EUGENE, Ore. — Lane Community College has been awarded an $89,020 Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program Grant from the Health Resources and Service Administration, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The grant is part of the agency’s Dental Reimbursement Program, which assists institutions with accredited dental or dental hygiene education programs by defraying their unreimbursed costs associated with providing oral health care to people living with HIV.
“LCC has been providing much-needed dental service to local residents living with HIV since 2007,” said LCC Dental Clinic Coordinator Nadine Batya. “These funds will allow us to continue offering hygiene and restorative services including fillings, extractions, bridges, crowns and oral prosthetics (dentures).”
LCC has had a close, collaborative working relationship with HIV Alliance since 2006, and holds a contract to provide comprehensive oral health care to more than 220 patients living with HIV each year. Utilizing Ryan White funds, the State of Oregon contracts with individual agencies to provide case management to people living with HIV within each county. HIV Alliance in Eugene serves clients in 13 Oregon counties ranging from the Central Willamette Valley to Southern Oregon, and the Southern Coast out to Eastern Oregon. Upon receiving referrals from HIV Alliance, the LCC Dental Clinic reaches out to serve patients from these counties. Clinic staff work closely with the HIV Alliance Case Manager to coordinate patient care, preauthorize treatment, and arrange for transportation needs.
The LCC Dental Clinic, located at 2460 Willamette Ave. in Eugene, provides the public with patient-centered, comprehensive, preventive and therapeutic dental care, while at the same time providing practical, educational experiences for Dental Hygiene and Dental Assisting students. The clinic is open to the general public with emphasis on adult patients who have not had regular preventive dental care.
The Health Resources and Services Administration’s Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program provides a comprehensive system of HIV primary medical care, essential support services, and medications for low-income people with HIV. The program funds grants to states, cities, counties, and local community-based organizations to provide care and treatment services to people with HIV to improve health outcomes and reduce HIV transmission among hard-to-reach populations.
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Lane Community College educates over 25,000 students annually at six locations across Lane County and online. Students and alumni from all 50 states and 79 countries create more than an $850 million dollar impact on the local economy, helping to support more than 13,000 local jobs. Lane provides affordable, quality, professional technical and college transfer programs; business development and employee training; academic, language and life skills development; and lifelong personal development and enrichment courses.