If it’s Sunday and your teeth hurt, what are your choices to see a dentist? Well, now you can put the federally funded North Hudson Community Action Center (NHCAC), which provides health care for low-income residents of the county, on your list of places to go.
Earlier this month, the center expanded their dental service hours, enabled by funding from a $1.5 million federal stimulus grant. Eventually the center will also expand the number of dental chairs available to treat patients.
Now, dental services at the center, at 5301 Broadway in West New York, are available Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Dentist Eddy Yapor hopes that the new hours will allow patients to have a shorter waiting time for an appointment.
“We’re doing the best that we can for our community,” said Yapor, who added that the center sees approximately 400 patients per month.
The center handles preventive care, fillings, and anterior root canals. Some services, such as an impacted wisdom tooth, are referred to other dental care providers.
Funding from government
Originally, the center applied for money via a state grant to expand service hours for their regular medical services under a pilot program that would last till June 31. Then the NHCAC was able to apply for federal stimulus funding by submitting a survey of how many patients were treated by the center in the previous year.
“Being that we’re the largest federally qualified health center in the state of New Jersey, we were probably one of the highest recipients of federal stimulus funding,” said NHCAC CEO Christopher Irizarry.
In total, the NHCAC will receive $3.9 million in federal stimulus funds.
________
The money will allow the center to keep their pilot program running for the next two years and enable the expansion of dental service hours.
“What we found is that over 70 percent of patients that were surveyed would have gone to the emergency room had our services not been available,” said Irizarry, who noted that a trip to the emergency room costs more than a trip to their clinic.
Irizarry also said that anyone is eligible to be treated at the center and there are no residency requirements. Those that don’t have insurance can be charged on a sliding scale depending on income qualifications. Fees can range as low as $20 per appointment.
Further $2.4 million expansion
The NHCAC also applied for and received a $2.4 million dollar federal stimulus award to improve services offered to patients. The money will be used to renovate and expand the facilities at the West New York offices, including the expansion of a dental area with an additional four dental chairs in the second floor complete with a brand new private waiting room.
A dental mobile vehicle will also be purchased that will work similar to the center’s current mobile medi-van. The money will also be used to purchase digital radiography for all NHCAC sites.
In addition, the center plans to open new offices in Union City that will consolidate the center’s administrative offices and house them all in one building.
The center has been given two years to put the money to use.
“I want to get away from the mindset of people saying, ‘Oh, I have to go to the clinic,’ and get to a position where people can say, ‘I want to go there,’ ” said Irizarry.
He also said the center received accreditation for the third consecutive year from the Joint Commission, an independent, non-profit organization that is considered one of the nation’s largest accreditation agencies. The center received the gold seal of approval from the Joint Commission in January of 2009.
To contact the NHCAC call (201) 866-9320.
Melissa Rappaport may be reached at mrappaport@hudsonreporter.com