New Pediatric Dental Clinic Opens to Serve Foster and At-Risk Children & Families

LOS ANGELES, CA, April 7, 2016 (Newswire.com) - ​With major project funding provided by First 5 Los Angeles, the Violence Intervention Program (VIP), in coordination with the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) and the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC, has added a new Pediatric Dental Clinic at the Children’s Medical Village at the LAC+USC Medical Center. The Pediatric Dental Clinic will have its grand opening this Friday, April 8, 2016 with a brief ceremony from 10:00am-12:00pm in the main lobby of the Children’s Medical Village at 2010 Zonal Avenue, Los Angeles, CA  90033. Los Angeles County Supervisor Hilda Solis, who provided vital support in making the project a success, will be the keynote speaker at the ceremony.

A result of the collaboration these public and private partner agencies, Dr. Astrid Heppenstall Heger, Executive Director of the Violence Intervention Program, said “The Pediatric Dental Clinic embodies our shared commitment to building model programs to promote the health, safety, and well-being of at-risk and foster children and ensuring that every child has access to free, high-quality dental care.” The new Pediatric Dental Clinic will be housed on the 5th floor of the Children’s Medical Village at the LAC+USC Medical Center. The Children’s Medical Village was opened in 2013, the result of a partnership between VIP and DHS, to create a medical home for foster and at-risk children, with medical, mental health, and specialty services co-located in one location.

Dental services at the clinic will be provided by staff from the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC. "Ostrow is incredibly proud of our partnership with the Violence Intervention Program and the office of Supervisor Hilda Solis to expand coverage to a group of children that for far too long has not had access to dental care. By locating all health care services at one site — the Children’s Medical Village at LAC+USC Medical Center — foster children will have a place where they can receive dental care, integrated with their medical care, on a regular basis,” stated Dr. Roseann Mulligan, Associate Dean, Community Health Programs and Hospital Affairs at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC

With brand new, state-of-the-art equipment, the Pediatric Dental Clinic will provide children and youth with oral exams and ongoing dental care; dental cleanings and fluoride treatments; infant oral health consulting; cavity prevention education; and digital x-rays, sealants, extractions, and restorative care.

For more information about the Pediatric Dental Clinic opening, please call (323) 221-4134.

For more information about the services provided by the Pediatric Dental Clinic, please call (323) 409-3640.

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About the Violence Intervention Program

Founded in 1984 by Dr. Astrid Heppenstall Heger, the Violence Intervention Program (VIP) has been a leader in building transformative programs that raise the standard of care for all victims of child abuse in Los Angeles County. As the largest child abuse programin the country, we care for over 18,000 victims of abuse, neglect, and sexual assault each year. With over 30 years of proven successes, our hallmark approach to care continues to be the “gold standard” for the care and treatment of victims of abuse and neglect. 

 

About First 5 Los Angeles

First 5 Los Angeles is a leading early childhood advocate working collaboratively across Los Angeles County to strengthen families, communities, and systems of services and supports so all children in L.A. County enter kindergarten ready to succeed in school and life. Since being created in 1998 to invest L.A. County’s allocation of funds from California’s Proposition 10 tobacco tax, First 5 LA has invested more than $1.2 billion in efforts aimed at providing the best start for children from prenatal to age 5 and their families. 

About the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services

The Department of Health Services (DHS) is the second largest municipal health system in the nation. Through its integrated system of 19 health centers and four hospitals -- and expanded network of community partner clinics -- DHS annually cares for 670,000 unique patients, employs 19,000 staff, and has an annual operating budget of $4 billion. DHS provides health services to youth in the juvenile justice system and specialized medical services to children in foster care. Through academic affiliations with the University of Southern California (USC) and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), DHS hospitals are training sites for physicians completing their graduate medical education. 

 

About the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC

Since 1897, the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC has educated thousands of the world’s most talented and trusted dental professionals. The school is also an international leader in dental and craniofacial research and a pioneer in serving populations who lack access to dental care. 

 

About the LAC+USC Medical Center

Founded in 1878, the 600-bed Los Angeles County + USC Medical center is one of the largest public hospitals in the country and is the largest single provider of health care in Los Angeles County, offering a full spectrum of emergency, inpatient, and outpatient services. Through affiliations with the Keck School of Medicine of USC and the Los Angeles County College of Nursing and Allied Health, it is one of the premier academic teaching hospitals in the nation and one of the state’s leading hospitals for training health professionals.