About Us

Michigan Community Dental Clinics, Inc. (MCDC) is a not-for-profit management services corporation, established in 2006, to allow the successful Dental Clinics North (DCN) model for delivery of public health dental services to expand to other areas of Michigan.

MCDC utilizes electronic patient records, digital radiography, state of the art dental equipment and compensation methods that encourage productivity, efficiency, and cost control.  The result is a network of public health dental clinics that resemble private practice providing timely, much-needed services to a greater number of people.  In addition, the financial model for the dental program is designed to break even so that the local Health Department does not have to provide support to the dental clinics.

The target populations served by the clinics are adults and children on Medicaid, as well as low income, uninsured individuals whose income is below 200% of the Federal poverty level.  Non-Medicaid clients are offered a reduced fee schedule equivalent to the Delta Dental PPO rates.  Surplus funds allow for the establishment of the Dental Assistance Fund which is used to supplement the cost of care on a sliding percentage, based upon an individual’s income.

MCDC assists local Health Departments establish dental clinics by:

  1. Designing new clinic facilities or remodeling existing facilities.
  2. Providing specifications for equipment and supplies needed to provide care.
  3. Manage the clinic facilities by:
    a. Providing the electronic patient record, using the Dentrix Enterprise Software Program.
    b. Billing Medicaid for services rendered.
    c. Hiring all clinic personnel.
    d. Providing direction for the operation of the clinic.
  4. Assisting local Health Departments with integration of oral health education and prevention programs with existing WIC and other local Health Department services.

With this approach, MCDC is able to attract and retain exceptional dental practitioners who now have a viable alternative to owning their own private practice.

MCDC delivers dental services in a unique fashion, and shares the DCN expertise and success with other areas of Michigan in a very efficient and cost-effective fashion.

Our Business Model

When people have access to comprehensive oral health care, their overall health, well-being and self-confidence are significantly improved, as are their ability to secure employment, learn in school, and contribute to society.  Michigan has over 1.5 million residents with annual incomes below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level.  The majority of this group do not have dental insurance or are on Medicaid, and have poor access to dental care.

Michigan Community Dental Clinics, Inc. (MCDC), a non-profit, 501(c)3 corporation, has been formed to address this access problem by creating and managing dental clinics on behalf of local Public Health Departments in Michigan.

Currently, MCDC administers a network of clinics, primarily in Northern Michigan, that serve over 50,000 individuals statewide.

The practice style used in MCDC administered public health clinics is a social entrepreneur model, which is akin to the prevention-driven private practice model, with incentives to increase productivity and control costs.  This approach generates teamwork that enthusiastically provides needed care, regardless of the payer source.

Our clinics utilize state-of-the-art equipment that includes digital panoramic and intra-oral radiography, and Dentrix® practice management software at chairside to provide the electronic patient chart.  This allows efficient delivery of care, reduces charting and billing errors, and manages healthcare records that are easily read and understood.

Through the creation of regionally marketed reduced fee programs (e.g., the Northern Dental Plan and Michigan Community Dental Plan), low-income uninsured individuals gain access to care in affiliated public health clinics, as well as to self-selected private practitioners who participate in the program.  In these reduced-fee plans, after paying an enrollment fee that covers the initial exam, patients pay for care directly to the provider.  Fees coincide with the Delta Dental DPO fee schedule.

As clinics generate monies in excess of costs, monies will be accumulated in a Dental Assistance Fund to help contribute to the cost of care in our clinics on a sliding scale, based upon the patient’s income.  This allows our clinics to provide care to those with very low incomes, as well as for services not covered by Medicaid.

The Services We Provide

Assist With the Design or Remodel of New and Existing Clinic Facilities

  • Allow for sufficient number of patient chairs and patient flow to provide care in an efficient and productive fashion, with the optimum number of practitioners.
  • Standardize facilities plans to help reduce the cost of building.  We utilize a design-build approach that reduces the time to construct, equip, and utilize a facility.
  • Provide quiet-room space for loud patients that require privacy.
  • Maintain well-designed facilities help to attract and retain outstanding dental practitioners.

Provide the Specifications for Equipment and Supplies

  • A standardized dental treatment room with dental chairs that accommodate right and left handed practitioners as well as large and small patients.
  • Digital radiography for panoramic and intra-oral images.
  • Standardized equipment and supplies, allowing for uniformity of care and advantaged pricing from suppliers.

