| In 2007, the Kansas Legislature appropriated $500,000 for an innovative dental "hub and spoke" |
| program. The program is designed to address both economic and geographic barriers to care |
| that many Kansans face. It increases the number of oral health professionals in safety net clinics |
| (the hubs) and promotes the use of Extended Care Permit dental hygienists in off-site areas (the |
| spokes). Spokes can be located at schools, child care centers, senior centers and other |
| community settings that are in the hub's geographic area. |
| |
| The Kansas Association for the Medically Underserved (KAMU) represents 41 primary care |
| safety net clinics across Kansas that serve the uninsured and underinsured regardless of their |
| ability to pay. |
| |
Dental Hub I - 2007 |
| After initial funding from the Kansas Legislature, total funding of the project increased to almost |
| $2.5 million with commitments from five foundations, including the Delta Dental of Kansas |
| Foundation which provided a grant of $213,000. Eight safety net clinics were selected to |
| receive Dental Hub grants in a competitive process. These clinics include: |
- Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas (Pittsburg)
|
- Flint Hills Community Health Center (Emporia)
|
- GraceMed Health Clinic (Wichita)
|
- Hunter Health Clinic (Wichita)
|
- Konza Prairie Community Health Center (Junction City)
|
|
|
- Salina Family Health Care Center (Salina)
|
- United Methodist Mexican-American Ministry (Garden City)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dental Hub II - 2008 |
| In 2008, the Kansas Legislature appropriated an additional $500,000 for the Dental Hub program. |
| Total funding for the second round of the project reached $2.8 million with commitments from five |
| foundations including a $250,000 grant from the Delta Dental of Kansas Foundation. |
| Funding was awarded to the following clinics: |
- Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas (Pittsburg)
|
|
|
- GraceMed Health Clinic (Wichita)
|
- Konza Prairie Community Health Center (Junction City)
|
|
|
- Salina Family Health Care Center (Salina)
|
| |
| |
Dental Hub III - 2009 |
| The Dental Hub III grant is a two-year collaborative, public/private effort intended to increase the |
| capacity of the Kansas safety net clinics. By increasing access to care in the Hutchinson and |
| Garden City areas of the state, increasing the number of oral health professionals in safety net clinics |
| and promoting their use of Extended Care Permit dental hygienists in off-site areas, this grant |
| expands geographic access to underserved populations across the state. The grant also funds the |
| creation of a pediatric speciality clinic at the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas in |
| Pittsburg. The Delta Dental of Kansas Foundation provided a $100,000 grant towards the total |
| project cost of $850,000. |
| |
| |