15 Mar IDA Foundation for Dental Health Awards Grant to Student Clinic
IUSD student volunteers operate the outreach clinic 2-3 Saturdays each month.
The Indiana Dental Association Foundation for Dental Health, in conjunction with the IndianaMOM Partner Grant Program, has recently awarded a grant to the Indiana University Student Outreach Clinic (SOC) The funds will be used to benefit patients in near Eastside Indianapolis through the free dental clinic while providing a unique educational experience for IUSD student and faculty volunteers.
The SOC is a student-run free clinic with an executive board of 18 dental students who run clinic session as well as behind-the-scenes operations. The clinic operates two or three Saturdays each month through People’s Health and Dental Center at 2340 East 10th Street in Indianapolis.
During the 2015-16 academic year, the clinic treated 121 patients during 261 patient visits. During that time, the student volunteers provided $36,189 in dental care according to Medicaid values. In private practice settings, this would equate to over $72,000 of dental care.
SOC board members are proud that the clinic is beginning to serve as a dental home for patients to receive routine dental care rather than emergency-only care while also serving as a one-of-a-kind, hands-on and interdisciplinary experience for student volunteers. During the same academic year, over 184 individual volunteers served over 1,940 hours, overseen by 13 active IUSD faculty members. The clinic provides the only opportunity for dental students to work with and learn from their future dental hygiene colleagues.
The SOC board would like to extend an invitation to all IDA members to visit the Student Outreach Clinic and have any questions answered. To arrange a tour, contact SOC Chair Andrew Bartels at arbartel@iu.ed.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.