St. Bernard Hospital has relocated its Dental Center to the Ambulatory Care Center (ACC) located adjacent to the hospital at 6307 S. Stewart Ave. The new location will make it possible to better serve its many youth, special needs and adult patients. St. Bernard hosted a reception and grand opening ceremony for Board members, special guests and community partners. The event included a ribbon cutting by management and a blessing by the Rev. A. Gerard Jordan of St. Benedict the African.
More than 16 years ago, St. Bernard Hospital launched a Pediatric Mobile Health Unit (PMHU) to reach children in schools, day care centers and Head Start programs. The objective was to provide immunizations, school physicals and other health screenings. Through work on the PMHU, St. Bernard’s health professionals witnessed a serious lack of oral health care and learned that some children did not own their own tooth brushes and most had never seen a dentist.
Recognizing that good oral health is essential to a person’s overall health and well-being, St. Bernard Hospital opened its Dental Center in 2007 in the main building in a space above the Emergency Room. The Dental Center fills an important void in the total care of patients. Originally focused on children, the practice grew to include adults and special needs patients who require assistance for disabilities that may be medical, mental, physical or psychological. The dental team currently includes two full-time dentists, two part-time dentists who specialize in oral surgery and pediatric dentistry, and two part-time general dentists. They perform procedures in the operatories, which have increased from seven to nine rooms. Known for its quality patient care, the Dental Center focuses on patient comfort and satisfaction with friendly staff, a relaxed atmosphere and convenient hours.
Relocating the Dental Center to the Ambulatory Care Center, which opened in June 2016, allows patients to be treated in state-of-the-art treatment facilities. The ACC has advanced diagnostic imaging services, an onsite pharmacy and a laboratory, all of which make it easier for patients to get the lab tests and prescriptions they need. Additionally, the ACC has specialty clinics such as Cardiology, Chronic Disease, Pulmonology and Orthopedics, as well as Physical Medicine and Occupational Therapy programs. The ACC also houses 22 physicians’ offices and a Women’s Wellness Center that cares for women of all ages.
The new Dental Center serves patients from Englewood and surrounding communities and from other parts of the city and the tristate area. In addition, patients are referred from sources such as Lurie Children’s Hospital, LaRabida Children’s Hospital and the University of Illinois School of Dentistry.
