Penn Dental Medicine is helping to improve access to care for persons with disabilities through a commitment to provide continuing education and educational content to dentists on how to manage this special population. AmeriHealth Caritas, one of the nation’s largest Medicaid managed care organizations, has partnered with Penn Dental Medicine and Temple University’s Maurice H. Kornberg School of Dentistry to utilize the schools’ education programs as part of its Inclusive Dental program, a new initiative by the company aimed at expanding community-based dental care for persons with disabilities.
In conjunction with the April 1 launch of Inclusive Dental in Southeastern Pennsylvania, the inaugural continuing education program of this partnership was held at Penn Dental Medicine on March 30 and at Temple on March 29, drawing more than 80 practitioners from the region. The program included lectures on defining disability; communicating effectively with parents, caregivers, and patients; principles of dental care for persons with disabilities; and treatment options through the lifespan.
“It is vital that we teach dentists how to deliver care to persons with disabilities in a culturally sensitive way, in the office, in the community setting,” says Penn Dental Medicine’s Morton Amsterdam Dean Mark Wolff.
Expanding clinical care services for persons with disabilities and increasing the educational experiences with this population for students is a top priority for Dean Wolff, with plans moving forward to create a patient care center at Penn Dental Medicine devoted exclusively to serving these individuals.
Read more at Penn Dental Medicine.
