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Senator Michael
Waugh (R-York) secured $52,000 grant for Family
First Health's Hanover Dental Center. The new dental suite, scheduled to open in August 2007, will be located inside Family First Health's Hanover Center at 1230 High Street near the North Hanover Mall. The center will be accepting new patients and will offer those in the Hanover community access to dental coverage regardless of their health insurance status or ability to pay. The Hanover Center will launch its dental office with one dentist and one hygienist, and has plans to add to its team of providers as the site grows. "In anticipating the integration of dental services to this site, we allocated and planned for enough space to one day expand. That day is finally here, and with the help from this grant obtained by Senator Waugh, we are pleased to offer the Hanover community a dental office that will serve the underserved, uninsured and those who are a part of the Medicaid system," Jenny Englerth, Executive Director of Family First Health said. The grant will help ease the dental crisis that exists in Hanover, Pa. Hanover has been named a Designated Dental Shortage Area by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and it is estimated that nearly 8,000 individuals in Hanover are Medicaid eligible. However, only one dental office in the area is participating in the Medicaid program and is currently not accepting new patients. "Family First Health has identified a true need in the Hanover community, and they have taken action to address that need," said Waugh. "It is for that reason I was pleased to assist them in securing grant funding for this project." Thanks to the grant obtained by Waugh, Family First Health's dental facility will be able to provide care to approximately 4,500 patients in the first full-year of operations. "Many people do not realize that regular oral care can prevent many illnesses and health issues in both children and adults, "Dr. James Patsis DDS, Dental Director of Family First Health said. "Unfortunately, the uninsured and underserved population have no where to turn to receive affordable care. Health centers like ours can play an important role in keeping our communities healthy." According to the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare, children in households with an annual income of less than $20,000 are three times more likely to lack dental care than children in households with an annual income of more than $100,000. Further, the most recent National Grading Project report from the advocacy group Oral Health America gave Pennsylvania an overall grade of C- based on the states lack of a statewide sealant program for children, its low percentage of dentists who accept Medicaid (fewer than 13 percent), lack of dental insurance coverage for older persons, the absence of statewide fluoridation requirements for water systems, and the lack of financial support for a state oral health program. In the prevention subcategory, the state received an F. Senator Waugh will be attending a lunch and learn session on August 7 at Family First Health, located at 116 S. George Street in York, Pa. from 12:00-1:15 p.m. During the lunch and learn he will participate in a discussion of York County's Oral Health Care Delivery System and will be joined by Pa. Secretary of Public Welfare Estelle Richman, John M. Bush, DDS, Dentist and York County Head Start Health Advisory Board Member, Executive Director of Family First Health, Jennifer Englerth and Executive Director of the Healthy York Coalition, Robin Rohrbaugh. Founded in 1970, York Health Corporation, now Family First Health, is a non-profit, Federally Qualified Health Center dedicated to providing a broad range of primary health, dental care and social services at its sites on South George Street in York, Hannah Penn Middle School, Lewisberry and Hanover. For more information regarding Family First Health please visit the Web site at www.familyfirsthealth.org. For more information on this press release or on the August 7 lunch and learn, please contact Jamie Fulginiti at 717.975.2148 or via email at jfulginiti@hersheyphilbin.com |
