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Mosaic Health announces closure of two dental offices due to funding cuts, dentist shortage
Mosaic Health announces closure of two dental offices due to funding cuts, dentist shortage
Rochester-based Mosaic Health is closing two of its dental offices located in Lyons, Wayne County, and Mt. Morris, Livingston County, due to changes in funding and a national shortage of dentists.
“The national shortage of dentists has affected many communities,” said Melissa Copella, Mosaic’s chief dental officer, adding that it is especially difficult to recruit dentists to work in rural communities. “Mosaic Health has attempted to recruit more dentists, but it’s especially challenging to compete with higher salaries and the types of dentistry that dental professionals are seeking today.”
In addition to the dentist shortage, Mosaic Health recently experienced a change in its 37-year relationship with Rochester Regional Health that led to a reduction in grant revenue of $4 million – roughly 30% of the organization’s annual operating budget – which forced Mosaic to reduce expenses, the company said in a release.
The Lyons and Mt. Morris offices will remain open for up to 90 days, depending on the remaining staff and the New York State Department of Health regulatory process, the company stated.
Its locations in Rushville, Utica and Ilion will remain open, and its mobile unit will become available upon state approval. The School-Based Health Center at Marcus Whitman is still on track to open in June 2024.
For dental patients who are in the midst of their treatment plans at one of the two offices, Mosaic can complete their treatment plan at its Rushville or Utica Dental locations once the other facilities have closed, said Michael Leary, Mosaic Health’s president and CEO.
Mosaic Health, formerly known as the Rochester Primary Care Network, is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that provides medical, dental and behavioral health services to everyone regardless of the patient’s ability to pay and charges for services on a sliding fee scale. Mosaic also accepts most health insurance.
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