“I met Allen Patterson, CEO of the Heart of Texas Community Health Center at a conference in August 2003. He had recently received funding through grants to build the new community medical and dental clinic in Waco, Texas,” comments Jay Stewart, Sullivan-Schein Special Markets Equipment Manager.
“I made an appointment to speak further with him about the special needs of the new facility. Along with Bill Smith, Equipment Sales Specialist and Greg Kuklinski, Office Designer, we arranged to meet again at the Southwest Texas Dental Conference in Dallas, Texas. We introduced Mr. Patterson to dental equipment we intended to propose—including the Pelton & Crane line—and spoke extensively about his vision for the new dental clinic, the Family Practice Center, which is part of the Heart of Texas Community Health Center. Sullivan-Schein caters to community health center practices. Our unique market strategy and network in special markets makes us the #1 provider for these types of dental facilities,” Jay notes.
Heart of Texas Community Health Center, located in Waco, Texas, was previously the Family Practice Center—until the late ’90s when it became a “federally qualified health clinic.” Even earlier, in the late ’60s, it functioned as a family practice residency training program and primary care clinic for the underserved of McLennan county, Texas. In 2004, the new clinic began the planning process to provide oral health services to the community, hiring Dr. Schultz as its Dental Director in June of that year. The clinic then began offering direct oral healthcare services just a few months later in rented operatories, and finally opened the doors of the Tom Oliver, MDS South 18th Street Community Clinic at 1800 Gurley Lane in Waco.
The clinic’s 12,000-sq. ft. is divided among 10 dental operatories and related support rooms, 11 medical exam rooms, medical lab, and medical radiology. The newly created work environment overcame the old facility’s space and equipment handicaps, and more adequately met the bourgeoning need for increased dental care to the community’s underserved population.
“We initially considered purchasing or leasing existing space...but could not find anything suitable at an affordable price,” comments Mr. Patterson. “We shifted gears...to the concept of designing and building a new oral health facility. We received a tremendous amount of benevolent support for the planned endeavor.”
“Bill Smith and Jay Stewart were invaluable resources. We consulted with them mightily in all phases of this project,” continues Mr. Patterson. “Sullivan-Schein assisted with facility planning, templates for equipment, floor plans, and equipment and supplies. They also helped us plan for digital radiology and electronic dental records.” “Facilities like the Heart of Texas Community Health Center need equipment that is durable and top of the line with an extended warranty. We were able to provide them with a cost that is justified for a facility that provides oral healthcare services for the underserved,” remarks Jay Stewart. “Physically it was well designed by our team—with features that a modern, private practice would be proud of. Overall, the project went quite smoothly...from a practical standpoint, communication was the key.”
The sleek, functional facility allows efficient patient care and enhanced staff mobility, essential to keeping the clinic on track with its demanding schedules. Technologically, the clinic uses equipment that is reliable and production worthy. Eight of the operatories use the open-bay design concept, divided by the cabinets; the other two are enclosed rooms, essential for private space when needed. Each assistant has contributed to decorating the individual operatories, incorporating elements that have a fun, child-like flair. The hallways are hung with patient-education posters—and the reception area displays the decorating talents of the clinic’s Director of Clerical Services.
“Patients find the clinic very nice, especially compared to the Public Health Department operatories,” notes Mr. Patterson. “Staff enjoy the environment also and this increases patient confidence. Patients feel that this is their clinic and that we are their dentists—as opposed to feeling like just a ‘number.’ Our state-of-the-art community health clinic serves the needs of the community and attracts quality providers and staff. Sullivan-Schein has staff who will help with facility and equipment planning—they are one of the largest suppliers of planning information.”
Sullivan-Schein offers the institutional healthcare arena the planning, equipment, and merchandise specifically tailored to their requirements. The Heart of Texas Community Health Center’s Family Practice Center is part of a facility with multipurpose capabilities. In addition to offering oral healthcare to children, it acts as a teaching environment for residents, and has the potential to expand to include increased educational programs. The south Waco area has been enriched by the expanded services within the Center, and the community’s underserved will benefit by receiving oral health treatments that will improve their quality of life in general—and give them smiles that improve their confidence and chances for success.