WILLMAR
— Scheduling dental care for a child can be challenging, even for well-off families with dental insurance. It is even more difficult if the child is from a low-income family or on Medical Assistance.
Finding a care provider that accepts
Medical Assistance,
Minnesota’s Medicaid program for people with low income, can be nearly impossible, and if an appointment is secured, it may require driving hours from home to receive care.
“It’s been a need in our community for a long time, particularly for children on Medical Assistance,” said Denise Kragenbring, Kandiyohi County Public Health supervisor.
To help meet at least some of that need, Kandiyohi County, in partnership with PrimeWest Health, is entering into an agreement with
Children’s Dental Services
, a traveling dental provider based in Minneapolis. The nonprofit specializes in offering care for infants to young adults regardless of family income and travels to satellite sites across the state to bring the care to the areas that need it most.
“This is a new opportunity for us,” said Caroline Chan, Kandiyohi County Health and Human Services director. “This is an innovative way to meet some of this need.”
Chan and Kragenbring spoke about the new program at the July 2 Kandiyohi County Board meeting. The commissioners unanimously approved the memorandum of agreement with Children’s Dental Services.
“We’re really, really excited about this,” Kragenbring said. “Hopefully, it will be a long-term partnership.”
Children’s Dental Services’ first visit to Willmar is scheduled for 9 a .m. to 5 p.m. on July 17, followed by two visits in August: Aug. 6 and 27. Kragenbring said there may be 10 to 12 available appointments each day, depending on what type of care is needed. The plan is for Children’s Dental Services to make monthly visits to Willmar.
“They said they can do every type of service that you would get at your normal dentist,” Kragenbring said.
Those interested in making appointments can call Children’s Dental Services directly at 612-746-1530. While care is offered to anyone of all ages, Kandiyohi County is hoping to focus mainly on children under 12.
“We’ve asked them specifically to target children receiving Medical Assistance who might not otherwise have access to dental services,” Chan said.
As part of the agreement, Children’s Dental Services will bring all the equipment, pharmaceuticals and staff it will need to provide services. Kandiyohi County will provide the space and utilities. PrimeWest is assisting by paying for the providers’ travel expenses to and from Willmar.
“They’ve both been wonderful to work with,” Kragenbring said.
County Commissioner Roger Imdieke said PrimeWest’s participation in helping set up this program is a great example of the health coverage organization’s mission. Kandiyohi County became a partner in PrimeWest in 2023.
“They put a lot of money into the communities and this is one of those examples,” Imdieke said.
In an emailed statement to the West Central Tribune, PrimeWest Director of Member and Provider Services Matt Magnuson said PrimeWest does its best to make sure its members have access to the care and services they need locally.
“Working with Kandiyohi County to bring (Children’s Dental Services) to the area will allow many of our members to get the dental services they need right here in their county,” Magnuson said.
Kandiyohi County and Children’s Dental Services aren’t starting up this program to compete with local dentists or other low-income dental care programs in the area. Instead, the county wants only to assist in providing care to those most in need of it, a need that cannot be met with what is currently available.
“We tried to work with our dental partners for access specifically for children on Medical Assistance, but it is a huge barrier throughout Minnesota. So this was a creative solution that PrimeWest came forward with and they approached us,” Chan said.
Another benefit of the program could be greater awareness of what Kandiyohi County Health and Human Services has to offer the county’s residents.
“It’s really a beautiful partnership because it will also provide additional exposure to our public health programs such as WIC,” Chan said. “We’re really excited about having the opportunity for individuals to come in and not only have access to dental services, but we hope a little bit more exposure to our public health team.”
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