Why Expand Our Dental Program?
The dental program is one of only five in the Philadelphia region funded to provide dental care to the uninsured patient living with HIV disease. So why a need for expansion? Because the five programs lumped together barely touch the surface of needs of the HIV population living in the Philadelphia region or the adjacent western counties. The South Center HIV/AIDS Consortia which provides services to HIV patients from 14 counties in the state has identified a dental manpower shortage for patients who are well-insured or don’t have infectious diseases. The need for public health dentistry in Pennsylvania is profound. The AIDS Care Group has addressed this need by placing a satellite office in Coatesville, Chester County, Pennsylvania. A second satellite office is planned for Sharon Hill in Delaware County. The three offices will have a better geographic distribution to meet client needs.