Manage the Dental Clinics

  • Maintain electronic patient record via the Dentrix Enterprise® practice management software, which is hosted on servers at our Charlevoix headquarters.
  • Bill Medicaid for services rendered, including posting of payments to reconcile patient accounts.
  • Hire all clinic personnel:
    • All dental staff are hired by MCDC either as employees or independent contractors, as circumstances, staff status and desires dictate.
    • Each employee is provided a comprehensive benefits package.
  • Provide direction for clinic operation:
    • Standardize procedures and processes, treatment modalities, payment methods, forms, supplies and instruments.
    • Provide oversight to assure quality via a QA Director who audits the quality and appropriateness of care delivered.
  • Manage a Dental Plan to allow access to services to low income uninsured patients, who will pay on a sliding fee schedule, based on income, supported by the Dental Assistance Fund that will become available as excess funds accumulate.

Assist Local Health Departments Integrate Oral Education

  • Provide assistance with outreach programs to provide access to those with the most need.
  • Integrate dental prevention practices into WIC and Head Start programs.

Coordinate Hospital Care

  • Coordinate Hospital Dental Care for very young children and developmentally disabled adults, and others with special health issues that make treatment in a clinic impossible
  • Arrange for the scheduling of patients at various hospitals throughout Michigan.
  • Coordinate pre-surgical history and physicals with appropriate physicians.
  • Bill for all hospital-based services.

Coordinate the Establishment and Management of a Dental Assistance Fund

  • Coordinate the establishment of a Dental Assistance Fund to be used by the clinics to support the cost of care to low-income uninsured, and to support the cost of services not covered by Medicaid.

Michigan Community Dental Clinics, Inc. Was Established According to the Following Principles:

MCDC Mission Statement, Why We Exist:

Our mission is to create and expand access to ever improving quality dental care for Medicaid recipients and low income, uninsured persons. This care is rendered through an entrepreneurial public health model, which incorporates health education to modify behavior, and is delivered in a fashion that upholds mutual respect and improves our patients’ quality of life.

MCDC Value Statements, What We Believe:

Social Entrepreneurship
We believe that the current system of delivery of dental public health can be improved upon. To improve upon that model a different approach is required. Innovation and creative thinking are essential components to our success and sustainability.


Political Sensitivity
We operate within an environment heavily influenced by both individuals and organizations associated with federal and local governments, non-governmental social agencies, medical and dental organizations and their components, and charitable foundations. We believe that to continue our success, the reputation of the organization must be nurtured and protected. To this end, MCDC will remain sensitive to the environment in which we operate, and craft decisions based upon this sensitivity.

 

Statement of Values

Quality
We maintain the highest standards and achieve them by continually measuring and improving our outcomes.

Innovation
We welcome change, encourage invention and continually seek better, more efficient ways to achieve our goals.

Teamwork
We collaborate and share knowledge to benefit patients and fellow caregivers for the advancement of our mission.

Service
We strive to exceed our patients’ expectations for comfort and convenience.

Integrity
We adhere to high moral principles and professional standards by a commitment to honesty, confidentiality, trust, respect and transparency.

Compassion
We demonstrate our commitment to outstanding service by providing a caring and supportive environment for our patients.
 

MCDC Vision Statement, What We Hope To Accomplish:

  • A healthy Michigan population, who assume responsibility for their own wellness, with our staff’s guidance and proper intervention.
  • Expansion of our clinic system to allow establishment of “dental homes” for persons unable to obtain care in traditional private sector settings.
  • The care rendered within our dental facilities will be modeled to provide for appropriate oral healthcare for each individual, delivered efficiently and productively.
  • Our care will provide for a continuously improving level of quality designed to exceed the expectation of those who seek treatment from us.
  • By incorporating appropriate business practices, we will continually improve our systems to ensure our ability to meet the basic treatment needs of all our patients.
  • Creation of a political and social sensitivity to the needs, outcomes, and benefits of dental public health.
  • Creation of a viable career alternative in public health for dental professionals and ancillary staff.
  • Improving the awareness and importance of oral health among all healthcare professionals.

MCDC Strategic Intent, the Goal That Drives Us:

It is the intent of MCDC and its affiliates to increase the availability of, and access to, ever improving quality dental care in the public health sector. This strategy will involve the following:

  • Bring both internal and external resources to educate policy makers regarding the benefits of maintaining and improving the social benefit of dental public health programs.
  • To prioritize a program of continually improving dental public health services making best use of available resources.
  • Develop strategies to expand access to dental care in underserved areas. This will be accomplished by creating strategic alliances to open new dental clinics, expand hospital services, and assume operation of existing dental clinics, when they will benefit from MCDC’s expertise.
     

Annual Reports

2010 Annual ReportClick here to Download

Contact Us

If you have an interest in learning more about our programs and clinics, please contact us at info@midental.org.  If you are interested in joining our team of dental professionals, please either click on Career Opportunities or contact us at humanresources@midental.org.