State Farm Neighborhood Assist 2020 grant program selects The Dental Clinic as finalist
Med Center Health’s The Dental Clinic—a low cost alternative for those in need of basic dental care—has been chosen as one of 200 finalists for the $25,000 State Farm Neighborhood Assist® grant. The grant program recognizes 40 organizations every year that have a positive impact on their communities.
The public is invited to vote for their favorite causes from the list of finalists September 23-October 2 at NeighborhoodAssist.com/entry/2033386. Individuals 18 and older with a valid email address can vote 10 times each day for the 10-day campaign period. Winners will be announced November 4.
Josh Phillips, DMD, is the dentist at The Dental Clinic. “The Dental Clinic is truly a blessing to the people of Southcentral Kentucky who endure obstacles when accessing care,” he says. “It’s a place where patients who have withstood excruciating dental pain for extended periods of time can come and find relief—but it’s also a facility that provides a large patient population the opportunity for routine cleanings, exams, and restorative work that they could not otherwise afford in a traditional office setting.”
Part of Community Clinic, The Dental Clinic is a full-time clinic that provides low-cost dental care to qualifying patients without private pay dental insurance and who meet other Community Clinic guidelines for eligibility. The Dental Clinic was submitted for the grant to expand its reach to underserved children through mobile clinics. While children have always been accepted at The Dental Clinic, mobile clinics remove some of the barriers created due to transportation issues or lack of knowledge of what services the clinic provides for kids.
The $25,000 would cover the cost of extending The Dental Clinic’s services into the community by conducting mobile screening events. The Commonwealth of Kentucky requires proof of a dental screening of examination by a dentist, dental hygienists, or other medical practitioners before children can be enrolled in school. The Dental Clinic will partner with head start programs, elementary schools, and other non-profit groups in the region to host mobile screening events for children who will begin kindergarten. These mobile screening events will provide parents an opportunity to comply with state mandated requirements at no cost. It also will allow The Dental Clinic staff to share information about the importance of regular dentist visits and identify any concerns in the dental health of the children that they see. Should specific needs be identified, The Dental Clinic staff can make appointments to follow up at The Dental Clinic or refer them to pediatric dentists in the area.
The Dental Clinic is located at 740 East 10th Avenue in Bowling Green. For more information about Community Clinic and The Dental Clinic, visit MCHealth.Foundation.