Bronx, New York — On Tuesday, State Senator Gustavo Rivera (SD 33) and the nonprofit United Community Health Center (UCHC) celebrated a $1,115,000 capital investment to renovate and expand the UCHC dental clinic at 2021 Grand Concourse in the Bronx.
According to UCHC, the project will increase treatment space, add equipment, and reduce patient wait times. As a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), UCHC stated that it has a long history of service in the Bronx, providing approximately 180,000 visits annually to nearly 40,000 patients and serving the community through five fixed clinics and two mobile medical and dental centers.
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UCHC claims to operate one of the largest dental clinics in the Bronx and New York City, primarily serving Medicaid and Medicare patients.
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In 2024 alone, the dental department, along with its partner, St. Barnabas Hospital, will handle nearly 50,000 visits, but patients continue to face significant delays due to high demand and space constraints.
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Dr. Douglas York, President and CEO of UCHC, said, “This investment is more than just a facility renovation; it’s a commitment to addressing the Bronx’s dental service shortage.
Families deserve access to high-quality, timely, and convenient care in an environment designed for their needs.” He noted that Medicaid patients in the Bronx wait twice as long for dental appointments as for primary care appointments. The expansion will allow the center to see hundreds of new patients weekly and help handle the high volume of dental emergencies.
At a check presentation ceremony at the East 188th Street branch, Rivera, Chairman of the State Senate Health Committee, expressed pride in investing in dental care in the district.
Rivera noted that community-based projects like these are crucial to addressing health care disparities and emphasized the imperatives of public funding: to continue to provide the highest standards of care to Bronx residents and ensure that those who cannot access services elsewhere are cared for.
He also sarcastically noted that some insurance companies consider teeth “luxury bones,” highlighting the importance of community clinics.
UCHC officials said the expansion will add four operating rooms and is part of a broader renovation of Grand Plaza Medical Center, integrating dentistry, primary care, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, behavioral health, and a maternal and child care center to create an integrated and more equitable health care network. The funding has enabled the project to begin immediately, with some services expected to be operational within approximately three months.
Dr. Joseph Lopinto, who oversees the existing dental program, expressed his gratitude to supporters and said the team will be able to better care for elderly patients. He said each resident currently sees approximately six to ten patients per day.
Discussing common causes of dental problems, Lopinto noted, “A lot of problems are cavities, and they’re very common. We also see a lot of patients who need re-treatment because they received treatment abroad that didn’t meet local standards.”
The current dental team includes seven assistants, two receptionists, a manager, and several support staff.
UCHC said it will ensure uninterrupted patient services during the renovations and that the expansion will provide residents with a more welcoming, modern, and responsive healthcare environment upon completion.
UCEH reaffirmed its mission to provide the community with informed, innovative, and results-driven healthcare services, encompassing adult and pediatric care, acute care, physical and occupational therapy, behavioral health, dental, and most specialty services.
The center emphasized that no one will be denied care due to inability to pay, regardless of age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or religious affiliation.
The article also noted that the Bronx has long faced challenges in health indicators, and the Bronx Social Care Network (BSCN), a multi-agency organization across the borough, is working to address the social determinants of health.
The BSCN leadership team stated that its members have over 200 years of combined experience in healthcare, serving over 500,000 Bronx residents and providing approximately 2 million care episodes annually.
The BSCN Steering Committee includes: City Health Initiative (lead), BCHN Health, Community Healthcare Network, Morris Heights Health Center, Mosaic Mental Health, Ryan Health, Sun River Health, Institute for Family Health, VIP Community Services, and Union Community Health Center.