Federal $350K grant funding facility upgrades
With an eagle eye and careful positioning, Dr. Cynthia Caldwell maneuvers a dental tool in her little patient’s mouth while the girl’s eyes remain fixed on her new, shiny scepter.
It’s her birthday and she’s getting her teeth cleaned.”I’m the only dentist here and seeing a limited number of patients,” said Caldwell at St. Charles Community Health
Help is on the way with a recently awarded federal grant, which could total $700,000 by next year. It also acknowledges that good teeth promote better health, as well as should help expand dental services to more residents. Some $156 million has been routed through the Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA) to 420 health centers in 47 states, including this one.
For the Luling center, which is operated by Access Health Louisiana, the grant is $350,000.
Of this total, $150,000 will go to interior dental space upgrades, said Trent Bussey, vice president of operations with Access Health Louisiana’s western division.
The rest of the money is going to service upgrades to patients, said Kaycee Dunnaud, who heads operations at the Luling clinic. For patients, this means being able to get root canals and other specialty services, as well as routine dental cleaning, extractions, fillings and X-rays.
Additionally, the HHS grant can be renewed up to two years possibly bringing the total allocation to $700,000.
If Access Health gets the full grant, Dunnaud said it would provide funds for additional hires, including a second dentist and a hygienist, as well as an additional examination chair and equipment, and improving the patient waiting area.
“We’re going to be able to offer our patients so much more because of this grant,” she said. “Services that we used to have to refer out for patients, we will be able to do in-house making treatment more convenient for the families who see us.”
Access Health Louisiana has been offering dental services at its Luling clinic for nine years.
Murray Architects of Destrehan will design the project. Construction is scheduled to bring in fall with a targeted completion date of early 2017.
According to Dunnaud, “One of the benefits of coming to our clinic for dental services is that we offer prices far below the competition. Patients can save a lot of money simply by picking up the phone and scheduling an appointment with our dentist.”
Caldwell sees patients Monday through Friday at the clinic. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to noon on Fridays. To schedule an appointment, call (985) 785-5800.
The Luling center’s dental upgrade is part of a national effort to serve more patients that will create about 1,600 jobs nationwide for dentists, hygienists, assistants, aides and technicians, as well as treat nearly 785,000 new patients.
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