Dental care institution at Cedar Avenue combines medical and dental services, lessening emergency room burdens.
In a groundbreaking move, Penn Dental Medicine has opened its newest community care site, Penn Dental on Cedar, at the PHMC Public Health Campus. The collaboration between Penn Dental Medicine and the care center at Cedar is transforming the landscape of healthcare, according to Shelley Henderson, an assistant professor of clinical family medicine and community health.
The new clinic, which began patient care in January 2024, is staffed with a combination of rotating third- and fourth-year Penn Dental Medicine students, residents in the School’s Advanced Education in General Dentistry program, and Penn Dental Medicine faculty and hygienists. This collaboration supports improved health outcomes, as stated by Dean Wolff of Penn Dental Medicine.
One of the key benefits of this integration is the improved access to dental care for patients who may not have had access before. A fourth-year student at Penn Dental Medicine, Jackie Cuccurullo, has been rotating in and out of Cedar for the past year, and she has found the experience invaluable in learning how to make patients who may not have a history with dentists more comfortable.
Moreover, the dental and medical electronic health records of Cedar patients are integrated, enabling seamless collaboration between dental and medical professionals. This integration is particularly beneficial for patients who have longer than usual waits to be seen by a doctor, as they can receive dental examinations while waiting.
Henderson, who has served as a provider at PHMC on Cedar since 2022, stated that the collaboration with Penn Dental Medicine has 'changed the game for us.' She added that care centers like the one at Cedar showcase to students that community dentistry is a viable alternative to private practices, and that Penn Dental on Cedar is an exciting opportunity for inspiring students to go out and treat everyone with dignity and respect.
The Cedar care center serves as a bridge between Penn Dental Medicine and the West and Southwest Philadelphia community. In addition to dental care, the PHMC Public Health Campus on Cedar includes the PHMC Health Center on Cedar, a federally qualified health center, and HUP (Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania) Cedar, which provides emergency, inpatient, and behavioral health services. The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia also offers a crisis response center for pediatric mental and behavioral emergencies at the PHMC Public Health Campus on Cedar.
In the first year of operation, Penn Dental on Cedar completed 8,350 dental procedures. Henderson also noted that patients can now receive optional dental examinations during a visit for a physical, making it easier for patients to prioritize their oral health.
The leader of Penn Dental Medicine since 2018 is Dr. Rajesh V. Lalla. Maintaining optimal oral health is essential to overall well-being, according to Penn Dental Medicine’s Morton Amsterdam Dean Mark S. Wolff. With the opening of Penn Dental on Cedar, the School is taking a significant step towards achieving this goal, by making dental care more accessible and integrated within the wider healthcare system.
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