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ORAL HEALTH CENTER OPENS DOORS
Like a new father emerging from
the delivery room, a beaming Jack Broussard glides about the
USC Oral Health Center at University Village. Broussard, the
director of the new facility, spots an unsightly medical waste
bin outside one of the twenty-four operatories and quickly
relocates it. The dull gray plastic eyesore was clearly
upsetting the sleek, urban aesthetic of USC’s newest clinic.
In fact, if not for the dental
chairs, radiographic equipment and shiny, new hand pieces, one
could easily forget they were in a dental clinic altogether.
The architectural splendor and decidedly modern furnishings
are more akin to the offices of a powerful Hollywood agency.
Sitting in the waiting room watching one of two
high-definition plasma televisions, you half expect to glance up and see DeNiro come
strolling in, agents in tow, to hammer out a new three picture
deal.
But the clinic doesn’t put
form before function. To the contrary, the facility boasts a
remarkable array of state-of-the-art equipment, from the
digital radiographic equipment to tiny, chair-side intraoral
cameras capable of broadcasting to the Web.
“This is the most
technologically advanced clinic I’ve ever seen,” says
Broussard. “When I go back to my private practice in
Pasadena, it’s just plain Neanderthal. This is really quite
remarkable.”
And clearly Broussard is eager
to put this technology to the test. The new facility opened
its doors to its first patient on Tuesday, January 21. While
the official grand opening isn’t slated until March, a
limited number of patients will continue to be scheduled,
allowing faculty, staff and students time to learn how to
operate the abundant technology and customize it to suit their
needs.
The digital photography and
radiographic equipment installed in each operatory allows the
Oral Health Center to be a nearly paperless clinic. Images pop
up instantly on each of the operatory’s two LCD monitors and
can be immediately added to the patient’s chart. The
treatment plan, all relevant notes and history information can
be added directly into the axiUm clinical software by
assisting staff during the course of an exam.
“I just love this facility. I
was really impressed and pleasantly surprised how easy it has
been to make the transition to a paperless chart,” says
faculty member Yang Chai, who saw the clinic’s first
patient.
The facility serves as home to
both the USCSD faculty practice and the new AEGD program. In
addition, research will be conducted in the facility’s
dental materials laboratory. On the second floor, still in the
construction phase, there will be offices and several meeting
rooms.
Broussard and his team of
clinical, information technology and facilities staff worked
with contractors over the past several months, to ensure the
facility opened on schedule (many forgoing the customary USC
holiday break to do so). A relative newcomer to the School of
Dentistry, Broussard was impressed by the camaraderie and
dedication of his staff.
“That has been the best part,
to see how willing everybody is to come together and work on
this project,” comments Broussard.
A series of open houses will be
held in conjunction with the facilities grand opening in late
March. Look to next month’s Update for a schedule of events.
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