PA Gotbaum: City Must Retain Dental Aid For Needy Children

Last week, the Queens Chronicle published an opinion piece by Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum, which argues against the closing of the city's Oral Health Program (OHP) and highlights her office's report, 'Touching A Nerve: How Closing the City's Oral Health Program Reduces Access to Dental Care for New York City Children'. Gotbaum writes: 

For over a hundred years, some of New York City’s neediest children have received dental care in school- and community-based clinics through the city’s Oral Health Program (OHP). But funding for OHP has been cut during the past several years, and the OHP clinics were officially targeted for elimination in Michael Bloomberg’s preliminary budget for fiscal year 2010.

The city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) argues that the closings are necessary because city agencies must trim their budgets, also claiming that the OHP clinics are inefficient and duplicate services that are available elsewhere.

The reality? There are actually few alternatives available for the families that benefit from OHP; low productivity is due to DOHMH policies rather than program administration; and cost savings are in fact achievable that will help keep the program alive.

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