The arrival of a dentist's office in a town-owned building in Huntington Station was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting Monday morning.
Dr. Vikas Arora will provide care to residents, including some free screenings for children, once the office opens in January.
"The core objective is to encourage parents to have their children evaluated in a stress free non-clinic private office setting to give every child the benefit of a healthy start to oral health care," Arora said.
Town Supervisor Frank Petrone and Town Council member Susan Berland attended the event, designed to mark another step in the town's revitalization plan for Huntington Station.
"We welcome Dr. Arora and Huntington Dental Care to the community and wish them many years of success treating patients at this location," Petrone said. "This opening is another example of how Huntington Station's revitalization continues, as symbolized by the Enrichment Center and Business Incubator on either side of this office, the 7-Eleven and produce market across the street and the many other projects that are underway."
Douglas Aloise, director of the Huntingon Community Development Agency, said Arora will accept Medicaid patients and payments on a sliding scale. The town put out requests for proposals, contracted with Arora and moved the permit process along to get the office open.
The dentist rents the small office in extra space carved out of the Huntington Station Enrichment Center near the intersection of New York Avenue and Depot Road.
Arora practiced dentistry in India before coming to the United States. He completed a program at New York University for foreign-trained dentists in 2004 and worked first as an associate before opening his own practice. He expects the Huntington Dental Care office to open in January and offer services six days a week.
"We are delighted with his background and his experience, " Petrone said.
Councilman Mark Mayoka added another reason to cheer on the office. "This office makes sense from both a medical perspective and an economic one. This office will also bring income to the Town in the form of rent. I hope Dr. Arora's success will encourage other medical practices to relocate to Huntington Station," Mayoka said.
