Pacific Dental Services Opens First Dental-Medical Integrated Office with MemorialCare

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Dec 05, 2023, 15:00 ET

The organizations celebrated the successful launch of an innovative co-located dental and medical practice, revolutionizing integrated healthcare services.

IRVINE, Calif. , Dec. 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Pacific Dental Services^® (PDS), one of the leading dental and medical support organizations in the U.S., proudly announces the grand opening of its first co-located dental-medical practice in partnership with MemorialCare, a distinguished Southern California healthcare system. The launch of Culver Smiles Dentistry marks a historic milestone as the first-of-its-kind collaboration between a national dental support organization and a regional healthcare system.

Pacific Dental Services and MemorialCare celebrate the completion of their first co-located medical-dental integrated practice site. (L to R) Alex Creelman, PDS Regional Partner, Carolyn Ghazal, DDS, PDS Chair of GP Platform Development, Dan Burke, PDS Chief Enterprise Strategy Officer, Deepika Dhama, DDS, Owner of Culver Smiles Dentistry, Andrea Murchie, MD, MemorialCare primary care physician, Barry Arbuckle, MemorialCare President and CEO, and David Kim, MD, CEO of MemorialCare Medical Group.

Andrea Murchie, MD (left), a primary care physician with MemorialCare Medical Group, and Deepika Dhama, DDS, a Pacific Dental Services-supported general dentist and owner of Culver Smiles Dentistry. Drs. Dhama and Murchie practice within the same co-located office, and together, provide patients integrated, whole-person care.

Recognizing the critical role of oral health in overall health, the co-located practices are designed to offer a revolutionary approach to healthcare. Both practices leverage the Epic^® electronic health records system, providing a longitudinal view of a patient's health history and enabling seamless collaboration between physicians and oral health providers. This integration aims to provide patients with an unparalleled whole-person health experience, where medical and dental professionals collaborate closely to develop specialized treatment plans tailored to individual needs. Additionally, this approach may contribute to reducing annual healthcare expenses and unnecessary hospitalizations.

"Today marks an exciting milestone with the opening of Culver Smiles Dentistry, representing a significant leap in healthcare innovation as our inaugural co-located medical and dental practice in partnership with MemorialCare," said Stephen E. Thorne IV, Founder and CEO of Pacific Dental Services. "We're excited about the positive impact this collaboration will have on patient care, especially for our seniors. I extend my heartfelt appreciation to the MemorialCare team for their invaluable partnership and shared commitment to advancing oral health as a vital component of overall wellness. Through the integration of dental and medical expertise and the use of shared electronic health records, we're pioneering proactive healthcare models that prioritize early detection and comprehensive care."

"We are grateful for our partnership with Pacific Dental Services. It's tremendously beneficial to the communities we serve as it creates an environment that encourages proactive preventative care," says Barry Arbuckle, Ph.D., president and CEO of MemorialCare. "We are deeply rooted in our mission to serve the healthcare needs of our community, and this is another integral partnership that enables us to do so."

Dr. Deepika Dhama, owner of Culver Smiles Dentistry, highlighted the benefits of the integrated approach: "Our ability to seamlessly communicate and collaborate with medical professionals within the same facility enhances our capacity to comprehensively diagnose, treat, and prevent potential health issues at an early stage. Additionally, offering comprehensive specialty services like endodontics, periodontics, and oral surgery further supports our commitment to providing diverse, patient-centered care within our integrated practice."

The grand opening of the dental practice follows the successful launch of MemorialCare's medical practice within the University Park shopping center in May 2023. The location offers patients easy access to various essential healthcare services including dental care, oral surgery, family medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, and pediatrics, available under one roof.

The co-located practices aim to underscore the Mouth-Body Connection^®, emphasizing the link between oral health and overall systemic health. They recognize the role that harmful bacteria, inflammation, and bone loss in the mouth may play in chronic systemic diseases. Moreover, the practices aim to highlight the connection between periodontal disease and systemic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dementia, and pregnancy complications.

This is the first of several co-located practices that will open over the next five years, with PDS-supported dental offices located within select MemorialCare Medical Group health centers across Orange and Los Angeles counties.

About Pacific Dental Services
Pacific Dental Services^® (PDS) is one of the country's leading dental and medical support organizations, empowering clinicians with supported autonomy to deliver comprehensive patient care. PDS provides administrative and business operations support, highly skilled staff, and ongoing training and education to help healthcare providers succeed. PDS incorporates the most advanced, proven technologies with best practices and procedures to ensure high-quality care and is a leading advocate for the integration of dental and medical care to improve whole-person health. Since its foundation in 1994, PDS has grown to support over 4,500 clinicians (dentists, dental hygienists, physicians, and nurse practitioners) in nearly 1,000 practices across 24 states and continues to expand. To learn more, visit pacificdentalservices.com or connect on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube.

About MemorialCare
MemorialCare, nonprofit Southern California integrated delivery system and innovator in value-based care, has over 225 care locations; 15,000 employees and affiliated physicians; top hospitals—Long Beach Medical Center, Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach, Orange Coast Medical Center and Saddleback Medical Center; award-winning MemorialCare Medical Group and Greater Newport Physicians; MemorialCare Select Health Plan; and outpatient surgery, imaging, urgent care, dialysis, breast health and physical therapy centers. MemorialCare's many honors have included Best U.S. Health Systems, Top Places to Work, Top Hospital rankings from readers of eight regional newspapers, 10 Largest U.S. Children's Hospitals, Top 100 Hospitals, A Hospital Safety Score, Top 50 Cardiovascular Hospitals, Magnet nursing excellence status for all MemorialCare hospitals, among others. Visit www.memorialcare.org.

Epic is a registered trademark of Epic Systems Corporation.

SOURCE Pacific Dental Services