The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #50583

Ruth B. Pickard, PhD¹, Yun Yan, MS, MD², Katherine H. Kraemer, BA³, and Michael J. Corrigan, BA³. (1) Dept. of Public Health Sciences, Witchita State University, 1845 Fairmount, Wichita, KS 67260-0152, 316-978+5637, rpickard@kscable.com, (2) Physician Assistants Program, Wichita State University, 1717 N. Vassar, Apt. 103, Wichita, KS 67208, (3) Healthy Options for Planeview (HOP), 6205 E. 11th St., Wichita, KS 67208

Several years of collecting rich descriptive data using in-depth interviews with nearly 300 residents of a low-income, multi-ethnic neighborhood having the greatest concentration of linguistically isolated households in the county, revealed that dentistry was one of the most important and most frequently cited unmet needs. As part of a larger study using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software to define a Health Professions Shortage Area within the urban core of a Midwestern county, a brief telephone survey was conducted of every professional office of currently licensed and practicing dentists in the targeted rational service area and its contiguous census tracks (n=177). Respondents, mostly receptionists and other support personnel in the office, were asked about the size of the practice, the number and kinds of professional and ancillary personnel at the site, whether patients with Medicaid or other public insurance were accepted, whether the practice was accepting new patients, and how long it would typically take for a new non-emergency patient to be seen for the first time. Additionally, respondents were asked what their response would be to a request for an initial appointment for someone with little or no English language fluency. Finally, there were several questions about the sorts of accommodations that might be made in order to deliver service to someone unable to converse in English and if those accommodations included the use of translators, from which source they would be made available. The presentation will describe survey findings and discuss implications for dental care access by recent immigrants.

Learning Objectives: At its conclusion, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Describe the magnitude of the barriers to dental care found in this study to be facing immigrants with limited English speaking skills
• Assess the adequacy of the accommodations offered to linguistically challenged immigrants seeking dental services
• Describe the implications for the development of public policy regarding access to dental care

Keywords: Cultural Competency, Oral Health Needs

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Healthy Options for Planeview (HOP), the community-campus partnership for health with the Department of Public Health Sciences at Wichita State University
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: First author is acting director of HOP where she conducts ongoing research into best practices for developing community-campus partnerships. No remuneration is paid for this role. The research reported was part of a small study funded by the United Meth