Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1993. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Chicago Tribune (CT) - WEDNESDAY December 1, 1993 Edition: NORTH SPORTS FINAL Section: CHICAGOLAND Page: 3 Word Count: 438
Julie Irwin, Tribune Staff Writer
Pejko, who is HIV-positive and suffers from second-stage periodontal disease, said that since she was diagnosed with HIV, dental care has been difficult to find. One dentist refused to treat her; another sent her home with mouthwash and Orajel.
"I'm thankful now I'll have a dentist who's HIV-aware," Pejko said Tuesday at the dedication of The Spang Center for Oral Health, at 845 W. Wilson Ave. The center will serve people infected with HIV, AIDS and tuberculosis, as well as provide care to homeless people when it opens in January. City and federal officials attending the dedication said they have long been aware of the difficulties faced by Pejko and others in finding dental care, but it was only in the last year that the funds and personnel needed to operate a clinic became available.
The clinic, the first of its kind in the Midwest, is named for Dr. Laurence Spang, who as director of dentistry for Travelers & Immigrants Aid oversaw the development of the project. Spang served as chief dental officer at the Metropolitan Correctional Center for eight years and was removed from his position in 1991 after he told his bosses he was HIV-positive.
Spang said that the oral problems associated with AIDS, including carcinomas, abscesses and herpes, require specialized dental care. Patients will be referred to the clinic by the caseworkers who handle HIV patients in the city.
Dr. Toni Roucka, a former Navy dentist who will serve as chief dentist at the Spang Center, said she has seen in her recent work in homeless shelters how difficult it is for the poor and sick to obtain dental care.
"They just don't have access to care. Half of them don't have access to a toothbrush," she said.
The clinic hopes to handle 2,600 patient visits during its first year. Housed in the city's Uptown Neighborhood Health Center, it has a budget of $290,000 from federal and city grants.
Spang said TIA hopes to open another clinic on the city's South or West Side by the beginning of 1995, and Chicago deputy commissioner of health Judith Johns Tuesday pledged $200,000 in city money toward a new clinic.
The ceremony was held the day before World AIDS Day and "Day Without Art," a commemoration of artists who have died of AIDS.
"Just because a cure is not on the horizon, just because we have an administration that supports us, we still need to keep the attention focused on the disease," Spang said.
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