News Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: May 16, 2007
For more information, contact Virginia Elliott, Vice President
for Programs, 620-662-8586
Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas Dental Clinic receives Project of the Year award
Hutchinson, KS—Since its founding, the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas in Pittsburg has been dedicated to providing quality, affordable and accessible medical, mental, and dental health services to the uninsured and underserved in that area of our state.
Unfortunately, its provision of dental services was severely limited by lack of space and staff. Dental treatment was available only one day a week in a 144 square foot room with just a single dental chair. Waits of six months to receive needed treatment were not uncommon. That changed in August 2005 when the Community Health Center opened a 5,200 square foot, 12-chair dental clinic. A $100,000 Health Fund grant supported the purchase of the remodeled building.
An innovative partnership added to the effectiveness of the center. A new dental hygiene training program through Fort Scott Community College not only expanded the capacity of the clinic with dental hygiene students and shared staff, but also expanded the clinic's role to include clinical education and an orientation to public health for hygiene students.
Within one year, the clinic had grown to three full-time dentists providing care to nearly a thousand patients every month. It is the largest safety-net dental clinic in Kansas, and is the Janet Sevier Gilbreath Special Project Recognition Award winner for 2006.
The award goes to one project each year selected by the Health Fund's Board of Trustees from among the approximately 150 projects supported during the year by Health Fund grants. The award is named in honor of the first chairperson of the Health Fund's Board. It was instituted in 1988 following her death.
The award honors those projects that best reflect Janet's and the Health Fund's vision of health ministry. Criteria for selection include the attainment of goals, use of volunteers, and institution of good management and financial practices.
The CHCSEK dental clinic provides critical access to oral health services on a regional basis, and continues to grow to meet the need for oral health education and prevention services as well as dental treatment.
A recent Health Fund grant supported the addition of an extended care permit hygienist to provide on-site services at schools and long-term care facilities. The program also completed a successful campaign to conduct oral health screenings -- optimistically called 5,000 Children in Five Months -- by actually serving 6,000 children.
The program continues to not only achieve its goals, but exceed them. Congratulations to the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas.
Representing the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas and its Dental Clinic at the award ceremony in Hutchinson were Krista Postai, CEO, Douglas Stucky, CFO; Jason Wesco, COO, and Daniel Minnis, DDS.
More information about CHCSEK may be found on their website: www.chcsek.org
More detail about the Project of the Year award is available through the Health Fund website:
http://www.healthfund.org/jsg/jsg2006.php
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