Golden Valley Health Centers gets $1 million to expand dental care

Golden Valley Health Centers has received $1 million from the federal Health Resources and Services Administration to help advance dental services in Merced.

“We’ve long recognized the need for increased access to dental care for the Medi-Cal population and we want to be responsive for the needs of the community,” Golden Valley CEO Tony Weber said in a statement. “Our waiting list for dental services in Merced is 80 pages long so, in addition to adding more space for patients, we will also be renovating our existing equipment.”

The new space will be triple the size of Golden Valley’s current Merced dental center and, within the next year, the facility will have 17 chairs and three full-time dentists.

Along with the expansion, Golden Valley is applying for a dental residency program with the NYU Lutheran network, spearheaded by Dr. Lisa Swenson, chief dental officer for Golden Valley.

“In our residency program, they (dental residents) will get a year of on-the-job training with mentors who have years of practice under their belts,” Swenson said in a statement.

The NYU Lutheran network will respond to the request for a residency program in a couple of months. If all goes according to plan, Swenson said, Golden Valley will start interviewing applicants this winter.

This story was originally published May 12, 2016 at 4:52 PM with the headline "Golden Valley Health Centers gets $1 million to expand dental care."