Community collaborative to help medically fragile
Posted: June 10, 2011
Despite recent cuts to healthcare, a unique community collaborative in the Valley will help 45 medically fragile individuals receive oral care services. Led by a $75,000 grant from the BHHS Legacy Foundation, this collaborative joins the resources of ATSU-ASDOH, Hacienda Health-Care, and the National Kidney Foundation of Arizona.
ATSU-ASDOH is the lead organization, and its Special Care Dentistry units in Mesa and Glendale will provide oral care to 20 individuals with special needs referred by Hacienda HealthCare and 25 dialysis patients referred by the National Kidney Foundation of Arizona. The initiative also provides training in special care dentistry to 58 students and six residents.
With cuts in funding for most oral care, dialysis patients and individuals with severe physical and developmental disabilities receive little to no access to these services.
“We have a unique opportunity to train our students and nurture confident and compassionate oral care workers who can provide greater access to care for individuals with medically complex conditions,” said ATSU-ASDOH Dean Jack Dillenberg, D.D.S., M.P.H.