Lawmakers Visit UIC College of Dentistry
Rep. Thaddeus Jones (D-29th) was one of several state lawmakers who recently visited the UIC College of Dentistry to learn more about the schools educational programs and its efforts in providing health care to needy populations. Other state representatives who visited UIC included: Rep. Monique Davis (D-27th), Rep. LaShawn Ford (D-8th), and Rep. Constance Howard (D-34th).
Dr. Bruce S. Graham, Dean, UIC College of Dentistry told the Chicago Citizen that the school invited legislators to provide them with information about services it provides to the people of Illinois.
We spoke with Rep. Jones and his colleagues about the fact that the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Dentistry now is the only dental school in Chicago; that 34 percent of Illinois dentists are UIC alumni, and 74 percent of UIC College of Dentistry graduates during the past decade are licensed to practice in Illinois. So our College and its graduates have a huge impact on oral healthcare in Illinois, he said.
Jones says he learned a lot from the visit.
I learned about the new children center at UIC. I also learned about the dental programs for low income families at UIC. I was under the impression that the school only focus was student programs, my visit corrected my impression. The visit not only enlightened me, but inspired me to work with UIC in the upcoming year, he said.
UIC College of Dentistry has 88,000 patient visits annually, with 17,000 of those adult Medicaid patient visits, and 26,000 of those children Medicaid patient visits. We are the oral health care safety net clinic for Chicago and Northern Illinois. Annually, the College provides $2.3 million in uncompensated patient careessentially, free dental care for people who cannot pay, Graham said.
Graham said the college hopes to work with Jones and other legislators on several initiatives. He explained one initiative to the Chicago Citizen.
One is dentist loan repayment funding for dentists who practice in underserved areas of Illinois. The Illinois program is limited to $25,000 of state loan repayment money for such dentists per year of service when the program is funded, and the dentist has to reapply yearly. We need more robust funding, and we asked the legislators to support initiatives that would provide more state loan repayment funding for dentists who agree to practice in underserved areas, said Graham.
Jones said he would like to implement a program at local high schools to allow students to tour the dental school. In addition, the legislator wants to expand a dental program in Ford Heights.
By expanding some of the features [at] the dental clinic in Ford Heights to residents through the district, more low income families will be able to get services. And, by implementing a tour of the dental school with high school students, it will provide them with another choice as they began their college careers, he said.
by Thelma Sardin
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