Community-based dental education and community clinic finances.
To develop a long-term, sustainable partnership with dental schools, federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) need to assess the financial impact of dental students on their financial operations. Primary concerns are that students will not cover their marginal costs and will reduce the productivity of clinic dentists. This study uses data from Asian Health Services, an FQHC in Oakland, California, to examine revenues generated by senior dental students and by FQHC dentists when students are and are not present. The analysis of ten months of electronic record data showed that two full-time equivalent students generated $420,549 in gross revenues and reduced dentist output by only $29,000. While the results are from just one FQHC, they strongly suggest that students make a significant contribution to clinic productivity and finances.
Asian Health Services, 345 9th Street, Oakland, CA 94607, USA. hle@ahschc.org
Huong
H
Le
Taegen L
TL
McGowan
Howard L
HL
Bailit
D002140:California; D003149:Community Dentistry / Q000191:economics / Q000193:education*; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000191:economics* / Q000458:organization & administration; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003190:Comprehensive Dental Care / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis; D003740:Dental Clinics / Q000191:economics* / Q000458:organization & administration; D003792:Dental Records; D003815:Dentists / Q000191:economics; D004497:Education, Dental / Q000191:economics*; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D057286:Electronic Health Records; D005378:Financial Support; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income; D008484:Medicaid / Q000191:economics; D011231:Preceptorship / Q000191:economics; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012575:Schools, Dental / Q000191:economics*; D013335:Students, Dental; D014481:United States