Niagara Falls, NY – July 6, 2016 – Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center and UPD Dental Associates today announced an important partnership to make dental services available to children and adults with special needs.
Beginning Monday (July 11), comprehensive preventive and restorative oral health services will be provided at Memorial’s Golisano Center for Community Health by UPD Dental Associates, an affiliate of the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine. A $50,000 grant awarded by the Golisano Foundation to purchase specialized equipment for the delivery of those services.
“Through our valued partnerships with Niagara Falls Memorial and the Golisano Foundation, we are excited to participate in the overall care of an at risk population that is constantly looking for oral health care resources,” said Dr. Paul Creighton, president of University Pediatric Dentistry and interim chairman of the Department of Pediatric and Community Dentistry at the UB School of Dental Medicine. “We are pleased to be this resource in the Golisano Center for Community Health.”
“One of the things that makes this new service so exciting is the fact that the provision of dental services was not in the Center’s original design,” said Golisano Foundation Director Ann Costello. “Being able to add it to all the other services available, further strengthens the scope of the Golisano Center’s integrated comprehensive services.”
“The majority of people with disabilities do not receive adequate dental care and suffer as a result,” said Memorial Chief Operating Officer Sheila K. Kee. “We are truly grateful to our partners for addressing this important health need.”
UPD will employ a holistic approach to oral healthcare that revolves around the needs of the patient and family while involving doctors, nurses, and caregivers who are part of the healthcare team. Using a gentle dentistry technique to calm anxious children and adults who may have difficulties coping with the stress of oral care, they will schedule appointments at intervals specific to each patient to ensure optimal care and promote familiarity with the staff and facilities.
In addition, UPD Dental Associates will provide preventive care and education for patients and caregivers that includes help with diet, counseling and oral hygiene instruction.
Located at 533 10th St. on the medical center’s Niagara Falls campus, the Golisano Center for Community Health provides comprehensive integrated health care services to people with special needs, including intellectual and developmental disabilities, and to their families. Construction of the center was supported by a $3.5 million grant from philanthropist and businessman Tom Golisano.
To schedule an oral healthcare appointment at the Golisano Center or for more information, please call (716) 694-7224.
Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center is a 171-bed regional hospital system serving patients from Western New York, Southern Ontario and beyond. Its inpatient services include cardiac, stroke, medical-surgical and behavioral health care. Satellite sites, including six primary care physician offices and the new Golisano Center for Community Health, provide a full range of medical, diagnostic and mental health services. Memorial’s experienced surgeons specialize in minimally invasive and robotic bariatric, gynecological, gastrointestinal, orthopedic and neurosurgical procedures. To learn more, visit NFMMC.org.
