 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Myron Allukian, DDS, MPH, Director of Oral Health, Boston Public Health Commission, 774 Albany Street, Finland Building, Boston, MA 02118, (617) 534-4717, Myron_Allukian@BPHC.org and Neal A. Demby, DMD, MPH, Department of Dental Medicine, Lutheran Medical Center, 150 55th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11220.
The City of Boston has had a public dental program since 1916. Beginning in 1969 these freestanding children’s-only dental programs were incorporated into developing neighborhood health centers. At that time there were 20,000 patient visits in the city dental programs. Now there are 17 health center dental programs, with over 100,000 patient visits in 2002, providing family-oriented dental care to people of all ages, on a fee-for-service basis with a sliding fee scale. Most health center dental programs have difficulty maintaining financial viability, and recruitment for competent community-oriented dentists has always been a problem.
Beginning in 2001, a working relationship began between the Oral Health Program of the Boston Public Health Commission and the Lutheran Medical Center to have 4 Advanced Education in Graduate Dentistry (AEGD) residents in Boston health centers. The following year this was increased to 6, and this coming year 2003-2004 it has been increased to 8 residents. The benefits of this program are as follows:
1. An increase in dental productivity of each health center dental program at a minimal direct cost, resulting in more patients being served 2. A quality and community-oriented dental workforce pipeline for health center dental positions 3. A culturally competent dental workforce resource 4. Quality improvement of services and more continuing education opportunities for health center dental personnel. 5. The AEGD residents’ primary commitment is to the health center and its patients.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Access to Health Care, Community Health Centers
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
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.