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Queen’s
dental clinic
gets new life

First lady Vicky Cayetano
steps in to help save the clinic
that has about 4,000 patient
visits each year

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By Helen Altonn
Star-Bulletin

The proposed June closing of the dental clinic at Queen's Medical Center has been averted with state help initiated by First Lady Vicky Cayetano.

The first lady hosted a meeting Monday at Washington Place with state Health Director Bruce Anderson and Dan Jessop, Queen's executive vice president and chief operating officer.

Queen's announced last month that it was closing its 40-year-old dental program because it is losing about $350,000 a year, mostly by providing free care to the poor. The clinic has about 4,000 patient visits annually, and costs are not covered by reduced Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements.

Jessop said the first lady was concerned about the clinic's closing. "She said this is a program the community needs and she got Bruce and myself together," he said, giving her "a pat on the back" for getting involved.

Jessop explained the situation to Anderson, and "we came to the conclusion this is a very important program and the state would find the dollars to support the program for one year."

About $400,000 is needed from the state for a year, then Queen's would have to find money after that, Jessop said.

He said Anderson suggested possible federal grants for the dentistry program that Queen's hasn't applied for.

"This gives us breathing room to look at options," Jessop said. "It's (the clinic) an excellent program and we would not want to drop it if funds were there. Bruce did bridge an important gap for one year."

Searching for money after the Monday meeting, Anderson turned to a one-time million-dollar budget addition by the Legislature this year to provide community dental health services for the developmentally disabled.

"As it turns out, we have difficulty spending those funds before the end of the year, given the process we have to go through," he said. Thus, a portion of the money will be available for the Queen's dental residency program, he said.

Anderson also credited the first lady for getting him and Jessop together. "She was instrumental in persuading Queen's to keep the program going."

Jessop called him yesterday to say Queen's has decided to keep the clinic open, based on their discussion, Anderson said.

"It's great news. I think everyone is relieved.

Dr. Mark Greer, chief of the state Dental Health Division, said it would be a loss for the entire state if Queen's closed its dental clinic because it's the only program of its type in Hawaii.

"This is the site where people go, particularly medically fragile individuals and developmentally disabled people, who need dental treatment in the operating room."

Neighbor island Medicaid patients needing dental surgery are flown to Queen's, Greer said.

Without the clinic, he said, he said, "We would end up flying people not to Honolulu, but to California. So it is a real concern of the administration."