A new, state-of-the-art dental clinic on wheels will soon become a familiar sight at Seattle-area schools.
The International Community Health Services (ICHS) will celebrate the launch of its own mobile dental clinic on December 9, 2013 at 4:00 p.m. with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house event. This initiative is made possible through a $440,000 federal grant under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. The clinic, developed as a partnership with Seattle-King County Public Health, Group Health, and Seattle Public Schools, will provide oral health care to low-income students and underserved children with limited access to dental services.
“The new mobile dental clinic opens up a whole new set of opportunities for us to meet the needs of our children in the community,” said Teresita Batayola, CEO of ICHS. “We take our responsibility seriously in ensuring they have access to proper medical and dental care. This mobile dental coach allows us to bring ICHS’ dental services even closer to them.”
Toothaches and oral pains are one of the most cited reasons why students miss school. This fully equipped mobile dental clinic will provide students K-12 with access to restorative and preventative care, including cleanings, exams, X-rays, fillings, extractions, sealants, fluoride treatments, emergency examination and palliative treatment right on the school grounds.
The mobile dental clinic is scheduled to move from school to school throughout the year with ICHS working closely with the following schools to develop a service delivery system that maximizes the clinic’s ability to serve those students with the greatest need.
· Aki Kurose Middle School
· Cleveland High School
· Franklin High School
· Ingraham High School
· Nathan Hale High School
· Nova High School
· Rainier Beach High School
· Seattle World School
· South Lake High School
· Washington Middle School
“We are very excited to get this mobile dental clinic on the road,” said Michael McKee, Director of Health Services and Community Partnerships at the ICHS. “Having the clinic on site will remove several barriers to oral care by eliminating the need for parents to take time off work and reducing students’ time away from the classroom for dental appointments.”
ICHS plans to bill health insurance plans for the services, and can also assist people in enrolling in free and low cost dental plans, if needed. No one will be refused services.
For more information on the ICHS Mobile Dental Clinic, visit http://www.ichs.com/mdc/.
Article compiled by ICHS. Photo courtesy of ICHS.
