[ View Opportunities ]
| Last updated on May 9, 2008 |
PDI’s mission is to improve the oral health of children from low-income familes and underserved populations (such as patients with developmental disabilities) through treatment and engaging prevention education. Oral health is fundamental to overall health, and treatment and education helps build the confidence children need to excel in school and on the playground. No one deserves to suffer from tooth aches or be shy to smile because their teeth are rotten!
Description:
PDI began as a broad community coalition and continues to operate in that manner. Partners of PDI include Kid’s Net, Sonoma Oral Health Access Coalition (SCOCAH), school-based programs such as Healthy Start, Sonoma Indian Health clinics, mobile dental clinics, community clinics , and dental societies in Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake Counties.
Activities. With tremendous community and donor support, PDI reached two milestones in 2007: the construction of a state-of-the-art dental surgery center in Windsor, and the close of our $1M capital campaign. On December 28, 2007, PDI successfully treated its first patient (required for AAAHC licensing). PDI’s bilingual and bicultural lead-case manager, Wendy Lopez, works with families to complete paperwork, arrange transportation for their children to the surgery center, and address the other barriers that are unique to low-income families traveling from each of the 5 counties PDI serves (Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, Lake, and Marin). Working with families and referring clinics, 180 children have been succesfully treated at the new PDI surgery center since it opened on January 22. PDI case manager Wendy Lopez has already booked the next eight weeks of Medi-Cal/Healthy Kids patients.
History:
PDI first learned there was an overwhelming demand for, and lack of access to, hospital dentistry services for children from low-income communities through early meetings with case workers from community health clinics, school readiness programs, service providers, and other groups serving low-income and underserved populations in Northern California. In 2002, PDI discovered a potential solution to this growing crisis in our community: a successful and self-sustaining surgery center located in the central valley: the Central Valley Dental Surgicenter in Atwater (near Modesto) (referred to simply as “Atwater”). Atwater has for years treated children from low-income backgrounds that require safe general anesthesia for dental care. Shortly after visiting Atwater, PDI partnered with a dentist that shared the same passion for treating underserved populations, and began the planning for the PDI surgery center. After receiving support from local, state and federal bodies for the planning phase of this unique and innovative public/private partnership model – key funding support coming from the California Endowment, and a Federal HRSA grant – PDI began construction on the surgery center in Windsor.
In preparation for the surgery center’s grand opening, PDI worked closely with local clinics and agencies that will be referring patients to the surgery center. With PDI's membership and participation in county-specific Oral Health Coalitions such as the Sonoma County Oral Health Access Coalition, Mendocino Healthy Start and First 5 Outreach, and Lake County Children’s Council and the Healthy Start Collaborative meetings, PDI had a strong referral network and community partnerships in place, that allowed us to offer our much-needed long term resource for children in urgent need of hospital dentistry in the most efficient manner as soon as we opened the doors of the surgery center on January 22, 2008.
Contact people:
Office fax number: (707) 837-8877
Address:
 |
1360 19th Hole Drive, Suite 205
Windsor, CA 95492
(See a map) |
Web Site: http://www.pedidental.org
Directions:
|
Take the Shiloh exit off Hwy 101, and head west. Turn right on 19th Hole Drive. The PDI surgery center, also knows as the Redwood Empire Surgery Center (RESC) is the first building on your left. PDI's administrative offices are located in the second building to the left, on the second floor. |
Be the first person to offer feedback on this agency!
Post a volunteer reflection to share your experiences with other volunteers!
