 As a recipient of grants from the Illinois Children's Healthcare
Foundation and the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family
Services, the health department has established a dental clinic that
will serve Medicaid-eligible and uninsured children and pregnant
women initially, expanding to include Medicaid-eligible and
uninsured adults in the near future.The dental clinic consists of
three exam rooms with lab facilities and will be staffed by a
dentist, dental assistant, dental hygienist and clerical support.
Clinic hours for dental appointments will be 7:30 a.m. until 4:30
p.m. Monday through Thursday. Appointments can be made by calling
the Logan County Department of Public Health at 217-735-2317.
"We have seen a large unmet need for dental services in the
county while providing limited services on the HOPE Mobile," said
Mary Southerlan, dental hygienist at the health department. "With a
fixed-site clinic and a full-time dentist, we will be able to see
more patients, offer treatment options currently unavailable on the
HOPE Mobile, and treat patients who are currently being referred to
providers outside the county, often with protracted waits," said
Southerlan.
"Opening a dental clinic fulfills a five-year vision of the
health department and the Healthy Communities Partnership and
addresses one of the top priorities established during the last two
community health needs assessments conducted in Logan County,"
according to Mark Hilliard, administrator of the health department.
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Poor oral health affects a child's development and academic
achievement and can lead to chronic disease such as cancer and heart
disease.
"This has been a challenging opportunity, but we are excited to
house this community asset and look forward to the positive impact
this clinic will have on the patients it serves," Hilliard said.
[Text from file received from
the
Logan County Department of Public
Health]
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