The Flint Hills Community Health Center’s dental clinic got a big boost recently when it earned a $576,574 Dental Hub grant from funds authorized by the Kansas Legislature and a combination of funds from public and private organizations.
Lougene Marsh, the center’s executive director, announced news of the grant Tuesday afternoon during the monthly board of directors meeting.
“This is very exciting that this was approved,” Marsh said. “We will now begin working on the next step.”
Marsh said after the meeting the grant’s intention was to expand oral health services by using existing health clinics, many of which already have dental clinics. Marsh said the center’s dental clinic now serves only Lyon, Chase, Greenwood and Osage Counties because the clinic does not have the space or the resources to see extra patients.
The Dental Hub grant will allow the FHCHC’s dental clinic to expand physical space and add staff. Marsh said the first year of the grant will include $360,599 for capital items to expand, remodel and equip the dental clinic’s physical space.
In an earlier board meeting, Marsh told board members that among Year Two’s goals are adding one full-time dentist and two dental assistants. Year Three’s goals would include increasing the hours of the biller to full-time and continuing spoke expansion to additional counties.
In other business, board members discussed the Friends of the Flint Hills Community Health Center, which is a project former board member Merle Bolz has been working on for the past several months.
The Friends group would allow people to donate to the health center, much like a community foundation. Bolz drafted bylaws earlier this year and said she would now like to re-draft them. Bolz reminded board members that the group would not be a foundation because it will operate through the already-formed Emporia Community Foundation.
Items in written reports:
• June 340B activity reported by Graves indicated that 1,037 prescriptions were dispensed to 619 patients. The average cost to the client was $6.59 per prescription and the average cost to patients earning less than the Federal Poverty Level is $2.99.
• The Osage County Commission has agreed to move forward with the contractual arrangement with FHCHC for management and service delivery of its public health functions.
• The state Community-based Primary Care Clinic grant was submitted June 29 and included $142,000 for operational support for the dental hub and $99,499 additional operation support for the primary care clinic.
• Public Health will hold an immunization clinic at the centralized enrollment Friday and Monday at Emporia High School.