Remove ImagesCabarrus to Teach Guilford about Teeth
December 20, 2012
Dental care for needy children and adults in Guilford County is expected to improve a great deal over the next two years thanks to a New Jersey-based health care foundation that selected Guilford County to participate in a national program meant to enhance services offered by public health providers across the country.
The new initiative will allow Guilford County's dental program to call on national and regional experts in public health care delivery, as well as consult with a highly successful program in Cabarrus County in an attempt to implement a best-practices model in Guilford County for delivering dental care to uninsured children and adults.
Guilford County and Cabarrus County have each been awarded one of 18 grants given nationally.
The $125,000 grant will help implement the dental services upgrade, which will rely largely on the expertise and experience of Cabarrus County representatives, the national foundation and its staff, and the national consulting resources that organization has at its disposal. The influx of new ideas and best practices procedures are expected to lead to significant improvements in the way the Guilford County Department of Public Health provides dental services to the county's underprivileged.
Guilford County Health Director Merle Green said she's "very excited" our county was selected to participate in the program. She said the infusion of knowledge and expertise should be a big shot in the arm for the health department's dental care.
Green said Guilford County will work closely with Cabarrus County since Cabarrus had been determined to be one of the most effective public health entities in delivering dental care.
The Department of Public Health runs two dental clinics: The Greensboro Chandler Dental Clinic at 1103 W. Friendly Ave. and another on the county's governmental plaza at 501 E. Green Dr. in High Point.
Green added that Guilford County will reciprocate by sharing its expertise in epidemiology with Cabarrus County to help that county develop better practices in the study of the origin and spread of disease. The collaboration between the two counties, with guidance from the national foundation, is expected to last for two years.
The program bringing the two counties together and funding it is the Center for Sharing Public Health Services, which is part of the New Jersey-based Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
According to Green, the program will also study the causes that lead to dental diseases, as well as other related medical issues, in order to establish new programs that help prevent and control dental problems among county residents.
Guilford County's two dental clinics currently see about 5,000 patients per year, and many of those are under 21 and have no insurance. The number of clients served should increase if the program is successful.
Guilford County Commissioner Hank Henning said it's important for the county to be innovative and creative in the way it provides services to its citizens in need. He said that just because the commissioners will be looking at cutting costs this year doesn't mean the county is going to abandon its most needy citizens. Henning said Guilford County needs to "take a hard look at services." However, he added that the county must still look after its most disadvantaged residents.
The good news is that, in this one case at least, everyone seems to agree that accepting a national grant from a private institution geared toward helping provide dental care for the underprivileged in the county is a good thing.