Community Dental and ChesPenn Join Forces

Our New Leadership Team: Jaclyn Gleber, Karen Breitmayer, Tamara Fox, 

Mike Lucas, Candy Harkins, Susan Harris, Susan Sullivan, Regina Lewis

We’re excited to announce that effective July 1, 2014 Chester County Community Dental will become a part of ChesPenn Health Services.  This further strengthens an existing partnership and puts us at the forefront of an important development in health care.  For years, dental and medical health care have been addressed separately.  Current thinking regarding  healthcare delivery advocates for a highly integrated system in which medical, dental and behavioral healthcare providers work closely together in a patient-centered team approach. 

This highly integrated model can be especially helpful to low income, un- and underinsured patients, who often face complex medical and dental health challenges as these conditions often influence one another.  For example, diabetic patients are more prone to gum disease while gum infections make it harder to regulate their blood sugar.  Since we serve many of the same patients and are co-located in the Brandywine Center, this is a natural fit for both organizations.  Our missions are similar, consequently our patients will benefit from the synergy created by our complementary strengths.

Our patients can look forward to maintaining their relationships with the dental care professionals they’ve come to trust.  They’ll receive the same outstanding quality of care.  And they will benefit from a sliding fee scale that makes our dental services even more affordable and will better accommodate those financially challenged.  ChesPenn is committed to providing care to patients regardless of their ability to pay.  This merger will make quality dental care for underserved Chester County residents more accessible and sustainable and will complement their medical health, enhancing their well-being for a lifetime.

Community Dental Executive Director Regina Horton Lewis hailed the partnership as a venture into the leading edge of community health care, "For too long, dentists and doctors have often worked independently of one another.  Now we know how critical dental health is to general health and it just makes sense to have our medical and dental health providers working together as a team to improve our patients' health."  Michael G. Lucas, President and CEO of ChesPenn, added, "The Board of Directors and staff of ChesPenn are delighted to form this new partnership with Community Dental.  We welcome Community Dental's staff to our team and look forward to working with them to provide highly coordinated, patient-centered care to the residents of Coatesville and Chester County."

ChesPenn CEO Mike Lucas,
Dental Director Dr. Nancy Koshetar
& Staff Dentist Dr. Sofia Barroso

Frances Sheehan, President and CEO of Brandywine Health Foundation, which provides funding for both organizations, expressed her enthusiasm for the move. "As a principal funder of both entities, the Brandywine Health Foundation is enthusiastic about Community Dental and ChesPenn's efforts to consolidate operations in Coatesville.  In their shared facility in the Brandywine Center, integration will enable them to survive and thrive in the increasingly competitive healthcare marketplace, and to better meet their similar missions." 

Make your Appointment for Comedy Therapy

In spite of the weather, it really is spring.  Many of us are planning for the summer, maybe a family trip, maybe a whole summer away.  While you’re setting your summer calendar, jump forward just a few months and make your appointment on Saturday, November 15 for a night with three talented doctors of comedy. 

Our third annual Night of 10,000 Smiles is scheduled for Saturday, November 15, 7 to 10pm at the Downingtown Country Club.  We sold out last year, so save your place early.  Now you really have something to look forward to!  

Meet your doctors of comedy for this year:

Robin Fox

Tom McTiernan

Dan Natureman

Consider a sponsorship.  It's a great opportunity to network with leaders in the Chester County health care, business and government sectors and show your support for great health care for your neighbors who need it most.

Contact Tamara Fox, 601-291-0516 or tfox@chescodental.org for more 

information.

Click here to register.

Penn Liberty Bank Adopts McNeil Children's Library

Josh Dileo and Steve Groening at Penn Liberty Downingtown

Penn Liberty Bank has adopted the McNeil Children’s Library.  Steve Groening and Lois Fury at the Downingtown and Chester Springs Branches have set up collection boxes and are inviting their customers and members of the community to donate new or like-new children’s and young adult books.

The McNeil Children’s Library, located in the ChesPenn/Community Dental waiting room, provides books to children who come in for medical or dental care.  Each child who comes in for medical or dental care, or who accompanies a parent receiving care, is encouraged to take home a book to keep.  Many of the families who come to our offices for health care can’t afford to buy books for their children, but we know that literacy provides a path out of poverty.   We hope to instill a love of reading and learning in our children and set them on that path. 

We also know that literacy and health are connected.  Studies have proven that increased literacy levels are directly connected to better health.  Those who can read are better able to understand their health status, follow their health care providers’ recommendations and take their prescriptions. 

Because it is a giving library, not a lending library, we go through a lot of books.  We always need new books to share with each child and teen who comes into our offices.

If your family or organization has new or like-new children’s or young adult books to share, please drop them off at Penn Liberty Bank, 1201 E. Lancaster Ave., Downingtown or 210 Font Rd., Downingtown.

Chester County Commissioners Recognize Children’s Dental Health Month

Commissioner Terence Farrell, Tamara Fox, Regina Horton Lewis,
Commissioner Kathi Cozzone and Commissioner Ryan Costello

In February the Chester County Commissioners issued a Proclamation recognizing Children’s Dental Health

Month.  Braving the cold and just ahead of yet one more big snow, the Commissioners issued this Proclamation and honored Community Dental with an award of $25,000 in recognition of our work to eliminate dental disease in children.

