Emma Nodine

Daily Summaries

Tuesday – 1/22/2026

I began this day determining the proportion of procedures that are preventative for patients without dental insurance, which ended up being nearly 80% preventative. This allowed me to determine if preventative or restorative care was the greater need in the uninsured patient population to be targeted in the savings plan. I then calculated the total cost for patients to purchase the university offered insurance plan through UnitedHealthcare Student Resources, which is the current option for students who do not have insurance and wish to have a plan. I then calculated the cost of paying out-of-pocket without insurance for the services we are considering including in the In-House Savings plan. I then calculated the cost of performing a cleaning, including supplies, sterilization, and hygienist’s pay to determine the current profit margin. I then researched the current In-House/Savings dental plan options for other dental offices in Athens for patients without insurance to determine the typical costs, procedures included, and coverage variations. I then began researching the different regulations and laws regarding the creation of a dental savings plan outside of insurance from the American Dental Association (ADA). 

Thursday – 1/24/2026

I began this day calculating the costs of basic preventative dental treatments for patients with UnitedHealthcare Student Resources Dental plan, including the associated co-pays and premiums. I also calculated the costs of basic preventative dental treatments for patients with the Delta Dental plan offered to faculty and staff through the university. I then created and sent out surveys to the student population to gather primary data about students’ maintenance and barriers to proper preventative dental care. I also discussed with Kristen how we could use this survey on a faculty and staff scale to determine needs in the greater patient population. I then shared the survey with different groups throughout the student population and evaluated survey results. I also developed a survey to be sent out to faculty and staff.

Summary of Week 2 with Competencies: 

• 1.1.1 Define the purpose and scope of the assessment.
  • During this week, I refined the purpose and scope of my needs assessment by refining my project on improving access to preventive dental services for uninsured students through the development of an in-house savings plan, to be called the “Dental Savings Plan”. By determining that nearly 80% of uninsured patients’ procedures are preventive cleanings or exams, I clarified that preventive care represents the primary service gap to be addressed. This finding helped me further define the scope of the assessment around cleanings, exams, and X-rays as the core services for intervention. 
• 1.1.2 Identify priority population(s).
  • Through analyzing the UHC Dental Clinic’s service utilization patterns and insurance coverage options throughout 2025, I identified uninsured students as the priority population for this phase of the needs assessment. By comparing the costs of an uninsured student enrolling in the UnitedHealthcare Student Resources Dental Plan offered by UGA versus paying out-of-pocket for preventive services, I further defined the financial barriers faced by this group. I also began expanding the scope to look at the larger patient population of individuals eligible for the UHC, including faculty and staff, by exploring Delta Dental coverage. I also developed a survey to assess preventive care needs throughout the student population and faculty/staff populations.
• 1.1.3 Identify existing and available resources, policies, programs, practices, and interventions.
  • Throughout the week, I assessed existing resources and policies that shape and influence patients’ access to preventive dental care at the UHC Dental Clinic. This included analyzing the operational costs and profit margins of preventive services available through the Point-and-Click software, reviewing the university’s current dental insurance offerings (UnitedHealthcare Student Resources), and researching existing in-house dental savings plans used by private dental practices in Athens and the surrounding areas. I also began reviewing ADA guidelines and state regulations related to non-insurance dental savings plans. These activities allowed me to evaluate current practices and policy restrictions while trying to navigate realistic intervention models that could be adapted to the UGA clinic setting.
• 1.2.4 Analyze secondary data to inform assessment and planning.
  • I analyzed secondary financial and insurance data of past patients to better understand how existing dental insurance coverage options truly impact access to preventive care. I calculated the total cost of basic preventive dental treatments for patients enrolled in the UnitedHealthcare Student Resources Dental Plan, including associated premiums and co-pays, to determine the true financial burden for uninsured students who choose to purchase the university’s dental insurance option. I also calculated the costs of the same preventive services for patients covered under the Delta Dental plan offered to university faculty and staff. These comparisons allowed me to evaluate how different insurance structures influence affordability across patient populations and to identify potential gaps between insured and uninsured patients. This analysis allowed me to begin calculating the development of the in-house savings plan by providing a benchmark for pricing, coverage levels, and financial feasibility, to ensure that our proposed intervention is both practical to office profit, beneficial for patients, and responsive to patient cost barriers.
• 1.2.7: Determine primary data collection needs, instruments, methods, and procedures.
  • I designed and implemented a primary data collection strategy to assess preventive dental care behaviors and perceived barriers among the student and faculty/staff population. I created and distributed a survey instrument to gather data on students’ oral health maintenance practices, frequency of dental visits, insurance status, and financial and logistical barriers to preventive care. I shared the survey with multiple student groups to maximize reach and representation and began evaluating early response data to identify emerging trends and needs. In collaboration with my site supervisor, Kristen, I also discussed how this survey could be adapted and administered to faculty and staff to assess preventive care needs across the broader patient population. Based on this discussion, I developed a parallel survey instrument specifically for faculty and staff. These activities allowed me to determine appropriate data collection methods, refine survey instruments, and establish procedures for ongoing primary data collection to support a comprehensive needs assessment and evidence-informed program planning.

Week 2 Summary 

During my second week at the UGA University Health Center Dental Clinic,  I conducted a detailed cost analysis of preventive dental services, including calculating supply costs, sterilization expenses, and hygienist wages to determine the clinic’s profit margins. I also compared out-of-pocket costs for uninsured patients with the costs associated with the university’s UnitedHealthcare Student Resources Dental Plan and the Delta Dental plan offered to faculty and staff. These analyses provided a clearer understanding of how financial structures influence access to preventive care across different patient populations.

I then assessed service utilization data and determined that nearly 80% of uninsured patient appointments are preventive procedures, confirming that preventive care represents the most critical area of need for the uninsured patient population. I also researched existing in-house dental savings plans in the Athens area and began reviewing ADA guidelines and state regulations to ensure that any proposed intervention will be compliant, sustainable, and aligned with industry standards.

To complement these quantitative analyses, I initiated primary data collection by creating and distributing surveys to the student population to assess dental care behaviors and perceived barriers to preventive care. I collaborated with my site supervisor to adapt the survey for faculty and staff and began reviewing early student responses. These combined activities strengthened my needs assessment by including financial feasibility, regulatory/legal considerations, and data from past patients.

Overall, this week was focused on assessment refinement of current patient data, collecting first hand data, and collaboration with the UHC stakeholders. Through using both existing and newly collected data, I made significant progress toward designing a preventive dental care program that is evidence-informed, financially sustainable, and responsive to the needs of uninsured and underinsured members of the UGA community.