United Way, North Shore-LIJ Unveil New Mobile Dental Van to Treat Uninsured Kids and Adults on Long Island
A group of four-year-old children and their parents today joined representatives from United Way of Long Island and the North Shore-LIJ Health System to celebrate the launch of a new mobile dental van that will treat uninsured children and adults in some of Long Island’s neediest communities.
Services will be delivered in a 38-foot-long vehicle equipped with two dental chairs and staffed by a dentist and support personnel employed by North Shore-LIJ. The van, purchased at a cost of about $450,000, was made possible through the generosity of the Horace and Amy Hagedorn Long Island Fund in the Long Island Community Foundation. A $979,000 grant from the New York State Health Foundation will fund the operations of the mobile unit for approximately 18 months.
“Dental care is a frequently neglected healthcare service for children and adults without insurance,” said Michael J. Dowling, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of the North Shore-LIJ Health System. “Through our partnership with United Way of Long Island, North Shore-LIJ is fulfilling a major community health need, which is part of our core mission as Long Island’s largest healthcare provider.” This new initiative is part of the “Mobile Health Long Island” program supported by United Way of Long Island and the North Shore-LIJ Health System, including North Shore-LIJ employees who contribute through payroll deductions to the United Way. The van will operate six days a week, providing a full range of dental services to needy residents in Hempstead, Central Islip, Bay Shore, Brentwood and Riverhead. The van will make twice-a-week visits (Tuesdays and Thursdays) to the Family Service League’s Iovino South Shore Family Center in Bay Shore, the site of today’s announcement, and the Hagedorn Community Center in Hempstead on Mondays and Wednesdays. On Fridays, the mobile dental center will treat elderly residents during alternating visits to five naturally occurring retirement communities (NORCs) served by North Shore-LIJ clinicians:
Plans also call for Sunday visits to Riverhead. “An apple a day keeps the doctor away but you can’t eat an apple without healthy teeth. Dental care is the gateway to proper nutrition and good health,” said Christopher M. Hahn, president and CEO of United Way of Long Island. “The launch of the Mobile Dental Unit of Mobile Health Long Island is the result of an incredible collaborative effort of Long Islanders working to help those most in need in our communities With the generosity of the late Horace Hagedorn and the employees at North Shore-LIJ through their United Way workplace campaign, plus the support of the grant from the New York Health Foundation, this initiative will mean so much to so many Long Island children, seniors and families for years to come. United Way is proud to have been the convener to bring all these partners together to make this a reality.” The dental unit is staffed by a full-time dentist, a dental hygienist, dental assistants and rotating dental residents from the health system, said Ronald Burakoff, DMD, chairman of dental medicine at the North Shore-LIJ Health System. “It provides residents with basic dental services, including cleanings, x-rays and fillings,” he said, adding that services will include an emphasis on prevention. "These are exactly the kinds of innovative solutions we need to be exploring and implementing to ensure the best quality health care for all of our communities," said James Knickman, president and CEO of the New York State Health Foundation. "Far too often today, so many of our communities lack access to the most basic health care services. Instead of forcing community members to travel many miles, this creative solution brings these important services to the community. I applaud United Way and North Shore-LIJ for providing this important initiative and I'm proud that we'll be able to take part in making certain these services are provided." The dental unit is an important addition to North Shore-LIJ’s and United Way’s Mobile Health Long Island program, which already features a mobile health center that provides pediatric services five days a week at the Hagedorn Family Resource Center in Hempstead, using an RV-sized vehicle equipped with two exam rooms, a registration/waiting area, and a team of doctors, nurses and other staff. The mobile health center also treats adults during weekly visits to the Mary Brennan Interfaith Nutrition Network in Hempstead on Friday afternoons. At today’s news conference at the Family Service League in Bay Shore, a group of four-year-olds became the first patients of the new dental unit, receiving an initial examination by dentists Sukrita Matta, DMD, and Fisun Cokyuksel, DMD.As one of the children said, “I’m glad I can learn how to have a healthy smile.” To find out more about the dental services or to make an appointment, call 516-483-1110. Media Contact: |
