Sixteen Kansas safety net clinics are currently providing direct dental care to the underserved. Several more clinics are expected to begin offering full-time comprehensive care within the next year. These clinics play a crucial role in providing oral health services to low-income populations, including the uninsured, and a large proportion of the Medicaid and SCHIP populations. However, as in most the states, the capacity falls far short of the need. Indeed, much of Kansas has been designated a Dental Health Provider Shortage Area (HPSA-D) by the Department of Health and Human Services.

Because of the growing demand and need for oral health programs in Kansas, KAMU is proposing a series of strategies that will help the safety net clinics increase access to adequate oral health care, build capacity among dental providers through education and advocacy, address workforce issues, and improve recruitment and retention.

1) Dental Expansion Grant Program (“Dental Hubs”) targeted at clinics that have at least one FTE dentist on staff. Some of the benefits of creating these “dental hubs” include:

Increased number of uninsured individuals, especially children who receive essential dental services

Improved quality of care by developing performance measures that identify specific treatment areas where improvements can be made

Expanded clinic operational capacity

Enhanced clinic stability

Organizational collaboration

2) Capacity Building. Through partnerships with the Iowa Primary Care Association, the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund, and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, KAMU has been able to offer a series of training sessions to Kansas dental directors and dental managers. The dental curriculum has been designed and presented by Dr. Bob Russell, Iowa State Public Health Dental Director. The purpose of this training is to develop competencies, increase clinic performance, build partnerships and gain community support.

3 ) Recruitment and Retention. KAMU continues to work closely with other organizations to formulate strategies around recruitment and retention of oral health professionals in the state. Partners include the dental schools at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and A.T. Still University in Arizona; the Kansas Dental Association; AHEC; Oral Health Kansas; and KDHE.

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