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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
James R. Delaney, DDS and Linda L. Yaroch, RN, MPH. Dental Clinics North, Northwest Michigan Community Health Agency, 220 W. Garfield, Charlevoix, MI 49720, 231-347-4952, j.delaney@nwhealth.org
Dental Clinics North, a partnership of 6 local health departments in a 26 county region of northern lower Michigan was formed in July, 1999, to address the lack of oral health care for Medicaid beneficiaries. Dental Clinics North provides comprehensive oral health care through 10 clinics, including pediatric, oral surgery, and hospital dentistry for children and adults with Medicaid, and other special population groups. Unique characteristics of the Dental Clinics North model include: 1) a partnership of local health departments whose relationship is defined in an interagency agreement, 2) community commitment for net local Title V cost based reimbursement match, 3) community outreach plan, 4) regional advisory committee, 5) a single toll free number for clients to make an appointment, 6) computerized system of registration, scheduling, and billing, and other efficiencies gained through a regional management structure. The successes of this model include expanding access from 6,000 patients served in 1999 to the capacity to serve 20,000 patients in 2002, and associated recruitment of dentists and staff. Within this period, 3 clinics were maintained, 2 existing clinics were expanded, and 5 new clinics were opened. This was made possible by $1,012,044 grant from the Michigan Department of Community Health and $449,308 of local and federal matching dollars from other community resources for a total of $1,461,352.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Oral Health, Medicaid
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.