Cass Community Health Foundation

EMPOWER THE COMMUNITY THROUGH IMPROVED HEALTH

CASS COMMUNITY HEALTH FOUNDATION'S MAIN PROGRAM ACTIVITIES INCLUDE THE CASS COUNTY DENTAL CLINIC, TELEDENTISTRY, IN-OFFICE SEDATION SERVICES, DENTAL SCREENINGS, AND NURSING AND HEALTH CARE SCHOLARSHIPS. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)CASS COUNTY DENTAL CLINICCASS COMMUNITY HEALTH FOUNDATION CONTINUED TO IMPROVE THE ORAL HEALTH STATUS OF LOW-INCOME UNINSURED CHILDREN AND THOSE INSURED BY MISSOURI MEDICAID THROUGH ITS CASS COUNTY DENTAL CLINIC. THE CLINIC SERVED 4,063 CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS THROUGH 7,910 DENTAL VISITS. WITH LOCATIONS IN BELTON AND HARRISONVILLE, CASS COUNTY DENTAL CLINIC IS THE FIRST FULL-TIME SAFETY NET DENTAL CLINIC IN CASS COUNTY SERVING UNDERINSURED AND LOW-INCOME CHILDREN FROM BIRTH TO AGE 20. THE CLINIC OPENED IN 2011 AND HAS TREATED OVER 13,224 UNDUPLICATED CHILDREN SINCE OPENING.DUE TO OUR BELTON, MISSOURI, CLINIC LOCATION REACHING ITS CAPACITY, THE BOARD BEGAN PLANS TO BUILD A NEW CASS COUNTY DENTAL CLINIC IN THAT COMMUNITY. THE ORGANIZATION PURCHASED LAND AT 1000 E MARKEY PARKWAY, BELTON, MISSOURI, AND HIRED CONTRACTORS TO BEGIN THE PROJECT IN 2024. THE DESIGN FOR THE NEW CLINIC ALLOWS US TO INCREASE FROM 4 DENTAL OPERATORIES TO 8 DENTAL OPERATORIES, GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND ACCESS TO CARE FOR THOSE IN THE COMMUNITY. THE PROJECT WILL BE COMPLETED IN SPRING 2025.TELEDENTISTRYCASS COUNTY DENTAL CLINIC PROVIDES TELEDENTISTRY TO INCREASE ACCESS TO DENTAL SERVICES. TELEDENTISTRY INCREASES ACCESS TO DIAGNOSTIC AND PREVENTIVE DENTAL SERVICES BY TAKING THESE SERVICES INTO LOCAL SCHOOLS. THE DENTAL HYGIENIST CAN TAKE X-RAYS AND PHOTOS, COMPLETE AN ASSESSMENT WITH DETAILED NOTES, AND PROVIDE PREVENTIVE SERVICES, SUCH AS DENTAL PROPHYLAXIS, SEALANTS, AND FLUORIDE TREATMENTS. THE DENTIST REVIEWS THE ASSESSMENT DATA WITHIN 72 HOURS AND CAN COMPLETE A DIAGNOSIS AND CREATE A TREATMENT PLAN. THE CLINIC SAW 264 CHILDREN THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, 149 OF WHICH WERE NEW PATIENTS.IN-OFFICE SEDATION SERVICESCASS COUNTY DENTAL CLINIC OFFERS IN-OFFICE SEDATION TO ELIGIBLE PATIENTS. YOUNG PATIENTS WITH EXTENSIVE DENTAL NEEDS, WHO ARE OFTEN UNABLE TO RECEIVE DENTAL CARE WHILE AWAKE, CAN NOW RECEIVE SEDATION TREATMENT AT CASS COUNTY DENTAL CLINIC. BEFORE OFFERING IN-OFFICE SEDATION SERVICE, CASS COUNTY DENTAL CLINIC REFERRED CHILDREN TO PEDIATRIC SPECIALISTS IN OTHER LOCATIONS. OFFERING IN-OFFICE SEDATION AT THE CLINIC REMOVES BARRIERS FOR FAMILIES AND REINFORCES THE DENTAL HOME MODEL, CASS COUNTY DENTAL CLINIC'S APPROACH TO ORAL HEALTH CARE. CASS COUNTY DENTAL CLINIC PROVIDED 117 CHILDREN WITH TREATMENT USING IN-OFFICE SEDATION, TREATING A TOTAL OF 1,087 TEETH OR AN AVERAGE OF 9.29 TEETH PER CHILD.2022/2023 DENTAL SCREENINGSDURING THE 2022/2023 SCHOOL YEAR, CASS COMMUNITY HEALTH FOUNDATION HELD ITS ANNUAL DENTAL SCREENINGS WHERE 6,487 CHILDREN WERE SCREENED IN 10 SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN CASS COUNTY, MISSOURI AND THE GRANDVIEW SCHOOL DISTRICT IN JACKSON COUNTY, MISSOURI. STUDENTS LEARNED PROPER DENTAL CARE TECHNIQUES AND RECEIVED DENTAL SUPPLIES TO REINFORCE ORAL HEALTH AT HOME. VARNISH APPLICATIONS WERE ALSO PROVIDED TO 3,593 CHILDREN WHO RECEIVED PARENTAL PERMISSION AS A PREVENTIVE MEASURE AGAINST TOOTH DECAY. THROUGH THESE SCREENINGS, 1,385 CHILDREN WERE IDENTIFIED AS NEEDING NON-URGENT DENTAL CARE (WITHIN 3 MONTHS) AND 73 WERE IDENTIFIED AS NEEDING URGENT DENTAL CARE (WITHIN 24 HOURS). THESE SCREENINGS ARE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROMOTE GOOD ORAL HYGIENE TO ALL CHILDREN AND PROMOTE THE AVAILABILITY OF OUR CLINIC FOR LOW-INCOME UNINSURED CHILDREN AND THOSE INSURED BY MISSOURI MEDICAID. NURSING AND HEALTH CARE SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMCASS COMMUNITY HEALTH FOUNDATION CONTINUED TO SUPPORT LOCAL YOUTH INTERESTED IN NURSING OR HEALTHCARE CAREERS BY PROVIDING SCHOLARSHIPS TO GRADUATES OF CASS COUNTY, MISSOURI HIGH SCHOOLS. SCHOLARSHIPS TOTALING $50,193 WERE AWARDED TO 30 STUDENTS FROM ARCHIE, BELTON, CASS MIDWAY, HARRISONVILLE, PLEASANT HILL, RAYMORE-PECULIAR, AND SHERWOOD CASS HIGH SCHOOLS.