The WDA understands that some Wisconsinites struggle to access dental care. This may be for a variety of reasons including perceived cost of care, geographic limitations or fear. There is one patient segment that is truly at a crisis point for access. Special needs adults, specifically those with severe disabilities, have almost nowhere to go. This group of patients requires care in an operating room environment. This unique need requires coordination between caregivers, hospitals, physicians, anesthesiology and dentists. What makes this challenge even greater is that most dentists have little training in this delivery venue.
Access points have been limited for years, but the crisis became most acute following the closure of the General Practice Residency program at Meriter Hospital in Madison in 2015. Since Meriter chose to shutter the program, the WDA has slowly built a consortium including the Wisconsin Hospital Association, Marquette School of Dentistry and Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin to develop avenues to treat these largely Medicaid-covered adults.
Solving this problem will take identifying and training providers, access to OR time and highly targeted Medicaid funding. Under a collaborative agreement between CHW and Marquette, the D2/D3 students do rotations through Children’s Hospital to provide exposure and entry-level training to patients of special needs. CHW, with private grant assistance, is also developing continuing education modules for practicing dentists who are motivated to learn how to treat these patients.
Gov. Tony Evers, in his new budget proposal, has offered $5 million to help provide the needed resources. I recently completed an interview with FOX6 in Milwaukee highlighting the needs of this special population. Click HERE to view the story.
The pieces are in motion and as advocates fostering care for all, the WDA will continue to work to solve this issue. If you have an interest in helping this population, please contact the WDA.
Those of us who have spent our careers serving special needs and poorer folks applaud your efforts and perseverance. Thanks. Keep it up.