North County Dental Services Boosted by El Camino Healthcare District Grant
SAN JOSE – Santa Clara Valley Healthcare (SCVH) was awarded a $440,000 grant from the El Camino Healthcare District (ECHD), which was recently accepted and acknowledged by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. The grant will help improve access to routine dental services for North County residents who may otherwise go without and experience oral health emergencies.
“The Healthcare District has been a strong partner for health care and social services in the North County,” said County Supervisor Joe Simitian, who chairs the County’s Health and Hospital Committee, and whose District overlaps with El Camino’s service area. “Their continued support of our County’s services for underserved communities is greatly appreciated.”
“The role dental health plays in overall health is often underrated, or not fully understood. Oral health has an impact on heart conditions and other cardiovascular problems that can be prevented with access to care and good oral hygiene. With dental appointments available every day, North County residents will have more access to preventative care. And if needed, they can count on emergency dental care close to home,” Simitian continued.
El Camino Healthcare District’s Community Benefit Program has repeatedly provided annual grants to SCVH for medical and dental services in North County. This year’s grant will support Mountain View Dentalcare and Valley Health Center Sunnyvale in promoting routine dental visits to decrease the number of emergency dental visits. ECHD is dedicated to serving low-income patients living, working, or going to school in the District, and has provided annual grants to SCVH since 2009 to deliver health care such as medical, behavioral health, and oral health services to North County residents.
“Basic dental care and effective referral coordination between dental and medical teams, are a crucial part of the healthcare continuum to support the needs of those who are medically underserved in our community,” said Dan Woods, chief executive officer of El Camino Health. “As one of the largest grants awarded by the El Camino Healthcare District, supporting these services is a priority and will help sustain critically needed dental services for those who need it most within Sunnyvale and Mountain View.”
In the fall of 2020, at Simitian’s urging and with support from the County’s Health and Hospital Committee, the County opened a dental clinic at 2486 W. El Camino Real in Mountain View to serve low income, uninsured and medically underserved North County residents. Mountain View Dentalcare is open Monday thru Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The clinic is equipped with nine dental suites, is completely furnished with new equipment, including an x-ray unit, and is ADA compliant.
The grant funding authorized by the El Camino Healthcare District will allow more children, adults and seniors to receive preventative oral health care and treatment for more serious dental conditions.
“Too often,” said Simitian, “folks who are strapped for cash will put off an important visit to the dentist — with really serious consequences. I want to make sure folks who need the care get it, right here in the community where they live or work.”