PROACTIVE INFECTION PREVENTION
Following the latest guidelines from the CDC for dental care, our entire facility will be equipped with a building-wide HEPA filtration system and negative pressure HVAC.

INCREASED ACCESSIBILITY
Arriving for an appointment will become easier—and safer. The Clinic’s main entrance will move from Lime Street to the rear side of the building. The change puts the entrance right next to the parking lot—a more convenient location for everyone, especially parents with children in wheelchairs or strollers.

ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE ADDITION
New plantings behind the building will beautify the entrance and reduce stormwater runoff.

GOING UP
Stairs or a new elevator will take arriving families to the main floor.

ADJACENT IMPROVEMENTS
Handicapped parking spaces will be next to the new entrance. The parking lot will be repaved for smoother walking and wheelchair travel. A mural will identify the Clinic and enhance the neighborhood.

HELPING MORE KIDS
The renovations will enable us to help children with special needs beyond craniofacial conditions. Other non-profit health care organizations refer their most complicated pediatric dental cases to the Clinic. These children usually have medical or behavioral conditions that require specialized care.
Many have severe dental decay, the most common chronic childhood disease. It causes pain, infection, premature tooth loss, and problems with growth and development. If their mouth always hurts, a child can’t learn and grow. The Clinic is one of only a few dental practices in Lancaster County that participates in Medical Assistance programs.

Families will discover the main floor has “flipped,” moving the main entrance and waiting room to what is now the rear of the building. Patient care and support services will expand to occupy almost the entire main floor. The renovated spaces will benefit the families who spend hours at the Clinic on Team Day, seeing all their child’s specialists and therapists in one convenient visit.

AMENITIES FOR FAMILIES

• Play area for small children
• Lounge for parents and children 
• Small conference room to discuss treatments or finances in private
• Dedicated feeding room for moms
• Parent seating close to treatment spaces

THE LATEST IN PATIENT COMFORT
A cartoon or movie playing on the ceiling-mounted television can help distract young patients during a procedure. The nitrous oxide (“laughing gas”) line is plumbed up through the floor to hide equipment that might seem scary. We have three additional pediatric dental rooms that have now increased our capacity by 150%.

SOUNDPROOFING
For children with certain special needs, even trying to take a simple X-ray can elicit frightened cries. The treatment rooms will have sound-reducing doors and walls to lessen the impact on other children and their families. The rooms have been intentionally placed as far from the waiting room as possible.

PROACTIVE INFECTION PREVENTION
Following the latest guidelines from the CDC for dental care, all our orthodontic rooms will be private.

LET THE SUNSHINE IN
In the building’s southwest corner, we are introducing four new, private orthodontic suites which will have access to natural light. Exposure to natural light has been proven to benefit patients in heath care settings.

A PLACE FOR SPECIAL NEEDS PATIENTS
The renovation creates a separate, enclosed room for orthodontic exams and procedures. The quiet space will be more soothing and less distracting for children on the autism spectrum or those with behavioral issues. 

IMPROVING OUTCOMES
The Clinic has long been a leader in cleft research, thanks in large part to Director Emeritus Dr. Rusty Long, the grandson of Clinic founder Dr. H. K. Cooper. Clinic staff will continue to participate in studies that determine the most effective treatments for various craniofacial anomalies.

Our previous team space was inadequate.

The team approach—bringing all the specialists and therapists together in one place to decide the best treatment plan for each patient—has long been the Clinic’s hallmark. The modernization plan includes elements that foster the team culture to the ultimate benefit of patients.

NEW TEAM SPACES
Weekly team meetings will move to a larger, more functional, dedicated room on the lower level. On the main level, a small conference room with five workstations will provide a space for specialists to work or meet with colleagues in between patient appointments.

“VOLUNTEER” APPRECIATION
Several team members’ services are donated by other health care organizations, enabling these specialists to spend one to four days a month treating patients at the Clinic. Improved work spaces for them signal our gratitude for their commitment to our mission and our patients.

CATCHING UP WITH TECHNOLOGY
The modernization plan includes new diagnostic and treatment tools for hearing, speech, and feeding as well as upgrades to electronic medical records systems. Computers and servers will be upgraded or replaced throughout the organization, improving staff efficiency and productivity.