On Dec. 15th, Island Health Care opened the doors of its new Dental Center in Edgartown, a clinic that is aimed at providing cleanings, fillings, and other dental work to Islanders, including underserved communities.
Located at One Mariner’s Way, organizers with the center have a simple yet broad mission: Meet the rising need for health services, and cater to unhoused Vineyarders, immigrants, and families who rely on insurance for care.
Island Health Care already has a waitlist for the dental clinic that has surpassed 1,200 patients, and is increasing daily; officials are optimistic they will be able to contact everyone on the current waitlist by mid-January.
“We’re here to serve anyone,” CEO of Island Health Care Cynthia Mitchell said. “We certainly have the demand here … People are absolutely thrilled to be able to go to the dentist.”
The dental center currently accepts more than 26 health insurance companies’ coverage, and is paving the next steps toward integrative community healthcare on the Island, according to Mitchell.
Mitchell has been working on this project since 2021. After the closing of Martha’s Vineyard Hospital’s Dental Office during the COVID-19 pandemic, Mitchell knew Vineyarders could benefit from a new practice. She and her team secured their first grant of $500,000 in September of that year from the Federal Health Center Program. MVYouth stepped up with another grant for the same amount in 2022. Local organizations rallied behind them in the following months to ensure the Dental Center would open in 2024.
The building they purchased was chosen because of its central location and size. They now have more than 10,000 square feet of property in which to build their new, integrated healthcare offices — starting with the Dental Center.
The new office features four dental chairs, an x-ray machine, and a sterilization zone for instruments. While the space is not full of clients yet, the office hopes to ramp up its appointments soon in order to see the vast number of people on the waitlist. Mitchell said they are starting slow, and are still in their “soft-open” period.
According to Mitchell, a dental office is just the next step in a larger plan for comprehensive care on the Island.
“This is the first of a two-phase expansion … The next step is to expand primary care services,” Mitchell said. “The whole idea is to have integrated services.”
Their plan puts a focus on Vineyard community members who rely on MassHealth and Health Safety Net for medical services. “It’s the federal programs that make this possible,” she said.
Dr. Aldino Maggiulli, the dental director, moved here from his private practice in Maryland because he believes in the mission of Island Health Care. As of now, he is the only dentist on the Island who accepts MassHealth Insurance.
When it comes to diverse community needs, Island Health Care also works closely with Island Grown Initiative to provide groceries and frozen meals for Islanders who deal with any type of food insecurity. “When a patient reveals a need for food, we are able to provide it,” Mitchell said. “This sets us apart from some traditional medical practices.”