UConn dental residents gain experience practicing at Hospital for Special Care
The Hospital for Special Care partners with the UConn School of Dental Medicine to deliver onsite dental care. (Hospital for Special Care photo)
When the need for high-quality dental care for patients with special health care needs meets a learning opportunity for dental residents, a thriving community partnership is born.
The partnership between the School of Dental Medicine and the Hospital for Special Care (HFSC) epitomizes the benefits of a fruitful community partnership-UConn dental residents get exposure to caring for patients with special health care needs, while hospital patients get access to high-quality dental care.
Located in New Britain, the Hospital for Special Care is the fourth largest, free-standing long-term acute care hospital in the United States and one of only two in the nation serving both adults and children.
Identifying a need for onsite dental care for their medically complex patients, the HFSC contacted the School of Dental Medicine in 2022 to re-establish regular and on-going onsite dental care after discontinuing their clinic. Previously, the hospital and dental school had an arrangement that included a pediatric dentistry faculty member from UConn providing on-site dental care for half day per week.
Nearly two years later, the partnership is thriving. The new arrangement allows HFSC patients to receive timely, and more efficient dental care. It is also more cost-effective, as it has largely eliminated the need for costly medical transportation between New Britain and UConn Health in Farmington for patients in need of dental care.
"The ability to provide on-site dental care is more patient-friendly, less costly, and more responsive to the needs of a very medically complex patient population," said Dr. Steven Lepowsky, dean of the School of Dental Medicine.
"The UConn dental team is truly dedicated to the patients of Hospital for Special Care," said Jennifer Farley, Chief Quality Officer and Vice President of Organizational Excellence at the Hospital for Special Care. "Since the beginning, the dentists have been aligned with the mission of Hospital for Special Care and are engaged in fulfilling the needs of our patients. We love providing a place for the dental students to develop skills in dentistry for special needs populations. This relationship has been mutually beneficial, and we couldn't have asked for a better partner."
Twice a month, a second-year Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) resident, accompanied by Dr. Basma Essawy, clinical assistant professor of general dentistry, staff the dental suite at the Hospital for Special Care.
On a typical day, Essawy and the resident treat patients in the dental suite. At the end of the day, they go bedside to evaluate patients and create a plan of action to care for patients in need of dental care the next time they staff the suite.
These patients have a large range of medically complex conditions, ranging from traumatic brain injuries, to autism, to heart disease.
"I feel really grateful at the end of the day to be able to care for special needs patients," said Essawy.
Sometimes, situations are emergent. When dental emergencies occur, the presence of the UConn dental on HFSC's campus is convenient.
"One day, we had an emergency towards the end of the day. They called us we were immediately able to go upstairs and handle that situation," Essawy recalled. "The patient's mom was there, and you could see how relieved she was that her son was helped immediately."
More complex cases, including ones that require oral surgery and sedation, get a referral to the UConn Health Farmington campus.
To date, there have been over 200 patient encounters since the start of the program.
For the UConn residents, the learning experience is invaluable. Dr. Natalie Pesun, a second-year AEGD resident, describes her days at the Hospital For Special Care as a "one day long intensive" for caring for patients with special health care needs.
"There are so many more considerations for special needs patients," said Pesun. "They are often on more medications, their mouth can't open as wide, they may have involuntary movements, or it can be harder to explain the treatment. Also, dealing with paperwork side of things, including communicating with conservators and power of attorneys."
Pesun continues, "I had done a few hospital rotations in dental school, but this is nothing like it. The need for dental care for special needs patients is huge, and if I hadn't gone through the AEGD residency program at UConn, I don't know if I'd be comfortable seeing special needs patients. The Hospital for Special Care rotation compliments my residency really well."
With the partnership being relatively new, Essawy largely credits the success of the program to the teamwork between the Hospital for Special Care and UConn. The HSFC staff, Essawy notes, helps iron out all the challenges to make sure everything is working smoothly. The UConn team gets everything that they need-from an updated dental suite that mimics the one in Farmington, to advice from the Chief Medical Officer to patient coordinators and occupational therapists helping with patient oral desensitization prior to treatment. The support from the hospital staff is crucial.
"As we grow, we will face challenges, but for now we have a great team that allow us to overcome challenges in a short amount of time," said Essawy. "Everyone is working to make this program successful."
