Expanding access to dental care for individuals with disabilities is a passion and top priority for the new clinical director at an NYU Dentistry oral health center.
Rita Bilello, DDS, took over as the new clinical director of the NYU Dentistry Oral Health Center for People with Disabilities in October.
Dr. Bilello recently connected with Becker's to share her goals as clinical director and how her past experiences will guide her in the role.
Editor's note: Responses were lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: Why did you decide to take the role of clinical director at the NYU Dentistry Oral Health Center for People with Disabilities?
Dr. Rita Bilello: I decided to take the role of clinical director at the NYU Dentistry Oral Health Center for People with Disabilities because it is the perfect marriage of all things I am passionate about. I am a dentist who loves to make sure that not only do individuals get the oral health care they need, but that my fellow providers also learn how to treat this population. This position allows me to provide clinical care, train the next generation of providers and advocate for equity in disability healthcare, which is a broad mandate which includes creating operational workflows, models and efficiencies that will allow for dental care to be provided to this underserved population in a way that is fiscally sustainable.
Q: What goals do you have for the center and how do you plan to achieve them?
RB: My goals for the center are many ... I dream big. First and foremost, I want to make sure that we provide and teach dignified and comprehensive oral health care for all of our patients in ways that are patient-centered and meet our patients where they are. That means working with our patients' individual needs instead of insisting that our patients adapt to what the provider needs. Second, I want to advocate for the work that the NYU OHCPD is doing to teach and provide care to those with disabilities, and work to make sure that both operationally and fiscally improvements can be made in terms of appreciating both the need and the costs of the work that we are doing. Third, I want to share the successes of what we're doing at NYU far and wide, including documenting research and sharing our models of care, so that we can be a partner in the larger battle to decrease disparities in health care for the disabled population.
Q: How will your past experiences in private practice and as CEO of Metro Community Health Centers aid you as clinical director?
RB: My experiences at Metro Community Health Centers, first as the dental director and then as the CEO, taught me invaluable lessons that will definitely guide me forward in my new position as clinical director of the NYU OHCPD. Metro Community is a federally qualified health center that is focused on providing comprehensive health care for all, and its patient base is 70% disabled. As such, I learned that there are tremendous barriers for individuals with disabilities to access all aspects of health care, including, most critically, dentistry. I also learned how important it is for the operational aspects of an agency to be fueled by the mission of that agency, because it will be the mission that will drive forward critical decisions and ultimately shape the growth and culture of that agency moving forward. With that knowledge, I will take the mission of the OHCPD: to provide and teach dignified care, to shape the culture and the operations of our center, making each decision in alignment with the mission of creating a dental home for individuals with disabilities that removes unnecessary barriers to care in an environment that is dignified, respectful and fiscally sustainable.