The Proclamation began:   “WHEREAS:  Dental disease is a winnable public health battle that directly impacts the economic and overall health of the nation; and WHEREAS: Cavities are the number one chronic childhood disease, even though they are 100% preventable.  Mouth pain and other complications hurt a child’s ability to learn in school, and can create hurdles to finding a job in the future;”

We couldn’t have said it better.  Dental disease in children has become an epidemic.  And it’s so unnecessary.  Regular check-ups, starting at one year of age, combined with good nutritional choices and application of dental sealants, can virtually eliminate cavities in children.  Sealants have been proven to be highly effective at protecting teeth from cavities and Chester County is the only county in Pennsylvania that partners with area organizations to provide free sealants to children from low income families.  Community Dental has worked with the Chester County Health Department and area school districts for five years to provide sealants to children who aren’t able to go to a private dentist.      

Thank you, Commissioners, for you leadership and for helping Community Dental and other organizations improve the health and well-being of  our neighbors who can't afford health care on their own.

A Head Start on Dental Health

Too many children in Chester County have large, painful cavities by the time they’re four or five years old. A shocking number have multiple cavities so large you can see them with the naked eye.  Knowing this—seeing it week after week—is what motivates Jaclyn Gleber to travel across Chester County teaching children about dental health and screening them for cavities. 

In October Jaclyn led workshops at Head Start in Phoenixville, West Chester and Coatesville. Her workshops are a natural fit for the Head Start Program, which prepares young children to be ready for school. The pain of dental disease makes it hard for children to focus in class.  Children sometimes act out to distract themselves from their pain.  And too often, children miss school altogether, losing 51 million hours nationally every year because of dental disease. 

Dental disease is the most common chronic childhood disease. It’s five times more common than asthma and 100% preventable. Learning good dental health habits early can help prevent disease and screening identifies children who already have serious cavities.  Jaclyn, a Registered Public Health Dental Hygienist and Ph.D. in Education, is an evangelist for good dental health practices.  Her lightning-strike energy and enthusiasm, combined with her skill at
interactive teaching techniques, makes her
classes fun and fast-paced. 

During her workshops, Jaclyn also screened children for obvious cavities and worked with Head Start’s staff to ensure those with cavities were referred to Community Dental or other dental practics more convenient for
their families.


Community Dental’s workshops extend our reach beyond the dental center into the community, helping to teach families the importance of early dental care.

Just look at these faces, these beautiful children. We want to keep them smiling and healthy for the rest of their lives.

Dental Care Across the Generations

At Community Dental we see patients of every age from 9 months to 99 years. They represent the past and, we hope, the future of dental health.  Harold Smith, who’s 85, first came to us a year ago.  Several of his teeth had to be extracted.  After his gums healed we began the process of creating dentures for him.  He has beautiful new teeth now, but adjusting to dentures takes time and they’re never quite the same as your own teeth.  Harold is getting the hang of it and is happy to be able to chew real food and smile without embarrassment, but we’d be happier if he’d never had to go through this ordeal at all.  Harold is a big social networker and likes to connect with people both in person and on Facebook.  Having his smile back has meant the world to him.

Zion Morton is just two years old.  Hecame in for his very first visit on the same day Harold had his final denture fitting.  He sat in his mom’s lap as Keri, one of our hygienists, cleaned his teeth and Dr. Barroso gave him a gentle examination.  He played with the dinosaur dental puppets and when he was ready to leave he got to pick out a toy.  Now Zion thinks coming to the dentist is fun.  His mom learned how to help him brush and floss his teeth and what foods and beverages will keep his teeth healthy.  She’s committed to bringing him in twice a year for checkups.  Zion has a great head start on a lifetime of good dental health.

Zion personifies Community Dental’s vision for Chester County. Too many people living in the county suffer the consequences of poor dental health—lack of self-confidence, poor academic performance, limited career opportunities and poor general health.  We’re honored to be able restore their appearance and eliminate their pain, but we can’t undo years of poor dental care.  Children like Zion who have a first visit by age one or two and receive care regularly will not only have beautiful smiles, they’ll perform better in school, become more employable and have better health for the rest of their lives.

 

Dental Health is a Family Value



Jose

Nine year old Jose sat comfortably in the dental chair. He'd had his check-up and cleaning and he was all smiles. He liked the feeling of just-cleaned teeth. He also looked forward to taking home a toy and a free book after his visit. His sister Aszaria, who's seven, was waiting her turn with Sellena, their mom. Their brother Kortez, the youngest at five years old, was due on the next day. Jose, Kortez and Aszaria have been coming to Community Dental every six months since 2011.


Keri and Aszaria













Sellena has become a big Community Dental fan.
“I love Jaclyn and Keri’s energy with the kids,” she told us.  “They get them interested in learning about their teeth.  The staff is so warm and they talk to the kids so they’re very relaxed about coming to the dentist.  And you’re right here in my community.  We walk by all the time and we can see in the big windows.  It makes the dentist's office less strange and scary.”

We’re excited to see more families like this one making Community Dental their dental home.  Not so long ago, most of our patients came in with emergencies.  Too often, by that time we had no choice but to extract teeth too damaged to save.  This family, and others like them, reflect our vision for Chester County’s future.  Their children are learning to feel good about coming to the dentists office. They’re not likely to suffer the pain of serious dental disease or the loss of education it can cause.  Most importantly, they’re getting a  head start on a life of good dental health.