INTERFAITH DENTAL in NASHVILLE and MURFREESBORO , TN
Dr . Rhonda Switzer-Nadasdi , Chief Executive Officer Dr . Melissa Meier , AEGD Alumna ’ 17 and Chief Program Officer Dr . Brian Lawson , AEGD Alumnus ’ 20 , Rutherford County Clinic Director ,
and staff dentist at Interfaith Dental
INTERFAITH DENTAL was established in 1994 to provide affordable dental care for working poor families and the elderly who fall between the cracks of private practice and public healthcare . The clinic started with a two-chair operation with one employee . Today , two clinics have 26 operatories and provide stateof-the-art equipment to treat some of the regions neediest citizens .
On March 16 , following governor ’ s orders , Interfaith Dental began only providing emergency care . The clinic went from treating 60 patients a day to 5 patients daily . Similar to dental health facilities around the country , staff immediately had to determine how best to keep patients , faculty , staff , and residents safe while providing service to a community in need .
Dr . Brian Lawson , a current resident during the peak of COVID , took the lead in creating a Teledentistry system to provide access for everyone when the pandemic forced the clinic to limit patient services . It was a new service for their patient population and has proven to be easy to use , efficient and effective .
To manage urgent and emergent cases , the health center created 3 teams of 2 providers each , which included their two residents , and made changes to patient scheduling , check-in , and the length of time a patient is in the office . Interfaith has found that scheduling longer appointment times decreases the risk of exposure and allows them to accomplish more in fewer visits .
Chief Executive Officer , Dr . Rhonda Switzer-Nadasdi , who has been with the organization for 25 years , spoke about the adaptability of staff members and the culture within the office .
“ Day in and day out , our dentists , residents , and staff came to work , understanding they were taking a risk when there was no end in sight , and with extra demands placed on them . They wanted to be of service and help keep people out of the ER . They were innovative , flexible , and put on a brave face to show our community we care and they can rely on us .”
DR . MELISSA MEIER TREATING A PATIENT
2020-21 AEGD RESIDENTS WITH STAFF
10 NYU LANGONE DENTAL MEDICINE POSTDOCTORAL RESIDENCY PROGRAMS