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Release Date: April 19, 2007
For more information, contact: Virginia Elliott, Vice President for Programming, 800-369-7191 or velliott@healthfund.org

Health Fund supports Dental Hub concept with $500,000 allocation

HUTCHINSON, KANSAS - If the Kansas Legislature approves a pending bill that includes appropriations for Regional Dental Hubs, an additional $500,000 in grants will be made available for this innovative concept by the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund.

This effort to increase the availability of oral heath services throughout the state, particularly for low-income families, is being facilitated by the Kansas Association for the Medically Underserved. The concept includes utilization of extended care dental hygienists as a way to ensure an adequate level of professional services while expanding coverage.

"Developing greater capacity and extending geographic reach with dental hubs is definitely a practical strategy. It capitalizes on the strengths of our current primary care safety net clinics." said Virginia Elliott, Health Fund Vice President for Programming, "This is a very real opportunity to expand access to dental care and prevention for our most vulnerable citizens and we look forward to helping make it a reality with our grants."

Elliott added that it is anticipated other private funders will support the concept, creating a public-private partnership that could significantly magnify the impact throughout Kansas. "We need go no further than the annual Kansas Mission of Mercy free weekend dental clinics to see the hurting Kansans still shut out of care," she said, citing results from research conducted at the recent Topeka Mission of Mercy. It indicated more than half of the 1,067 patients surveyed had experienced pain before receiving treatment at the clinic, and half of those had suffered pain a month or longer. The majority of patients whose condition necessitated even more dental care did not know of a place they could go to receive the services.

"Kansas has made remarkable improvements in addressing oral health issues in recent years," Elliott said, "The hub concept is a logical next step in further developing access for regions of Kansas not yet served and increasing the capacity of existing clinics."

This effort is consistent with the strategic interests of the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund, according to Elliott. In 1998, the Health Fund identified oral heath as one of the major unmet needs in Kansas and introduced Healthy Teeth for Kansans. The initiative focused on dental sealants for children, access to oral health services, and fluoridation of community water supplies.

In 2006, when the Health Fund evaluated the effectiveness of its grants to help increase Kansans' access to affordable dental care and prevention, Elliott said it was both an affirmation that progress had been made and that the safety net for dental care remains sparse and underdeveloped in Kansas.

The United Methodist Health Ministry Fund, which just celebrated its twentieth anniversary, was endowed by the Kansas West Conference of the United Methodist Church in 1986. Each year the foundation awards grants totaling approximately three million dollars. For more information about the Health Fund, visit www.healthfund.org or call 800-369-7191.

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