DentaQuest Institute

The Problem
The Institute for Medicine, in its report, America's Health Care Safety Net, Intact but Endangered, urges that, to preserve our network of safety net providers, we must enhance and coordinate technical assistance programs targeted to improving the operations and competitive position of safety net providers...including improvements in management information systems, appointment scheduling systems, efforts to streamline operations, and reengineering of services so that they are more responsive to patients.

In today's challenging reimbursement environment, many safety net dental programs struggle to achieve sustainability. Without a strong balance between mission-focused care and strong business practices, safety net dental practices can jeopardize their own sustainability.

The DentaQuest Institute’s Safety Net Solutions program works with safety net dental programs because we believe in their mission of providing high-quality clinical care to underserved populations. By focusing attention on the business infrastructure that supports oral health care delivery, Safety Net Solutions technical assistance enables safety net dental programs to find the right balance between meeting their mission of increasing access to quality oral health services and achieving financial viability. 

The DentaQuest Institute’s Safety Net Solutions team supports safety net dental offices with practice management expertise gained through many years of front-line experience in community health dental program leadership and concrete and actionable strategies for enhancing sustainability.

What We’re Doing
Through multiple practice analysis tools including program analysis and site surveys, the Safety Net Solutions team assesses a wide range of operational elements, including financial and productivity data, revenue and expenses, services, payer mix, program leadership, billing, operations, policies, equipment, workflow and culture. 

Our approach allows us to look closely at quantitative and qualitative data and emotional as well as rational information. The result is a practice enhancement plan that fits the unique environment of each safety net dental program. Safety Net Solutions is also able to provide technical assistance to practices investigating and implementing dental information systems.

Our philosophy is to work collaboratively with administrators, dental directors and program staff to develop strategies that are realistic and achievable. We also encourage collaboration among safety net clinics through our online learning center, a place where safety net dental providers can ‘meet’ to connect, learn, and discuss solutions.

What We’re Finding

Since the program began in 2006, SNS has worked with more than 60 safety net dental programs in 14 states. A 2009 analysis of engagements with safety net dental clinics revealed that within one year of receiving technical assistance from them, each dental care safety net clinic, achieved on average:

• a 20% increase in net revenue
• a 216% increase in bottom line performance
• an increase of 11% in patient visits; and
• increased access to an additional 709 patients per site.

The Safety Net Solutions team of Dr. Mark Doherty, Dori Bingham, and Manny Molina, use their many years of experience in dental clinic management and business management to help safety net dental centers get on a sound financial footing. In addition, SNS is able to help clinics find their way through tough decisions, such as how to implement dental informatics. “The bottom line is that when safety net clinics are run as efficient businesses, they are also able to see more patients,” said Mark Doherty, program director.

What’s Next
Until, 2009, most SNS engagements had been with community safety net dental clinics in New England. In 2009, SNS worked with clinics in California, Florida and Ohio. In addition, The National Network for Oral Health Access (NNOHA) – the association representing more than 1,000 health center dental providers and supporters—is collaborating on the development of a technical assistance and professional certification program for safety net dental clinics across the United States.

With the growing number of requests for Safety Net Solutions technical assistance from clinics as well as public and private funders from all parts of the United States, Safety Net Solutions is in the midst of a focused expansion of its expert advisory team, engaging a ‘faculty’ of leading practitioners of safety net dentistry as consulting Expert Advisors. Oral health professionals who become Safety Net Solutions Expert Advisors receive formal training in the Safety Net Solutions tools and methods for creating sustainable community oral health programs and will then be partnered with individual dental practices as advisors and mentors.

Learn more about Safety Net Solutions: www.dentaquestinstitute.org/safetynetsolutions

Contact Us:
DentaQuest Institute
Safety Net Solutions
2400 Computer Drive
Westborough, MA 01581
Tel: (508) 329.2280
Website: www.dentaquestinstitute.org/safetynetsolutions
Contact SNS at: info@dentaquestinstitute.org