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By a new telemedicine project created by the University of the Pacific Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry, low-income residents in the San Fernando Valley will receive improved dental care acess.

The groundbreaking, four-year pilot project on telemedicine will address the access-to-care crisis in California by connecting patients in need with critical dental services.  Known as the Virtual Dental Home, the project will give participating dentists a simple yet secure means to electronically review patient's dental records remotely with help from dental hygienists and dental assistants in underserved communities.  After the review of records, the dentist will be able to recommend a plan for addressing the patient's dental needs.

The California Dental Association Foundation, the California HealthCare Foundation, Verizon and MEND (Meet Each Need with Dignity), a nonprofit organization that provides services to the neediest residents of the San Fernando Valley, collaborated on the telemedicine project.  The Verizon Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Verizon, awarded a $100,000 grant to support the first year of the Virtual Dental Home at MEND's Pacoima facility, the project's Southern California site, and at another site in Northern California.  

Marianne Haver Hill, MEND president and CEO, said, "This telemedicine technology will allow us to connect more of our clients to needed dental care, even if a dentist is not immediately available on-site.  As the largest poverty-relief agency in the San Fernando Valley, MEND looks forward to a continued partnership with Verizon, the California Dental Association Foundation and the University of the Pacific to better serve our patients."

Source: MEND