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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: April 15, 2003 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No, <br />SUBJECT• Proposal to Change Dental Clinic Service Delivery <br />DEPARTMENT: Health PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />Draft Dentist Class Specification <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Rosemary Summers, Health Director, <br />extension 2411 <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Hillsborough 732-8181 <br />Chapel Hill 968-4501 <br />Durham 688-7331 <br />Mebane 336-227-2031 <br />PURPOSE: To consider a proposal to change the manner in which Orange County Health <br />Department Dental Clinic services are delivered to patients by realigning currently budgeted <br />resources. The realignment consists of: <br />• Reducing the County's reliance on the UNC School of Dentistry for professional dentist <br />coverage by authorizing a Dentist position in the Health Department, <br />• Funding the cost for the Dentist position by realigning existing funds for dentist contract <br />services and by reducing the currently authorized full time Dental Hygienist position to part- <br />time 20 hours <br />• Amending the Classification and Pay Plan to add the class of Dentist at salary grade 83. <br />BACKGROUND: Since 1981, the Orange County Health Department has offered clinical dental <br />services to low-income children and adults in Orange County. Originally funded with astart-up <br />grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the clinic has provided a constant source of <br />dental care for children and families who would otherwise not be able to afford dental services. <br />Clinic services are offered 2.5 days per week at the Whiffed Human Services Center in <br />Hillsborough and 2 days per week at the clinic located at Carr Mill Mall in Carrboro. <br />Clinic patients range from those who have Medicaid or other third-party insurance coverage to <br />self-paying patients who have no insurance coverage. Self-pay patients are charged fees for <br />the services they receive. Fees are charged on a "sliding fee scale" and are based on the <br />patient's ability to pay. <br />Each year, the demand for services increases. For example, in fiscal year 2001-02, nearly <br />4,100 patients received services - an increase of 2% percent from the previous fiscal year. It is <br />