CareSource increases access to dental care through virtual dental homes and teledentistry

CareSource partners with Federally Qualified Health Centers to address systemic barriers to access to oral health care.

ATLANTA (CARESOURCE) – CareSource, a nonprofit, managed care organization serving 450,000 Georgians, recently announced a collaboration with two Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) to expand access to dental care for Georgians. CareSource provided educational resources and donated $15,000 of teledentistry and mobile dental equipment to Whitefoord Inc. in Atlanta and Coastal Community Health in southeast Georgia. Both organizations were selected as part of a virtual dental home initiative to address barriers to care, including availability, location and access to dental services.

“Teledentistry effectively bridged access to care gaps during the COVID-19 public health emergency when many dental offices were closed,” said Dr. Judy Greenlea Taylor, dental director, CareSource Georgia. “By collaborating with these FQHCs, we can leverage a proven solution to create virtual dental homes, help more vulnerable populations receive diagnostic, preventive and early intervention dental care and improve access to care in areas of the state where residents have historically had difficulty addressing their dental care needs.”

The state of Georgia currently has 124 counties classified as partial or full dental professional shortage areas. The collaborative initiative addresses access to dental care barriers by creating a virtual dental home where patients receive preventive and early intervention services in community settings including schools, skilled nursing and other public health facilities. Dental auxiliaries such as dental hygienists visiting community sites will collect and send diagnostic information electronically to the collaborating dentist at the FQHC. The dental auxiliary team can then deliver preventive services onsite and refer patients to the FQHC or local dental offices for additional treatment.

Whitefoord Inc., an Atlanta-based organization that offers families access to affordable health care, was the first group to launch the teledentistry program funded by CareSource.

“This donation from CareSource will help us increase early intervention, specifically within our school-based and community settings, with real-time communication and care,” said Dr. Karyl Patten, Whitefoord director, dental services. “We are excited to be able to expand our current capabilities to bring high-quality dental care to individuals where they already spend time in the community.”

Coastal Community Health has been providing accessible, quality health care in southeast Georgia and now will be able to expand oral health access in several rural counties in the region.

“With our growing number of community clinics, partnerships with schools, Glynn County Jail and Detention Center, nursing facilities and other community partnership needs, we are grateful to receive this donation and training assistance on teledentistry and mobile care to expand our reach,” said Dr. Kavanaugh Chandler, CEO of Coastal Community Health. “It will help us bring much-needed care and preventive services to individuals who might otherwise receive no care.”

About Whitefoord Inc

Whitefoord offers community-based health care and early education services that intersect to build strong families and resilient communities. By offering individuals and families access to affordable childcare and health care, Whitefoord’s programs promote economic mobility, academic success, and improved quality of life. In addition to our flagship facility, The Whitefoord Health Center, located in the Edgewood neighborhood of Southeast Atlanta, we operate school-based health clinics at Toomer Elementary, King Middle School, and Woodson Park Academy. Our early education program is in the historic Whitefoord Elementary School building in Edgewood. In 2022, we served over 3,400 patients in our health centers and educated 101 children at the Whitefoord Early Learning Academy.

About Coastal Community Health

Since opening our doors in Brunswick, Georgia in November 2014, Coastal Community Health has been providing accessible, quality health care to thousands of patients. Over the years, we have expanded along with our surrounding communities, with multiple locations in Glynn and McIntosh counties and growing. Our organization of federally qualified health care centers, as designated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act (PHS), is staffed by a team of highly skilled medical professionals.