Friday, April 4, 2025
4/4/2025
Ryan White Title III HIV Capacity Development and Planning Grants - Project title: FY 2023 RWHAP Part C Capacity Development Program At NYCHHC – Jacobi, our Dentistry/OMFS department serves a large HIV/AIDS population in our general dental clinic. The hospital facility also has a dedicated HIV/AIDS clinic (ACS) that offers multidisciplinary approach to care that houses medical, dental and social work teams to care for this population of patients. The ACS program has existed for more than 20 years and has been one of the main hubs for our patients of which 97% are PWLA (People living with HIV). Furthermore, 95% of these patients are not only low income but represent marginalized, underserved, minority people with HIV/AIDS. Recently, as a result of patient demand, necessity, and our desire to improve access to care, we expanded our ACS dental clinic days from 2 days/wk. to 5 days/wk. This ACS dental clinic expansion increased our equipment and supply needs, which currently are transported on a daily basis from our general dental clinic. We now realize that we need proper/approved storage cabinetry insofar as temperature and humidity monitoring and control are concerned. This will ensure maintenance of appropriate sterilization protocol in the ACS Dental clinic, so as to maintain availability of instruments and equipment and improve the overall efficiency and department operation. Furthermore, the clinic expansion project and the ability to see more patients has raised the issue of ensuring that we have the proper armamentarium since we now have to equip the clinic for 5 days compared to our previous 2 days. This has worked in favor for our patients as they now have a decreased wait time for general dental services and specialty appointments. Because of the expansion, HIV patients from within our system at Jacobi as well as patients from outside facilities are able to access dental care in a more timely and effective manner. Currently, we see approximately 40 patients a week and the treatment includes but is not limited to diagnostic services, prevention, prosthodontics, endodontics, periodontics, operative dentistry, orthodontics and oral surgery. Presently, one room is equipped only for examinations, whereas the other room is equipped for procedures requiring a self-contained compressor and suction system, ProCart 2 (DNTL Trademark). With this capacity development program, the goal would be to equip both rooms for full utilization whereby each room would have an x-ray unit and the dental delivery system i.e., a self-contained compressor and suction system, ProCart 2. Furthermore, we need to increase the stock of instruments required for the respective procedures listed above. To reiterate, this infrastructure development plan will allow us to not only furnish the dental program in the ACS HIV/AIDS clinic with the proper storage and sterilization cabinetry, a Nomad portable x-ray unit and ProCart but it will allow us to increase efficiency and modernize the care offered to our HIV/AIDS patients through the use of an intraoral scanner and ACS specific dental instruments and equipment including but not limited to handpieces (high speed, slow speed), instruments needed for endodontics, fixed prosthodontics and operative. Currently, we have to share these items with our main dental clinic. However, with the above requested items, we will be able to improve the overall workflow of the dental department. It would also facilitate are daily provision of care and allow improved transition between patients. More often than not, there are delays between patients as operatory turnover takes time as the rooms are not currently equipped to provide all varieties of treatment and thus are not interchangeable. However, with the above requested infrastructure improvements, both rooms would be at capacity to facilitate any of the appointed procedures. This would not only improve patient care and safety, but it will enhance patient satisfaction.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).