Eastman Dental morph into the Eastman Institute for Oral Health has been exciting,” Howitt said. “For me, the new urgent care portion of Eastman Institute was a logical place to direct my commitment. This gift marks my 55th reunion year from the U of R, and honors my two late uncles, Dr. Nathan G. Howitt and Dr. S. Michael Howitt, who were both in the dental profession.”
In addition, major functional and cosmetic renovations to the atrium and all the waiting rooms improve patient flow and customer service.
On display are beautiful glassware, Inuit and African sculptures, and other artwork donated by Stanley Handelman, D.D.S., former chair of the Advanced Education in General Dentistry Division and highly regarded professor, researcher and mentor for 40 years. Together, the artwork and new furniture provide a tranquil, comfortable, and inviting space in the newly designed atrium, where coffee and refreshments are available for purchase, and a patient ambassador is always available to answer any questions.
“We are extremely grateful for Jack Howitt’s generosity and commitment to our patients,” Meyerowitz said. “The new urgent care clinic and the renovations and updates are allowing us to provide substantially better quality, patient-centered care more cost effectively.”
Free dental care gives uninsured a reason to smile
Felecia Haywood bounded out of the dental chair, still numb but giddy after getting three fillings and having her chipped front tooth repaired.
“I’ve got my smile back!” said Haywood, 50, who had not been to a dentist since the fifth grade. She chipped her tooth about 10 years ago while eating.
Haywood and dozens of homeless and very-low-income patients of the nonprofit Glide Health Services in San Francisco received two weeks of free dental cleaning and treatments at Tooth Travelers, a mobile dental program stationed in the parking lot of Glide Memorial Church’s parking lot at 330 Ellis St. through today.
A dentist and assistants extracted more than 45 teeth and filled at least 50 cavities during 140 appointments in the 40-foot dental van since setting up at Glide on June 6. Many of the patients had been waiting for months for the chance to see a dentist.
“As health care reform is happening, there’s really nothing for people 18 and over when it comes to dental services,” said Karen Hill, clinic manager of Glide Health Services, a nurse-run health program at the church’s foundation for the needy and homeless.
Because of budget constraints, the state eliminated virtually all adult Medi-Cal dental services, known as Denti-Cal, in July 2009. The decision has left indigent and uninsured people with few options, so they often show up at emergency rooms in pain to have their teeth pulled and abscesses treated.
Services in the van are limited to dental screening, teeth cleaning, fillings, simple extractions, fluoride treatments and X-rays. Patients with more serious dental problems are referred to UCSF and University of the Pacific dental schools and community clinics for low-cost care.
The last time James Jones needed dental treatment, he had to go to San Francisco General Hospital for an abscess and a broken tooth. But the 60-year-old retired AC Transit worker, who has been without dental coverage since 1996, said through a mouth of cotton that his experience at the mobile clinic was more comfortable and completely painless.
“I hate dentists, but they were very pleasant,” said Jones, referring to the dental assistant and Dr. Monte Cooper, who removed five of Jones’ teeth during two visits to the trailer.
Tooth Travelers, based in Placerville (El Dorado County), was founded by Julie Day in 2009 after she was laid off from her job after 23 years in the dental insurance industry.
The mobile unit typically visits affordable housing developments and is funded by those property owners. The van’s visit to Glide was funded through a $25,000 donation from Wells Fargo.
“These people have challenges most of us will never experience or even comprehend,” Day said of the patients at Glide. “They are truly gracious and grateful.”
James Inglis, 47, had 18 teeth pulled about 12 years ago when he quit using drugs. Inglis, who has an upper and lower dental partial, was grateful to receive free dental services at the mobile unit because he has been laid off from his job and is homeless.
“Of course, I only have six teeth left, but that’s OK,” he said “They’re healthy.”