Sunday, April 27, 2025
4/27/2025
Teaching Health Center Planning and Development Program - Applicant: HealthLinc Inc. Eligible Entity Type: Federally Qualified Healthcare Center Project Director/Contact: Beth Wrobel; bwrobel@healthlincchc.org Program Director/Contact: Dr. Isaac Zeckel, D.D.S.; izeckel@healthlincchc.org Residency Type: Dentist Residency Population Target Areas: Northern Indiana Funding Amount Requested: $500,000 Projected Number of Residents: 2 Residents Anticipated CODA Accreditation Date: March 31, 2025 Anticipated Residency Matriculation Date: July 1, 2026 HealthLinc’s mission is to create healthy communities. HealthLinc was started in 1996 in Northwest Indiana by a group of community activists who believed that healthcare was a right and not a privilege. HealthLinc’s advocates were volunteers who saw a need for healthcare in low-income areas. HealthLinc gained Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) status in 2006 and has since grown to serve five counties through 12 free-standing clinics, two school-based telehealth sites, and one mobile unit. HealthLinc is dedicated to serving a diverse community with varying levels of need while targeting all uninsured, underserved, and low-income individuals. HealthLinc offers a sliding scale payment system for patients and does not turn away patients for their inability to pay. HealthLinc served 41,116 patients in 2021 and has administered over 81,754 COVID-19 vaccines as of November 2022. HealthLinc aims to increase the number of board-certified dentists in Northern Indiana and address the community’s need for health care for underserved Hoosiers. HealthLinc will serve as the sponsoring institution for a dental residency program upon successful approval of the sponsoring institution application. HealthLinc will explore a partnership with NYU Langone consortium or utilize the expertise of THCPD-TA Center to plan and implement a Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA) certified residency program. The program will train residents in the designated service area of Northern Indiana, an area that has historically struggled with dentist shortages and is primarily comprised of underserved populations such as urban and rural communities and those most at risk for severe oral health complications. HealthLinc already manages educational programs such as our Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Pharmacy Residency programs, experience that will provide additional support during this planning stage. HealthLinc will continually reference and hone our dental residency with the tools and resources available through the support of THCPD-TA Center. Our goal with this program is to provide a pipeline of services and facilities to keep dental residents and dentists in the state of Indiana to combat the waning dentist supply that is particularly worrisome for underserved communities. By developing this dental residency program, HealthLinc will achieve its goal of continuing to serve its communities, which consist primarily of low-income individuals as well as those who are housing insecure or facing substance abuse issues, by offering new dental providers with rich, interdisciplinary training that is a lifeline to community health organizations. This program, once implemented, will be the only AEGD residency available in the state of Indiana. HealthLinc will successfully develop a Dental Residency that meets CODA standards by March 31, 2025 and will matriculate two residents for its first cohort on July 1, 2026.
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).