It’s hard enough for struggling families to afford doctors’ visits, but costs for dental care, which often are not covered by employee health plans, can be even more debilitating. However, the non-profit North Hudson Community Action Corporation, located at 5301 Broadway in West New York, offers many preventive dental services for people who are on Welfare or are otherwise unable to afford regular medical care.
The center’s dental program, which began about five years ago as part of the pre-natal care program for pregnant women, provides preventive and emergency services for its patients.
“Initially we incorporated dental into the prenatal care unit,” said Dr. Janet Lavandeira, one of the two dentists working with the Corporation, last week. “When we moved on-site, [the dental program] evolved into a little bit of everything.”
The dental program only moved to the Broadway site about three years ago.
The program provides x-rays, cleaning, fillings, extractions and sealants.
However, since the facility is among one of the smallest in the health center, the doctors can not perform root canals, dentures, partials, crowns or bridges.
“We try to accommodate as many people as we can,” said Lavandeira. “We do what is within our means to do.” If a patient does need a root canal or another service not provided, the corporation refers him or her to dentists within the community.
The costs
North Hudson Community Action is a non-profit organization designed to provide health care services to those members of the community that are not insured or are unable to afford many doctor’s visits.
“The population we serve is supposed to be the underserved,” said Lavandeira.
The corporation accepts Medicare and Medicaid insurance and also services those who do not have insurance, or are considered uncompensated care.
“About 42 percent of the patients apply for uncompensated care,” said the corporation’s Chief Operating Officer, Michael Shababb, last week.
Uncompensated care patients go through a financial evaluation at the Corporation. The Corporation uses a sliding scale based on their income to set prices for the services they receive. The remainder of the fee is reimbursed to the corporation by the state.
To apply for uncompensated care, patients need to provide proper identification, proof of residency in the towns served by the NHCAC (Secaucus, West New York, Union City, North Bergen, Guttenberg, Kearny, Weehawken, East Newark, and Harrison) and proof of income.
Expanding its care
North Hudson Community Action’s Dental Program has added an additional day as well as night hours to help accommodate its patients and make dental care more convenient.
“The volume has been steadily growing,” said President and CEO of the corporation Michael Leggiero. “We had to add additional days per week.”
The center will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday and Thursday evenings from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. These new hours will begin on Nov. 11.
“We were scheduling appointments six to eight weeks in advance,” said Lavandeira. “Now we are at a point where we are scheduling only one or two weeks in advance.”
The center also allows walk-in patients. To make an appointment or for more information, call 866-9320 ext. 190.