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Recording Transcript |
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In retrospect, it all looks so natural and easy. Harlem United Community AIDS Center was in need of dental services for its HIV/AIDS clients, and Columbia University’s College of Dental Medicine was supplying dental residents to community agencies. As natural as that fit may sound, it wasn’t easy to put the two institutions together into an effective partnership. There were cultural differences, differences in priorities, values and operations. But there were also tremendous potentials and strengths. There was the one-stop comprehensiveness of services at Harlem United, the potential for strong medical/dental integration, the potential for close mentoring and the potential for trainees to experience a new aspect of dental care. These have all been realized. For Harlem United, the grant program has meant building out a state-of-the-art clinic and hiring an exceptionally well qualified dentist. For its clients, it means comprehensive, high quality dental care in a familiar, accessible and comfortable setting. The keys to success were communication, true partnering, mutual respect, and focus on mission. All of this was made possible by the Community Based Dental Partnership Program. |