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Dr. Rita Bilello Named Clinical Director NYU Dentistry Oral Health Center for People with Disabilities
Dr. Rita Bilello Named Clinical Director NYU Dentistry Oral Health Center for People with Disabilities
Rita Bilello, D.D.S., a dentist and former CEO of Metro Community Health Centers, is the new clinical director of the NYU Dentistry Oral Health Center for People with Disabilities. Her appointment became effective in October.
A 1999 graduate of NYU College of Dentistry, Dr. Bilello completed a general practice residency at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset and joined Metro Community Health Centers (MCHC) as dental director after nearly 20 years in private practice. Her passion for treating patients with special needs developed over her years of practice and her realization early in her career that many healthcare providers, especially dentists, were not well-prepared to treat people with disabilities.
While in private practice, Dr. Bilello partnered with HeartShare Wellness in Brooklyn to develop a dental clinic that served the general population while also addressing the specific needs of individuals with developmental disabilities, implementing creative and innovative strategies to accommodate the physical and support needs of this underserved patient population and, thereby, improving their access to care.
As CEO of Metro Community Health Centers, Dr. Bilello was instrumental in facilitating the opening of an MCHC location within NYU College of Dentistry, an initiative designed to coordinate care between dental and general healthcare providers in the interest of supporting the overall health of New Yorkers. She also provided instruction and training to other dentists on caring for people with disabilities.
