PRAIRIESTAR HEALTH CENTER
On November 20th, PrairieStar Health Center officials announced the beginning of a three-year, $9.6 million capital campaign to fund the Bridging the Gap in Access to Rural Dental Care project. Of the $9.6 million needed for the project, $7.55 million has already been raised or committed. PrairieStar hopes to raise the remaining $2.05 million by December 31, 2027, the end of the three year capital campaign.
The Patterson Family Foundation and Yield Giving have made contributions in the amount of $1.85 million and $3.1 million respectively. “The initial funding by these two major contributors shows their commitment to ensuring rural access to dental care and will help secure the success of the capital campaign,” said PrairieStar CEO, Bryant Anderson. Anderson said another major contributor will be announced soon.
The Bridging the Gap in Access to Rural Dental Care project will address the serious oral health issues in the underserved nine-county area that PrairieStar currently serves by increasing access through the construction of a new dental clinic with almost twice the capacity. With 14 dental suites, including one that is handicap accessible, the new clinic will allow more in-reach and out-reach patients to be served. The project will also include a new drive-thru pharmacy. According to Kansas Health Institute, eight of the nine main counties served by PrairieStar face a severe shortage of dental care providers, with population-to-dentist ratios significantly higher than the Kansas state average.
PrairieStar Dental Manager, Jennifer Kennedy, said “due to a lack of access many people are losing permanent teeth to decay, battling gum disease and infection, facing diagnoses like oral cavity and pharyngeal cancer.”
The new dental clinic will also allow PrairieStar to provide greater access for kids through the dental outreach program. Currently, PrairieStar provides dental outreach to thousands of kids at 64 school attendance centers. Of the students PrairieStar screens in the schools, 17% need urgent care. Kids with dental pain miss school more often and have difficulty concentrating, leading to lower grades. “There is nothing more heartbreaking than seeing a 4-year-old with an abscess, a tired expression, and multiple areas of decay, stating that it hurts when they eat,” PrairieStar Dental Outreach Coordinator, Alicia Harrison said.