What health care professionals are touting as “the leading edge of community health care” just might be a good thing for Coatesville residents.

Chester County Community Dental and ChesPenn Health Services Center for Family Health have consolidated their practices into one office at Family Health in Coatesville, 744 E. Lincoln Highway.

Community Dental Executive Director Regina Horton Lewis hailed the partnership as a venture into the leading edge of community health care.

“For too long, dentists and doctors have often worked independently of one another,” said Lewis.  “Now we know how critical dental health is to general health and it just makes sense to have our medical and dental health providers working together as a team to improve our patients’ health.”

“The board of directors and staff of ChesPenn are delighted to form this new partnership with Community Dental,” said Michael G. Lucas, ChesPenn president and CEO. “We welcome Community Dental’s staff to our team and look forward to working with them to provide highly coordinated, patient-centered care to the residents of Coatesville and Chester County.”

Staff members say patients win when medical, dental and behavioral healthcare providers work closely together in a patient-centered team approach. This could be especially helpful to the Coatesville area’s low income, un- and underinsured patients, who often face complex medical and dental health challenges.

Patients will be able to maintain their relationships with their dental care professionals and benefit from a sliding fee scale. ChesPenn says it is committed to providing care to patients regardless of their ability to pay and that the merger will make quality dental care for underserved Chester County residents more accessible and sustainable.

Frances Sheehan, president and CEO of Brandywine Health Foundation, said the foundation financially supports both organizations and that the integration will help them “survive and thrive in the increasingly competitive healthcare marketplace.”

Links:   www.chespenn.com