[NEWS] Under the Broad Street line, dentist Janine Burkhardt gets patients smiling again
From the Philadelphia Inquirer:Â
It may be the only dentist’s office in the country in which the whirring of the drill is drowned out by the rumbling of the subway. But no matter. At the Hub of HOPE, located in the concourse under Suburban Station, dentist Janine Burkhardt is not only giving her homeless patients a reason to smile, she’s giving them the ability.
Burkhardt, 30, graduated from Temple University Dental School in 2015 and, after a brief stint in private practice, applied to be a dentist at the Stephen Klein Wellness Center in North Philadelphia, run by Project HOME. But the center was looking for a dentist who would not only see patients but oversee all dental operations. Burkhardt, 26 at the time, thought the position might be beyond her skill set, but she was so impressive, she got the big job.
In December 2018, Burkhardt expanded care into the medical suite at the Hub of HOPE, the downtown service center for Philadelphia’s homeless and transient population, an initiative of Project HOME, SEPTA, and the city. While Burkhardt sees patients at the Klein Center Monday through Wednesday, she sees patients at the Hub on Thursdays. For most of these patients — who may have no access to Medicaid — the help is free.
