news release

 

ANDREW J. SPANO, Westchester County Executive

JOSHUA LIPSMAN, M.D., M.P.H., Commissioner of Health

 SUSAN TOLCHIN, Director of Communications

 

 

CONTACT:     SUSAN TOLCHIN                                                                            (914) 995-2932

                           MARY LANDRIGAN                                                                     (914) 813-5013

                                                                                                                                      (914) 813-5000 (After Hours)

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                  May 17, 2004                      

 

HEALTH DEPARTMENT CLOSING DENTAL CLINICS

 

            The Westchester County Department of Health announced today that it will be closing its two dental clinics for children at 134 Court Street, White Plains and 20 South Broadway, Yonkers at the end of September.  These services are still accessible to the public through community providers and will allow the Health Department to free up over $400,000 to be used for other important programs. 

“The number of patients using the program has continuously declined since 1995,” said Dr. Joshua Lipsman, Commissioner of Health for Westchester County.  “In 2004, the Health Department budgeted approximately $428,000 for dental clinic services.   In these times of fiscal constraint, these funds will be shifted to help support services that are not available through community providers.  Presently, this change will affect 579 children, down from 5,357 children who were seen through the program in 1995.” 

“Since County government will no longer continue to provide dental services, our staff is working with patients to assure that they are linked up with compatible services,” Dr. Lipsman added.  “Prior to making the decision to close our dental clinics, the Health Department conducted a community survey and found that the dental services we offer are also available through a number of other community providers, thus assuring that our patients will be well taken care of.”

Once the Health Department receives formal approval for this closing from the State Health Department, each dental clinic patient will receive a letter from the Health Department offering its services in linking the patient up with other providers in the community.  Dental clinic employees will be either re-assigned to other jobs or assisted in finding employment elsewhere.  All dental equipment will be liquidated and the space will be used for other purposes.

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DENTAL CLINIC CLOSINGS P.2

The following community dental providers who serve the Health Department’s catchment area are available and will be working to address the dental needs of children previously treated at Health Department clinics:

 

Greenburgh Neighborhood Health Center

330 Tarrytown Road

Greenburgh, NY 10607

(914) 989-7600

 

Mount Vernon Neighborhood Health Center

107 West 4th Street

Mount Vernon, NY 10550

(914) 699-7200

 

Yonkers Community Health Center

30 South Broadway

Yonkers, NY 10701

(914) 968-4898

 

            Dr. Lipsman added that despite the clinic closures, the Health Department would continue to offer preventive dental services, such as the school preventive dentistry program and community oral health programs.

For additional information, contact the Health Department at (914) 813-5000 or visit www.westchestergov.com/health.

 

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