Clinic plans expansion
Lynchburg News and Advance
Saturday, April 15, 2006The dental program at the Free Clinic of Central Virginia is getting ready to undergo major expansion, more than doubling its present size. The dental clinic will move downstairs to the Free Clinic building at 1016 Main St. With six dental stations and a state-of-the art equipment sterilization station, the number of patients served should rapidly rise, said Bob Barlow, Free Clinic executive director.
Construction will begin in July and fundraising is already under way.
In addition to the support of area dentists, the expansion is possible for two reasons, said Barlow. The clinic will have six dental externs - up from three - from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Dentistry. Centra Health Foundation has made a donation of about $100,000 for equipment. The Free Clinic must cover the construction costs.
In the early years of the Free Clinic, dental services could only be offered during evenings when the dentist volunteers had completed their own office hours.
In 2003, VCU and the Free Clinic entered an agreement to allow dental students to use the Lynchburg facility as part of their required clinical extern experience. Licensed area dentists, serving as mentors and as adjunct VCU faculty, supervise their work.
The program is extremely successful.
The clinic patient visits soared. “We quintupled when we added the day program,” which is now at 2000 visits a year, said Barlow.
Dr. Ronald J. Hunt, dean of the VCU School of Dentistry, said it was not difficult to rework schedules to allow the additional extern training in Lynchburg.
Students like the program, Hunt said. “It’s a great partnership.”
“They say it’s one of the best experiences in dental school.”
“They enjoy working with the community dentists,” said Hunt. “They’re not learning how to do procedures, but to do total patient care.”
Students get a lot accomplished in a day’s time, said Hunt. “And they come back (to VCU) with a higher level of confidence.”
Working in the Free Clinic gives them a chance to work with patients who really need the care, he said. “They learn there are large groups in the community who don’t have access to care.”
The Free Clinic dental patients range in age from 20 to over 65, said Barlow. Some have never had dental care.
Some may be employed, but have no health benefits. Others may be unemployed and unable to access to dental care, he said. All patients must meet financial guidelines.
The Free Clinic of Central Virginia was the first to develop an externship program with VCU. Now there are five such programs, said Hunt.
Someday there may be a limit to how many VCU students will be available - “but we haven’t hit it.”
Dr. John Howard, a Lynchburg area dentist, volunteers as a supervisor for the program and is an adjunct VCU faculty member.
Having the Free Clinic program available “gives people the opportunity to come and be taken care of by some very talented students who are able to treat them,” said Howard.
Patients are appreciative, he said, and in need of dental care. “It is health issue in the community,” he said.
Barlow said through the expansion, the goal is to have 4000 patient visits. That sounds like a lot, but it’s still not enough.
“I think that between us and the James River Dental Clinic (a Johnson Health Center program in Madison Heights) we’re probably still only serving 20 to 30 percent of the people who have dental needs.”
The downstairs dental suite will cover about 3,000 square feet of the basement area’s 6,000 square feet.
As sketched out by architect Jeffery Yentz who donated the drawings to the clinic, the renovated area with its six new operatories (dental stations) also will include a large basement window.
Barlow said that Meds Help, a pharmacy access program, would remain in that location as will the small kitchen. A bathroom adapted to wheelchair users will be added.
With the expansion come greater on-going expenses, particularly in water and utilities.
Barlow is seeking grants to defray costs. In addition, the clinic has a number of “naming” opportunities for large donations.
“We’re raising the construction costs concurrently with building it,” he said. They need about $125,000.
The hope that as awareness of the project grows, he said, a high-speed summer campaign will generate the needed construction revenue.
On the front wall of the dental suite will be a list of everyone who donates to the dental expansion “whether it be one dollar or whether it be $100,000.”
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