Lowey Announces $460,000 Federal Grant to New York Medical College for Public Health Dental Training

Press Release

Congresswoman Nita Lowey (Westchester/Rockland), the Ranking Member on the House Appropriations Committee, today announced a $460,591 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for New York Medical College's (NYMC) General Dental Practice Residency program to train postdoctoral students in public health dentistry.

"Investments in dental health will leave more people in the Lower Hudson Valley smiling," said Lowey. "I'm pleased New York Medical College will be able to use this grant to train postdoctoral students specializing in public health dentistry. As Ranking Member on the House Appropriations Committee, I will continue fighting to protect funding that allows local medical institutions to improve public health."

The grant, which is administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration within HHS, will help NYMC train postdoctoral students in public health dentistry, a specialty that concentrates on improving the dental health of populations as opposed to individuals. Training will focus on improving oral health care in the Lower Hudson Valley.

According to NYMC, the growing need for dentists is especially acute in Westchester County and the Hudson Valley region, which is home to nearly three million people, including a number of underserved populations. Many New Yorkers cannot afford to obtain routine, preventive, non-emergency, or cosmetic dental care. Yet, untreated dental problems result in infections and poor nutrition, missed work and school, and a decline in overall health status, all of which pose health, economic, and societal strain.

Federal labor statistics and New York State dental registration numbers show a persistent barrier to dental care for the underserved. This problem is projected to deepen in the near future as more than 10 percent of New York's dentists retire or close their practices. Nationally, the number of dentists declined from 58 to 55 per 100,000 people from 2011-2013.

"We are very thankful for this vital support from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration," said Robert W. Amler, MD, MBA, vice president for government affairs at New York Medical College.

"With this grant from the federal government, our General Dental Practice Residency will train tomorrow's dentists in a patient-centered medical home model, to address the oral health care needs and disparities of the Hudson Valley, and encourage them to pursue a career in public health dentistry," said Joseph F. Morales, DDS, FACD, professor and chairman of the Department of Dental Medicine and program liaison, General Dental Practice Residency.

Lowey, as Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee, has fought to increase investments in medical research. She has worked to protect the HHS budget from cuts, and she is a longtime member of the subcommittee that funds medical research. Funding to National Institutes of Health has nearly tripled since she joined the committee.

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