CommuniCare Health Centers is adding dental services to the Family Wellness Center campus in downtown Woodland.
The new dental office was set to see children and adults requiring specialty dental services at 619 Lincoln Ave., as early as this week
As an integral part of the safety net for Yolo County, CommuniCare is the main provider of oral health services for low-income, uninsured and Medi-Cal populations in the area.
CommuniCare is the primary dental home to over 4,900 children where one in ten children in Yolo County are seen for dental care.
“Having been with CommuniCare for more than 10 years, I’ve long dreamt of opening a pediatric and specialty dental center,” stated Dr. Barry Chang, dental director at Communicare. “I’m looking forward to providing these expanded services
The Family Wellness Center campus is comprised of three small buildings on the corner of Lincoln Avenue and First Street.
In 2018, Yolo Family Service Agency, a nonprofit agency providing counseling and mental health
services for low-income children and families in Yolo County for nearly 60 years, closed its doors and
discontinued services due to struggling finances and mounting debt.
CommuniCare was asked to step up and create continuity of care for the vulnerable children served by Yolo Family Services Agency after they became insolvent.
Since that time, vital youth and family behavioral healthcare services have been provided in two of the three small buildings.
Children and families are provided evidenced-based behavioral health services through a menu of options, which include: Mental Health Counseling, Family Therapy, Child Psychiatry, Parenting, Substance Use services, Wraparound services, Group Therapy and an LGBTQ+ support group.
With the addition of a new playground in late 2019, and as of Tuesday the new dental clinic, the Family Wellness Center campus will be complete.
Patients seen at the Family Wellness Center can also be seen throughout the broader CommuniCare system. Patients, as needed, are referred to other services including primary care, substance use treatment, adult dental care, and more, which are accessible at locations throughout the county.
While there are limited Denti-Cal providers within CommuniCare’s service area, there are even fewer pediatric
and specialty care providers. Data shows that Yolo County residents are utilizing the hospital emergency rooms at higher rates for dental problems and only 17% of dentists in Yolo County accept children with Denti-
Cal.
“The demand for preventive dental services continues to be high, particularly for children,” stated Dr. Melissa Marshall, chief executive officer of CommuniCare Health Centers. “We are opening this new dental clinic to expand our existing capacity. CommuniCare exists to meet the healthcare needs of our community. We are grateful to have this opportunity.”
Renovations for the dental clinic began in late 2019 and utilized an existing unoccupied building. The 955-square-foot space has been optimized to utilize all of the available space. The dental clinic has three open-bay, child-friendly dental chairs and a private operatory for specialty care.
Additionally, the new site will have a pediatric dentist providing a majority of the services to children.
“After months of planning, the day is finally here,” stated Sandra Hermosillo, dental program administrator. “I am excited to welcome patients into our new clinic.”
This renovation was partially supported by grant funding obtained from the Federal Bureau of Primary Health
Care, Health Resources & Services Administration. Planned pediatric and specialty dental services include
expanded pediatric access as well as oral surgery, endodontic and orthodontic specialty care.
Embedded with the dental team will be a Behavioral Health Clinician, who will be on-site to provide trauma-informed Integrated Behavioral Health Services to patients with behavioral health conditions affecting their ability to receive dental care.
Initially, this location will be open three days a week, Tuesday through Thursday with plans to expand hours as need demonstrates.
CommuniCare Health Centers is a federally qualified health center providing care to one in nine Yolo County
residents. CommuniCare offers comprehensive primary medical and dental services, perinatal services,
behavioral health services, substance use treatment, health education and outreach services to the low-income, diverse, uninsured and Medi-Cal populations of Yolo County and eastern Solano County, including migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their families.
CommuniCare has three primary health centers and additional satellite sites, with locations in Davis, West Sacramento, Woodland, Esparto, Winters, and Dixon.
