In April, Home of the Innocents and Norton Children’s Medical Group announced a partnership to begin on Oct. 1, in which Norton will take over the operations of Open Arms Children Health, a service division of Home of the Innocents. Today, Home of the Innocents and UofL announce an enhancement to that partnership as the University of Louisville School of Dentistry will take over operations of the pediatric dental clinic at Open Arms Children’s Health. 

Since 2011, Open Arms Children’s Health has cared for the dental needs of children across the Louisville community, particularly those for whom dental services are often difficult to access.  While it serves all children in the community, the dental clinic at Open Arms specializes in providing quality dental care for children placed in foster care, children with autism spectrum disorder, children of refugees and children with medical complexity. 

The UofL School of Dentistry will elevate the dental services provided at Open Arms Children’s Health to a higher level through expanded staffing and a full range of pediatric dental care. These services are supported by faculty, residents and students from a dental school ranked in the top 50 worldwide according to the 2021 Global Ranking of Academic Subjects.  After 10 years, Home of the Innocents is proud to bring in a successful, well respected partner who can help Open Arms expand services to more children in the community and continue to provide care to those served by the organization. 

“This partnership is such a natural progression for the Home,” said Paul Robinson, Home of the Innocents President and CEO. “When our dental clinic first opened, UofL’s School of Dentistry was right there with us helping to make sure we could provide the best dental services to our community. We are very excited to welcome them back to our campus and look forward to working with them.” 

“Clinics like this one are a win-win. They help meet the oral health needs of underserved populations, while also providing externship opportunities for dental students and residents,” said T. Gerard Bradley, Dean of the University of Louisville School of Dentistry. “Through these experiences, our students become not just more skilled, but also more compassionate. It takes both to be an outstanding dental provider.” 

All other Home of the Innocents services will remain unchanged, including The Village Pharmacy, Kosair Charities Pediatric Convalescent Center, all on-campus and community-based Behavioral Health Services and The Aquatic Therapy Center.

August 5, 2021