By Beth Christian Broschart
The Parsons Advocate
PARSONS – The school based health clinic at Tucker Valley Elementary Middle School will be making a request to add to its existing facility. Paul Wamsley, of the St. George Medical Clinic said the group is looking into adding dental services to the clinic.
“As you know, we are in the process of finalizing the implementation of the school based health center, which has went smooth and fantastically well,” Wamsley said. “During the process of implementing the center, a Federal grant came out to add dental services to that location.”
Wamsley said he applied and received that grant, and hired Dr. Echols and she has been helping set up two exam rooms for dental.
“In the process, I was notified Tuesday, that there is a $350,000 grant available that is renewable for two years, that will fund capital improvements, equipment and some labor,” Wamsley said. “We met at the school to determine if we could add to that location. The contractor was there the same day we met, and they came up with a very good plan of adding a 28’ by 48’ addition to the school center for the purpose of the dental program. It would be attached by a breezeway.”
Wamsley said the process of adding the center would be fairly smooth. He asked the Tucker County BOE members if adding the dental would be on their radar.
“I need to get letters of support,” Wamsley said. “We are in an area where services are in a shortage. We need to show the need.”
Wamsley said the dental program would be beneficial to the community in many ways.
“First of all, we would be licensed as a third party provider for most of the insurance through PEIA and the Federal system,” Wamsley said. “We will also have a sliding fee scale for income purposes. Most of those who visit the clinic will have Medicaid. If not, they will be in the transition where their income is too high to obtain Medicaid, but will use our sliding fee scale.”
Wamsley said he is amazed by the amount of folks who do not have the means to pay for dental services.
“Lots of people just don’t go to the dentist anymore because they cannot afford it,” Wamsley said.
