Something Extra

Doer Profile

Dr. Steven Jacobson

City: West Bloomfield
Kudos: Providing Volunteer Dental Care In Israel

S

teven Jacobson, an Oakland
County dentist in private prac-
tice in Walled Lake, spent part
of his summer volunteering in Israel at
Yad Sarah, a network of volunteers
aiding disabled, elderly and house-
bound people aimed at making home
care possible. He treated seniors on
fixed incomes and. who lacked access
to private dental care. There was mini-
mal or no charge.
Yad Sarah runs a dental clinic for
low-income seniors and a mobile clin-
ic for homebound and frail seniors;
both operate under the auspices of
Hebrew University-Hadassah School
of Dental Medicine. Last year, Yad
Sarah treated 7,000 patients for pre-
ventive and advanced dental needs.
Seventy percent of Israeli seniors lack
dental care.
Many of Jerusalem's 40,000 seniors
live on modest pensions or govern-
ment aid. Dr. Jacobson worked with
Dr. Moriana Ben Horin, one of 27
volunteer Israeli dentists in Yad Sarah's
learning lab for geriatric dental care.

What kinds of patients can you see?
"I am only allowed to see patients
in for an emergency because I am not
certified through the Israel Ministry of
Health to practice dentistry in Israel. I
am only allowed to deal with emer-
gencies and make observations."

How does dental care differ between
American and Israel?
"In America, everything is priva-
tized in terms of health care. There are
very few public dentistry centers that
will take a patient in and see them on
the spot. At Yad Sarah, you have that,
and it is a great thing."

What is the biggest barrier to treat-
ment among American seniors?
"In America, private insurance will get
you the dental care you need; most
people have health or dental insurance
through their occupations. Once they
retire, they are no longer covered,
which usually means paying out of
pocket to see a dentist. This is very
expensive and most seniors in America

Dr. Moriana Ben Horin and Dr. Steven Jacobson consult on a dental care plan at
Yad Sarah.

don't have the money needed to spent
on dental visits."

What do Israelis do better than
Americans in the dental field?
"Accessibility. The elderly in the
U.S. do not have the accessibility that
somebody in Israel has. In America,
you will enter a free clinic and will wait
hours to see a dentist. In Israel, you can
just make an appointment at Yad, Sarah
and be treated in a timely manner"

tive approaches for dental intervention
as well as a new understanding of the
needs of older people and their fami-
lies."

What was your greatest joy during
your summer service?
"The people who need treatment in
America are stuck; it is great for me to
see that here in Israel, people who
need dental care have somewhere to

0- 0
b

— Robert A. Sklar, editor

What is the greatest benefit of work-
ing at Yad Sarah?
"Each dentist is able to return to his
home community armed with innova-

To contribute to Yad Sarah to help offset
the cost of care for impoverished patients,
log on to www.yadsarah.org

REPORT A DOER ... Know a Doer — someone of any age doing interesting, meaningful things in their life outside of their job? Share suggestions with Keri Guten Cohen,
story development editor, at (248) 351-5144 or e-mail: kcohen@thejewishnews.com.

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