26 January 2023

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MemorialCare, Pacific Dental Services join forces

Katherine E. Pfaff

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MemorialCare, a prominent nonprofit Southern California integrated health system, and Pacific Dental Services® (PDS), one of the nation's leading dental support organizations, recently announced a first-of-its-kind partnership to bring dentists and physicians together under one roof. According to a news release, the joint venture is propelled by the power of shared electronic health records on the Epic system – ensuring a seamless coordination of care and easy access to health records for patients and providers.

Through the unique partnership, several co-located practices will open each year over the next five years to reach a total of at least 25 locations. PDS-supported dental offices will be located within MemorialCare Medical Group health centers throughout Orange and Los Angeles counties.

Stephen E. Thorne IV, founder and chief executive officer of Pacific Dental Services, said in the news release that the unprecedented partnership is a natural extension of the company’s goal to bring to light the link between oral health and overall health to improve the health of patients. 

"Because many systemic diseases, conditions and even medications can affect a patient's oral health, we have long advocated for closer collaboration between medical and dental professionals,” he said. 

Barry Arbuckle, president and chief executive officer of MemorialCare, said the company has a long history of partnering with innovative organizations that share a vision of delivering best practice medicine and improving community health. 

"This unique, innovative venture provides our patients and community with seamless integration of primary care and oral health, an essential clinical service not previously offered," he said. 

This announcement comes at a time when integration between medical care and oral health care is top of mind. Among the many parallel efforts in this area, in 2021 the CDC announced a medical-dental integration partnership with the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, and more recently, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced its final ruling on the expansion of coverage for medically necessary dental services as part of Medicare. These efforts highlight the importance of dental-medical integration to form a seamless, comprehensive healthcare system focused on the health of the whole person.

For more information, visit pacificdentalservices.com