California: Dental Clinic Set to Close as University of the Pacific Looks at Patient Retention

In keeping with an announcement made earlier this year, the University of the Pacific's Advanced General Dentistry Clinic (AGD), where many low-income San Francisco AIDS patients access dental care, is closing on June 30. Now UOP is looking at alternatives for retaining the clinic's patients.

"We don't have all the details worked out, however, some of the current AGD patients may be able to receive care in one of the dental school's other clinics, depending on their needs," said Dr. Richard Fredekind, associate dean for clinical services at UOP. "It's too soon to know exactly how many of the AGD patients will be able to continue their care at the dental school. We do not know yet how many patients currently receiving care through [the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act] will continue to receive care at the dental school."

In addition to people with HIV/AIDS, the AGD clinic serves patients with developmental disabilities or other special needs. It saw about 2,000 patients last year but is closing because Medi-Cal's reimbursement rates have not kept pace with costs, Fredekind said.

The school is set to receive $496,000 in Ryan White funding for the 2008-09 fiscal year, according to Bill Blum, assistant director of HIV services at the San Francisco Department of Public Health.

UOP's CARE Clinic, a one-chair, one-day-a-week clinic in the dental school staffed by a licensed dentist, will continue treating HIV/AIDS patients, Fredekind said. The main student clinic also sees HIV/AIDS patients.

Back to other news for June 2008