USA - Working on Hanover's crisis in dental care
Working on Hanover's crisis in dental care
04/06/2008 04:05:20 AM EDT
It's important to understand that the goal of Community Health Centers - such as Family First Health - is not to compete for patients with private practices. Our mission is, first and foremost, to help those who can't afford health insurance - patients who private practices usually cannot serve.
The Johnson administration created Community Health Centers (CHC) in 1965 to assist low-income and underserved communities. CHCs typically receive as much as one-third of its funding from Medicaid. Other financial support comes from federal grants and donations.
With the rising cost of health care, the need for CHCs is as great as it has ever been.
The U.S. Census Bureau said the number of uninsured people in this country hit a record of 46.6 million in 2006. That's one out of every 6.3 Americans who didn't have access to health care - a primary reason why CHCs saw a 47 percent increase in patients between 2000 and 2005.
And the issue is local. In Hanover, there's an overwhelming need for affordable, accessible dental care.
It is estimated that nearly 8,000 individuals in Hanover are eligible for Medicaid, but go without dental care.
In recognizing this need, Family First Health took the first step to provide affordable, accessible dental care by expanding its Medical Center to include dental services.
The Hanover Dental Center opened in November 2007 and is currently accepting 40 new patients per month with plans to treat nearly 4,500 individuals
in its first year of operations. The patients utilizing the Hanover Dental Center are without dental insurance and fall under the 200 percent of poverty or have Medical Assistance/HMO coverage.
While this does not nearly address the entire need that exists, it is the first step in the right direction to combat the dental crisis in Hanover.
Family First Health looks forward to one day expanding our Dental Center by adding an addition onto the existing building and hiring more dentists and hygienists. Of course, this expansion will depend on the financial support we are able to obtain from grants, legislators and donors.
It is our goal to continue to provide quality dental and medical services to those in our community who may not otherwise have access to care. It is our hope that, with the community's support, we can someday meet the entire depth of this need.
Jennifer Englerth
Hanover
Hanover, Pennsylvania is fluoridated:NYSCOF
04/06/2008 04:05:20 AM EDT
It's important to understand that the goal of Community Health Centers - such as Family First Health - is not to compete for patients with private practices. Our mission is, first and foremost, to help those who can't afford health insurance - patients who private practices usually cannot serve.
The Johnson administration created Community Health Centers (CHC) in 1965 to assist low-income and underserved communities. CHCs typically receive as much as one-third of its funding from Medicaid. Other financial support comes from federal grants and donations.
With the rising cost of health care, the need for CHCs is as great as it has ever been.
The U.S. Census Bureau said the number of uninsured people in this country hit a record of 46.6 million in 2006. That's one out of every 6.3 Americans who didn't have access to health care - a primary reason why CHCs saw a 47 percent increase in patients between 2000 and 2005.
And the issue is local. In Hanover, there's an overwhelming need for affordable, accessible dental care.
It is estimated that nearly 8,000 individuals in Hanover are eligible for Medicaid, but go without dental care.
In recognizing this need, Family First Health took the first step to provide affordable, accessible dental care by expanding its Medical Center to include dental services.
The Hanover Dental Center opened in November 2007 and is currently accepting 40 new patients per month with plans to treat nearly 4,500 individuals
in its first year of operations. The patients utilizing the Hanover Dental Center are without dental insurance and fall under the 200 percent of poverty or have Medical Assistance/HMO coverage.
While this does not nearly address the entire need that exists, it is the first step in the right direction to combat the dental crisis in Hanover.
Family First Health looks forward to one day expanding our Dental Center by adding an addition onto the existing building and hiring more dentists and hygienists. Of course, this expansion will depend on the financial support we are able to obtain from grants, legislators and donors.
It is our goal to continue to provide quality dental and medical services to those in our community who may not otherwise have access to care. It is our hope that, with the community's support, we can someday meet the entire depth of this need.
Jennifer Englerth
Hanover
Hanover, Pennsylvania is fluoridated:NYSCOF
posted by Bill at
10:02 AM
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