We celebrate National Health Center Week (NHCW) by honoring the amazing people who create lasting oral health for those most disadvantaged.
In Santa Cruz County, only one in three of our low-income neighbors with Medi-Cal can access the dentist. As the largest dental provider in the county, Dientes is working hard to address this issue by opening two new clinics in the past seven months—one in Harvey West and one in Live Oak. This year we are expecting to serve 16,000 patients, a 30% growth over last year.
We could not achieve this goal without the dedicated, compassionate staff who serve our patients every day. Dientes prioritizes workforce investments, from establishing a dental residency program to scholarships, internships and soon, a registered apprenticeship program. We have paths so that a high school graduate can come in as an intern and work their way up to becoming a manager or a provider.
For NHCW, we are here to say: Public health is a great career path, please join us! Your community needs you!
Laura Marcus, CEO
Dientes Community Dental Care