WCCA, has long understood the challenges for people on public programs and the uninsured to get the dental care they need. In the 2018 WCCA Community Assessment, 30% of our low-income respondents stated that they do not receive any dental care. WCCA played a key role in the Wright County Community Health Collaborative working along side of local hospital systems and the local Public Health office where Dental Care was identified as one of top health concerns of the county. Each year, thousands of people end up in hospital emergency rooms where the cost of care is especially high and providers are not able to comprehensively address dental concerns. This is precisely why there has been such broad community support for the new dental clinic. WCCA staff have served on Wright County Dental Access Workgroup and relief will soon be felt by people on public programs and the uninsured.
In 2020, Wright County was awarded a $1.4M grant financed through state bonding to build out space in the new Wright County Government Center for a non-profit dental clinic. The new clinic will be a safety-net clinic, caring for uninsured and underinsured people throughout the region. The facility will operate with the third-party reimbursements available for Medicaid services; grant funds and other philanthropic resources to provide patient support services to strengthen the organization and provide more comprehensive care to patients in need.
Community Dental Care’s new clinic in Buffalo will have 12 dental chairs and, once fully staffed, will employ four dentists, four hygienists, eight dental assistants, three scheduling/treatment coordinators, one sterilizer and a manager. We are on track for this new clinic to open during the Summer of 2022!