Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2008. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Bay Area Reporter - June 19, 2008
Seth Hemmelgarn
The school's Advanced General Dentistry Clinic will close June 30, according to Dr. Richard Fredekind, associate dean for clinical services at the university.
The clinic's closing was announced earlier this year. Dental care can be extremely difficult for patients to find at other clinics.
Fredekind told the Bay Area Reporter through an e-mail, "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. ... It's too soon to know exactly how many of the AGD patients will be able to continue their care at the dental school."
In addition, "We do not know yet how many patients currently receiving care through Ryan White funds at the AGD Clinic will continue to receive care at the dental school," Fredekind told the B.A.R.
Ryan White refers to Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act (formerly the Ryan White CARE Act) funding, which is used to reimburse the school for services provided.
Fredekind has said the AGD Clinic, which saw about 2,000 patients in 2007, is closing because Medi-Cal reimbursement rates have not kept up with the rising costs of doing business. Besides people with HIV and AIDS, he said the clinic also serves patients with developmental disabilities and those with other special needs.
The AGD clinic is not the only clinic at the school where people living with HIV/AIDS are seen.
The school's CARE Clinic, which is a one-chair, one-day-per-week clinic located in the dental school where care is provided by a licensed dentist, will continue to provide dental treatment for patients living with HIV/AIDS, according to Fredekind. Other people with HIV/AIDS are also seen in the main student clinic.
Bill Blum, assistant director of HIV health services for the San Francisco Department of Public Health, said as of Tuesday the school is set to receive $496,000 in Ryan White funding for the 2008-09 fiscal year. The Ryan White funding provided to the school has remained steady for the past couple of years, according to Fredekind.
Blum said the department's goal was to try to accommodate as many of the patients as the school can, but he said it was "premature" for him to comment on what could happen if that goal's not met.
080619
BR080610
Copyright © 2008 - The Bay Area Reporter. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the The Bay Area Reporter.
AEGiS is a 501(c)3, not-for-profit, tax-exempt, educational corporation. AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted funding from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Elton John AIDS Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, Pacific Life Foundation and donations from users like you.
Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2008. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2008. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .