PRESS RELEASE

Plainfield Health Center Opens New Dental Operatories
Extended Hours and Patient Growth Lead to Expansion

For Immediate Release: Tuesday, March 26, 2002-PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY- The Plainfield Health Center, one of thirteen Federally Qualified Health Centers in New Jersey, dedicated to providing cost effective primary health care services for the residents of Plainfield and surrounding communities, announced today the opening of two new, state of the art, dental operatories. The expansion of the dental facility is a result of increased demand for dental care services.

The mission of the Plainfield Health Center is to provide primary health care services to the Plainfield service area, with a focus on eliminating access barriers to patient care. Oral health care is critical to total well-being and often neglected, especially where there are access barriers, particularly financial barriers. Furthermore, studies show that poor oral health care is an early indicator of future poor health status.

"Our dental practice, under the leadership of Dr. Margaret Murray-Sobers, has been a growing part of our patient care since 1984," said Dr. Susan Walsh, Chief Medical Officer. "It is part of our mission to educate our patients about the significance of good oral health and encourage them to see a dentist every six months. We are pleased to see that the education process is working and that patient visits for dental care are increasing."

To accommodate the demand for dental care services, Plainfield Health Center has completed construction of two, new, state of the art, dental operatories, and expanded dental care hours to 8 PM two evenings per week. The construction was made possible by grant funding from the Bureau of Primary Health Care, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In addition to the physical expansion, Dr. Maxine Strickland has joined the dental staff, thereby further increasing access capacity for patient visits during the new, expanded Center hours. "We are delighted to have a dentist with Dr. Strickland's credentials join our talented team," said Dr. Murray-Sobers. "She brings experience and enthusiasm to the practice."

To learn more about dentistry at the Plainfield Health Center, or to make an appointment, call 908-753-6401, extension 155.

About The Plainfield Health Center

The Plainfield Health Center, incorporated as the Plainfield Neighborhood Health Services Corporation, was born in 1969 under the auspices of the 1960's Model Cities Neighborhood Program. Led by a dedicated group of community activists, the Center was initially created to provide accessible health care to the residents of the West End of Plainfield.

Since then, the Center has grown, added more services, increased the number of specialties of professional health staff, and expanded its reach to the entire City of Plainfield and neighboring communities. Today, the Plainfield Health Center serves more than 17,000 patients annually. Its total care program provides adult medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, adolescent medicine, school based services, dentistry and ancillary support services.

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