Palo alto dental hygiene access to care prgm: enhancing dental hygiene education and community health in south SAN antonio by integrating advanced sleep health, cbct scans, and oral cancer…

The Palo Alto Dental Hygiene Access to Care (PADHAC) Program at Palo Alto College received a $237,500 Project Grant award from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Research, Demonstrations and Evaluations program (CFDA 93.779). The 2-year grant, awarded on September 30, 2024, aims to enhance healthcare accessibility and quality for the underserved Hispanic community in South San Antonio. The program will provide specialized services including sleep apnea testing, cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans, and oral cancer screenings, which address prevalent but often underdiagnosed conditions that disproportionately affect impoverished populations. Key project goals include utilizing advanced technology to improve patient and student education, increasing access to care by reducing financial barriers, and implementing innovative approaches to healthcare delivery that can be replicated at other minority-serving institutions. The grant funding will be used for equipment and technology, personnel and fringe costs, education and community engagement, facility and operational expenses, evaluation and reporting, and travel.

Palo alto dental hygiene access to care prgm: enhancing dental hygiene education and community health in south SAN antonio by integrating advanced sleep health, cbct scans, and oral cancer screening. - palo alto dental hygiene access to care (padhac) program palo alto college aims to significantly improve healthcare accessibility and quality for the underserved community in south SAN antonio. This project is designed to address critical health disparities through the provision of specialized healthcare services, namely sleep apnea testing, cone beam computed tomography (cbct) scans, and oral cancer screenings. These services are particularly focused on prevalent but often underdiagnosed conditions that disproportionately affect impoverished and hispanic populations. Project goals: - utilize current technology while educating patients and students in the advanced levels of anatomical landmarks, both clinically and radiograpically, to identify characteristics that predispose patients to other healthcare anomalies. - provide cbct scan imaging at a reduced cost to the patient to remove financial barriers that would improve access to care for at-home sleep study testing to focus on overall health of the patient's well-being. - enhance overall health outcomes through the early detection and management of conditions that are a result of obstructive sleep apnea that are found through clinical and radiographical analysis. - implement innovative and holistic approaches to healthcare delivery methods that can be replicated in other minority-serving institutions. - collaborate with local healthcare providers, educational institutions, and community leaders to ensure effective integration and sustainability of healthcare services. Total budget amount: the total budget for the project is $234,700, allocated for a period of two years: - $89,000 for equipment and technology: purchase of sleep test kits, cbct machines, velscopes, and necessary software. - $62,100 for personnel & fringe costs: stipends for a board-certified maxillofacial radiologist, sleep specialists, and support staff. - $35,700 ($21,200 not including additional personnel overlap) for education and community engagement: funds will be allocated to training personnel and conducting community outreach programs to educate and engage the community about available services. - $27,000 for facility and operational expenses: adaptation of existing facilities to accommodate new services, including necessary renovations and compliance with health and safety regulations. - $9,000 for evaluation and reporting: development and implementation of a robust monitoring and evaluation framework to track project effectiveness and outcomes. - $6,000 for travel: travel for one staff member to the washington DC area for ombudsman activity. - $20,400 in indirect costs: funds to cover overhead and administrative costs. Neither this abstract nor this project involve any proprietary or confidential information and is designed for broad information sharing to promote transparency and public engagement. Upon receipt of an award, palo alto college is committed to utilizing the funds responsibly to achieve significant, measurable outcomes that will contribute to the health and well-being of south texas's impoverished hispanic community.