Dental clinic, cath lab expand

The dental clinic sees some 130 patients per week and helps educate dentists.

By WILLIAM K. ALCORN

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

YOUNGSTOWN — Forum Health Western Reserve Care System has reopened its expanded and modernized dental services clinic and opened a new state-of-the art cardiac catheterization lab at Northside Medical Center.

“In keeping with our 26-year history of excellence in intervention cardiology, Northside has acquired the Philips FD20 Lab, which contains a new exam room, flat-panel LCD monitors, a modernized equipment room and the most cutting-edge technology in the realm of cardiac catheterization today,” said Dr. Keith Ghezzi, Forum interim president and chief executive officer.

During a catheterization procedure a catheter, a thin flexible tube, is inserted into the artery of a patient’s leg or arm and progressed farther into the arteries or into the heart itself. Cardiac catheterizations are often used to diagnose and treat coronary artery disease. Blocked coronary arteries are opened by balloon angioplasty and stenting, which improves the function of the circulatory system.

With the introduction of the Philips FD20, Northside offers the highest level of interventional cardiac catheterization available, Dr. Ghezzi said.

Northside’s modernized seven-chair dental services clinic, located on the third floor of the Education Building at 500 Gypsy Lane, offers a full range of preventative and restorative dental services, such as routine preventive care, fillings, extractions, complete and partial dentures, implants, root canals and oral surgery, said Dr. Patrick Thomas, director of the dental residency program.

First- and second-year dental residents, dental assistants, a dental hygienist and other health-care professionals make up the staff. The dental residency program, accredited by the American Dental Association since 1950, educates general dentists by providing advanced training and experience in hospital dentistry, oral surgery, general dentistry, pediatric dentistry, removable and fixed prosthodontics, endodontics, periodontics, and implant placement.

The dental clinic sees about 130 patients per week, said Dr. Kimberly Howe, corporate director of medical education and research.

The clinic was expanded by 2,600 square feet and is equipped with new dental technology, including a new digital parorex, which provides a full view of the mouth and teeth to help detect cancer, abscesses of the teeth and other oral problems, Dr. Howe said.

A $50,000 grant from the Cincinnati-based Anthem Foundation helped finance the dental clinic project.

WRCS Dental Services is open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, and also offers emergency services through the Northside Medical Center emergency department. The department accepts self-pay patients as well as those with Medicare, Medicaid, Healthy Start, Care Source, Unison and other traditional insurance.

For more information or to make an appointment, call (330) 884-3058.

alcorn@vindy.com