Gathering Places
Gathering Places
After learning about the closure of The Queen's Dental Clinic, I'm sure that all those who care about dental health for the poor, medically compromised and disabled were left shaking or scratching their heads in disbelief. Put egos and economics
aside and save Queen’s
dental clinicThey must be saying to themselves: "What are our state politicians doing about this situation?" Truly, the state must realize the value of this program. It was just a few years ago that they labeled the dental community as insensitive toward the needs of this underserved population.
Here's a facility that has two residents and 44 volunteer dentists from the community who help treat some of this underserved group. Somehow we have fallen upon the usual "non election year, deaf ear."
Where will these people receive hospital dental care if this facility is shut down? We the taxpayers will have to foot the $75,000 cost if the state has to send these patients out of state. If the legislators are thinking about sending these patients to the state dental clinics, they are misinformed. The state dental clinics are undermanned and have no dentists with hospital privileges.
Let us look at the other side. Dan Jessop of The Queen's Medical Center says the clinic is part of an $8 million loss. There must be a few sympathetic board members who see $200,000 or 0.25 percent of the hospital budget as a small price to pay to make friends with the state or to fulfill Queen Liliuokalani's mission statement.
I know the dental clinic doesn't deal with saving lives, but it's still an integral part in the quality of life.
Within a year or two, I'm sure the Core Committee, a trouble-shooting panel at Queen's, can find ways to make the clinic profitable.
The community must realize that the benefits of the dental clinic stretch beyond the poor or medically disabled. On any given day, you or your loved one could be in a car accident or hit in the face by a golf ball and need the services of the dental residents.
Hopefully, there is enough community interest out there to influence legislators or encourage the Queen's board of directors to reverse its decision and maintain this worthy division and facility.
No one knows why the state and Queen's are not coming together to work things out. Maybe both have egos to protect or there's a big political game of cat and mouse going on. But one thing is for sure, it's the needy who will be hurt.
Russell J.S. Tom, D.D.S., is a former resident
and former dental division chief at The Queen's Medical Center.