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Dentists, dental schools and other eligible providers and entities in California can apply for grants of up to $5 million to expand or adapt specialty clinics or build new clinics serving individuals with special needs. health care.
CDA led the successful push for the Specialty Dental Clinic Grant Program last year with the support of a coalition of providers, dental schools, disability rights organizations and consumer advocates, achieving a $50 million state budget investment in newly created program.
The program aims to build a network of new or expanded specialized dental clinic facilities to increase access to oral health care for individuals with special health care needs. These patients have physical, developmental, or cognitive disabilities that may require stabilization, deep sedation, special accommodations for mobility issues, or other complex treatments that can only be provided in a hospital or surgery center setting, or require additional accommodation in traditional dental offices.
Grant program ‘a milestone’ for patients, providers and stakeholders
CDA President John Blake, DDS, called the launch of the grant program a milestone for patients who need special care and the dentists who provide that care, as well as for CDA and all stakeholders who have advocated for access to improved in care.
“This is a real historical moment. Expanding and accelerating dental services for patients with special health care needs was a top budget priority for the CDA in 2022, and we are pleased to see the state open the grant this fall to qualified applicants,” said Dr. Blake. “We have been present since the initial meeting to design this grant program and have worked closely with the grant administrator to help ensure that these grant funds ultimately reach the patients who need specialty care the most.”
Eligible providers and entities can apply from October 3, 2023 to April 1, 2024, for the first round of program funding. If grant funds remain after the first funding round, the program administrator will open subsequent funding rounds.
Total investment of $50 million a ‘historic win for dentistry and oral health care’
The $50 million, with separate allocations of $25 million in 2022 and 2023, was a historic victory for dental and oral health care access, CDA wrote last June after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the 2022-2023 state budget.
Limited access to dental care for patients with special needs has been a crisis for decades, even though the state has made strides to increase access to the Medi-Cal Dental Program, and few settings can provide dental care for patients with special needs. Most, including dental schools, are stuck with extremely long wait times made worse by the pandemic. Many patients and their families travel hours to clinics to receive routine dental care, and some wait years to receive that care.
Grants up to $5 million to build or expand specialty dental clinics
Funds from the Specialty Dental Clinic Grant Program, which is administered by the California Health Facilities Financing Authority, may be used to expand or adapt specialty clinics at undergraduate dental schools or to build new clinics serving individuals with special health care needs.
Applicants can apply for a grant of up to $5 million and can use the funds for eligible costs, including:
- Real estate construction such as costs related to project planning and management, appraisals, inspections, and preconstruction costs such as surveying and permitting fees.
- Expansion, including the purchase of real estate or one or more mobile dental units.
- Modification of real property, such as renovation or remodeling.
- Adaptation, such as the purchase of equipment or furnishings.
- Completed projects must be sustainable for at least 10 years after completion
Ultimately, the new and expanded clinics should increase timely access to oral health care in California communities by reducing geographic shortages, encouraging prevention services and early intervention, and providing educational opportunities for providers and students.
Grantees will have ongoing compliance requirements. Critically, (1) the funded construction or expansion must be sustainable for at least 10 years after project completion, (2) grantees must commit to serving a patient load of at least 50 % patients with special health care needs for 10 years after project completion, and (3) applicants must be Medi-Cal Dental registered providers (applies only to facilities funded with grant funds).
Interested applicants should read the program guidelines for definitions and details on eligibility, grant distribution, evaluation criteria, reporting requirements and more. Program instructions, frequently asked questions, and a PDF of the application are available on the state treasurer’s website.
