By GENE KEMMETER
of The Gazette
A new dental clinic in Portage County for low-income and elderly residents, Ministry Dental Center, will hold a public open house Sunday, Jan. 13, from 2:30 to 4 p.m.
The clinic in the Medical Arts Plaza at 3504 East Maria Drive, Stevens Point, is a partnership of CAP Services, Delta Dental Plan of Wisconsin and St. Michael's Hospital to serve Medicaid and BadgerCare recipients living in Portage, Waupaca, Wood and southern Marathon counties.
Dr. George W. Davidson, the center's dentist, and his staff will greet visitors at the open house, and Davidson will begin seeing patients on Thursday, Jan. 17. Appointments are necessary and can be made by calling 342-8060.
The project is partially funded through a federal Rural Health Outreach grant that was added as a line item to the federal budget by U.S. Rep. Dave Obey, D-Wausau.
The Gepetto Fund, a donor-advised fund of the Community Foundation of Portage County, provided funds to purchase the clinic laboratory's model trimmer, lathe and vibrator, equipment essential to a dental practice.
In addition to the laboratory instruments, the Gepetto Fund purchased child-sized tables and chairs, plus toys for the center's young patients to use.
Davidson grew up in the Chicago, Ill., area and earned his doctor of dental medicine degree from the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry in Lexington, Ky.
Davidson has been in private general practice for the past 26 1/2 years in Jenkins, Ky., also working as the dentist and dental consultant for the Kentucky Commission for Handicapped Children and Hemophilia Program.
He recently was inducted into the American College of Dentists and received the Kentucky Dental Association Presidential Citation Award.
"Dentists in the area have been very generous with time and materials and advice," Davidson said Wednesday, Jan. 9, during a tour of the facility, which has been remodeled from a medical office owned by St. Michael's Hospital. "I feel badly about being unable yet to personally thank some area dentists for their donations," he said.
"I've been real pleased. It's been really nice," he said, displaying the accent picked up by his years in Kentucky and said he decided to move to Wisconsin because it's only four hours to his family in the Chicago area, compared to the 10 hours from Kentucky.
He also has relatives in Wisconsin, he said, and was impressed with the idea of the clinic.
The clinic won't be taking patients from other dentists, he said, because it will only be serving those eligible for Medicaid and BadgerCare. "We want to participate fully with the community and the rest of the dental community," he said.
Initially, the clinic will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, but may open later on one day and then remain open longer into the evening to fit the schedules of some patients.
The clinic has two operatory rooms for dentists and one hygiene room with a computer in each room. Plumbing was added to the building in anticipation of possibly expanding to four operatory rooms and two hygiene rooms, he said.
Clinic staff received a presentation on Hmong culture, he said, and CAP Services will provide Hmong interpreters, if necessary. The Hispanic community will also be served by the clinic, he said, and brochures are available.
Organizers project the clinic will serve approximately 3,100 people a year.
"Community surveys of low-income residents have consistently identified access to affordable dental care as one of their highest needs," said CAP Services President Karl Pnazek. "Yet many dentists limit or do not treat Medicaid and BadgerCare recipients because the reimbursement rate is so low. We are proud of this partnership and are extremely grateful to Congressman Obey for the grant that was the glue that made this project possible."