Agenda - 03-05-2009 - Attachment 2

Browse Search

S-11 * DHS -- Proposal (Provide a brief description of the service change) Eliminate Access to Dental Clinical Services at Carr Mill Mall S-11 * DHS -- Fiscal Impact (This number should correspond to the amount included on the department's budget request excel spreadsheet) Total Reduction for S-11 is $67,641: $62,291 Eliminate Building Rent $1,100 Eliminate copier rental $4,250 Eliminate telephones (& cost of monthly cable charges in the IT budget). There will be costs associated with moving and storage of the dental equipment and furniture unless a decision is made to auction it and there may be costs associated with premature termination of building lease. All of the office equipment except for two desks, 10 chairs and one table are from 1980 and should be surplus equipment. The desks, chairs and table can be utilized in other health department locations. We are projecting no loss of earned revenue since the client base will shift to the northern part of the county. Staff projections are that the demand is sufficient in the northern end of the county to serve an equivalent number of patients at the Hillsborough location. S-11 * DHS -- Description — Describe, in detail, the service delivery impact of the proposed reduction/change. Closing the Carr Mill Dental Clinic would decrease access to dental clinical services for children and adults in the southern part of Orange County. Dental services would continue to be available to all Orange County residents but they would have to travel to the Hillsborough Dental Clinic. The Hillsborough Dental Clinic would operate Monday through Friday serving all Orange County Residents. The Carr Mill Dental Clinic currently serves 665 unduplicated patients annually for a total of 1400 returning patient visits and 186 new patient visits. Of those total visits, 38% are Hispanic/Latino patients. There are 802 children patient visits and 606 adult patient visits. Carr Mill Mall dental patients will likely not travel to Hillsborough for services, as their transportation resources are limited and the bus to Hillsborough requires a lengthy time commitment. These patients will need to find other safety net providers (Carrboro Community Health Center and UNC Dental Clinic) in the Southern part of the county. UNC Dental Clinics require upfront payment of services and operates their clinical appointments through a lottery system due to the demand for services. They report that usually patients entering the lottery are able to secure an appointment within three months of first entering the lottery. Carrboro Community Health Center Dental Clinic provides mainly urgent care dental services due to their demand volume and limited physical facility. Both the UNC Dental Clinic and Carrboro Community Health Center are not limited to Orange County residents and accept patients from all surrounding counties. In addition, Dental SHAC is a free dental clinic run by dental students from UNC School of Dentistry, operating two or three evenings a week at the Carr Mill Dental Clinic. If the clinic is closed, Dental SHAC would have to find another suitable dental office to continue their services. Approximately 380 patients are served annually through the Dental SHAC clinic receiving 800 free dental treatment services. Patients who are served through the Dental SHAC clinic are patients that are experiencing dental pain and are not able to receive regular dental care due to financial constraints. 39