Coastal Health & Wellness will reopen its Texas City dental clinic on Monday.
Members of the Coastal Health & Wellness governing board, in a called special meeting Thurday, voted to reopen the Texas City dental clinic.
The Galveston dental clinic will remain closed for the time being while administrators and staff focus on patient care in Texas City.
The interruption in service is due to cleanliness/sanitary deficiencies that were outlined in a Joint Commission survey report.
"Staff have received additional training and competencies have been noted. New procedures and processes are also in place and have been documented,” stated Kathy Barroso, interim CHW executive director. “Significant improvements have been made."
Barroso, who also serves as CEO of the Galveston County Health District, was named interim CHW executive director late last month after the former director resigned. The appointment is expected to be temporary.
The Texas City dental clinic "will focus services to patients who have dentures that are waiting to be fitted and those who have contacted the clinic to set up an appointment as soon as possible," according to Thursday's announcement.
Texas City and Galveston clinics suspended performing dental and medical procedures that required sterilization of instruments on Feb. 14 to allow for an investigation by the GCHD following an accreditation site review by the Joint Commission on Feb. 12-13.
Site review findings identified breaches in infection control related to some dental and medical procedures that may have put patients at risk for the Hepatitis B virus, Hepatitis C virus and HIV.
Medical procedures that require sterilization of instruments continue to be suspended for the time being, Barroso said.
Routine medical visits are still available.
“In addition to the other changes noted, a new clinical compliance specialist position was also created to oversee the infection control program,” Barroso said.