Dental clinic at Queen’s
wins another reprieveThe issue: The Queen's Medical Center
dental clinic gets more state money but the
program's future remains uncertain.Once again, the Queen's Medical Center dental clinic has received state funds to keep it going, but the continued uncertainty of sustained support threatens its stability. The clinic, which treats poor and seriously ill patients and is the only program in Hawaii that trains dentists in critical care, should not have to go begging. The state, through three years of funding, has shown its commitment to the clinic. The medical center should match that commitment.
Governor Cayetano, recognizing that the clinic is vital, this week ordered that $200,000 in state money go to maintain its functions at least until June 2003. Queen's had planned to close the clinic next year as part of the medical center's cost-cutting. The clinic was first rescued by Hawaii's first lady, Vicky Cayetano, who last December prodded the state Department of Health to use $400,000 of its budget to continue operations. The department this year gave more state dollars, this time $305,000, to fund operations until June 2002.
However, the medical center in June again said it would close the clinic after that money runs out, citing continuing financial losses. It said the clinic's inability to find long-term funding would make that necessary. This contradicts the efforts of the dentists who volunteer at the clinic. They said they could have obtained a three-year federal grant had Queen's administration made a commitment to operate the facility.
The clinic's staff and volunteers have worked hard to cut operating losses from $350,000 to $200,000 in the last fiscal year and developed a new business plan to increase savings and efficiency. With the losses representing only a quarter of 1 percent of the medical center's budget, the savings to Queen's seems minimal when compared to the value of the program.
The clinic treats more than 4,000 patients a year. It serves not only the poor and disabled but accident victims who otherwise would have to be flown to the mainland. At a cost of $25,000 per patient, such transport is neither cost effective nor medically practical. The clinic is the only place where dentists are trained in critical care, who are specialists in short supply in Hawaii. Many of the 45 dentists who volunteer their services to the clinic have been trained in the program.
The state has been generous in providing funds, and the clinic's volunteer dentists appear to be making a concerted effort to find other money. What appears to be lacking is a commitment to the facility by the medical center.
Published by Oahu Publications Inc., a subsidiary of Black Press.Don Kendall, President
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