ATSU-ASDOH partners with King-Chavez Health Center in San Diego
Posted: November 9, 2012
ATSU is continuing its mission of serving the underserved through a partnership with the San Ysidro Health Center (SYHC) in southeastern San Diego, Calif. SYHC opened its King-Chavez Health Center on Sept. 7, 2012, its latest effort to expand healthcare to low-income residents in underserved areas.
The new center includes a 10-chair dental department with a special unit tailored for adults with special needs and the medically fragile. The special needs dentistry unit is a partnership with ATSU’s Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health (ATSU-ASDOH), which donated $200,000 to help build the dental department of the health center. Fourth-year dental students will complete rotations at the King-Chavez Health Center, and a faculty member will be on staff.
The new King-Chavez center provides more efficient care to low-income and uninsured residents in a vulnerable population by providing medical, dental, mental health, lab facilities, and radiology under one roof. Jack Dillenberg, DDS, MPH, dean, ATSU-ASDOH, is excited about how ATSU’s partnership with the clinic is impacting the community.
“We are excited to partner with the San Ysidro Community Health Center in providing needed oral health services to the underserved in San Diego. The King-Chavez Health Center, which provides primary healthcare, is located in an ideal area to serve underrepresented minority clients. ATSU-ASDOH is proud to be the sponsor of the Special Care Dentistry Clinic located on the third floor of the 25,000-square-foot facility,” says Dr. Dillenberg.