Courtney Sparks
Fall 2024
Executive Summary
The Free Dental Screening at Indiana University School of Dentistry can help meet the needs of the community for those who do not have access to dental services and those who have little to no dental insurance. By offering free exams and x-rays the dental clinic helps catch dental problems early while connecting patients to follow up care.
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Goals:
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Increase Attendance: By December 28th, 2024, achieve a 25% increase in attendees through targeted marketing strategies such as promoting the clinic at local events, utilizing social media, distributing flyers, and sharing patient testimonies.
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Encourage Follow-up Care: Ensure that 50% of patients return for follow-up treatment by scheduling appointments on-site, sending reminders, and offering incentives.
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Boost Social Media Engagement: Drive a 40% rise in engagement by creating interactive content, posting educational videos, and involving local influencers or community figures.
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Key Strategies:
To reach the community and make sure everyone in the area is finding out about the clinic there are both online and offline methods available. Offline methods include distributing printed material to low-income neighborhoods and working with local news and radio stations to highlight the clinics’ mission. There are also local event promotions that take place throughout the year that ensure a different population is reached. To extend beyond what their offline method doesn’t reach the clinic prioritizes patient success stories and educational content on platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, that connects with a wider range of people in a relatable and impactful way.
Community Impact:
The program ensures that everyone has access to dental care and that nobody must neglect their oral health due to financial burdens. By offering free screenings, the clinic can provide students with hands on experience, ability to connect ongoing care options for patients and ensure strong relationships between IUSD and the community. The clinic also brings new patients to the school, great learning opportunities for both students and patients and expands IUSD’s reputation for excellence in public service.
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Next Steps:
Looking forward, the clinic strives to improve according to patient feedback and will make improvements accordingly. Expanding partnerships with different organizations within the community is a sure way to enhance the marketing strategies and further strengthen the mission to promote accessible oral health care to everyone. By helping more people and educating the public, IUSD is making a real difference in the community.