MARC JACOBS
Hutch Post
PrairieStar Health Center has entered the final phase of a fundraising campaign for a $9.6 million dental expansion designed to improve access to care across south-central Kansas.
PrairieStar CEO Bryant Anderson said the project has raised approximately $8 million, leaving $1.6 million still needed to complete the campaign. A key part of that effort is a challenge grant from the Mabee Foundation.
If the community raises $676,000 by Jan. 13, 2027, PrairieStar will unlock an additional $600,000 grant from the foundation. Anderson said the full fundraising goal must be reached to receive the matching funds.
"We're in that last leg," Anderson said during an interview on the BW Morning Show. "We can't let off because this is the final leg where we get community participation."
The dental expansion is intended to address a shortage of providers in Hutchinson and the surrounding region. Anderson said Hutchinson's ratio of dentists to population is already below the Kansas average, and PrairieStar's dental program serves nine counties, traveling as far as 100 miles to provide care.
The organization visits approximately 70 locations, including 68 schools, where dental teams provide screenings, education and preventive services.
Anderson said school screenings frequently uncover children living with untreated dental infections and severe tooth decay.
"It is very common for them to go into the schools and run into many children who have no idea that the pain that they're in is not normal," Anderson said.
He noted that PrairieStar's dental teams identify urgent dental needs in about 17% of the children they screen. The organization also provides services in nursing homes and for individuals with disabilities.
PrairieStar says its outreach program has already demonstrated measurable results. Anderson pointed to screening data from Stafford School District, where the percentage of students identified with dental issues dropped from nearly 26% during initial screenings in 2017 to about 15% in more recent screenings. The percentage of students with urgent dental needs fell from 86% to less than 1% after continued education, follow-up care and collaboration with school nurses and families.
The expansion project will include 14 dental suites, including one equipped with a stationary dental lift designed to accommodate patients who cannot transfer from a wheelchair. Anderson said the addition will improve access for people with disabilities and senior citizens who currently may have to leave the area for specialized dental care.
PrairieStar is encouraging individuals, businesses, civic organizations and churches to help meet the fundraising goal. Anderson said the organization is offering presentations to community groups and will distribute informational mailers about the campaign.
Donations can be made through PrairieStar's website as the organization works toward the Jan. 13, 2027, deadline to secure the Mabee Foundation challenge grant.