CASS COMMUNITY HEALTH FOUNDATION

CASS COMMUNITY HEALTH FOUNDATION'S PROGRAM ACTIVITIES INCLUDE THE CASS COUNTY DENTAL CLINIC, TELEDENTISTRY, IN-OFFICE DENTAL SEDATION SERVICES, SCHOOL-BASED DENTAL SCREENINGS, AND NURSING AND HEALTH CARE STUDENT 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 3,368 CHILDREN AND TEENS THROUGH 7,023 DENTAL VISITS. WITH LOCATIONS IN BELTON AND HARRISONVILLE, CASS COUNTY DENTAL CLINIC WAS THE FIRST FULL-TIME SAFETY NET DENTAL CLINIC IN CASS COUNTY SERVING UNDERINSURED AND LOW-INCOME CHILDREN FROM BIRTH TO AGE 20. THE CLINIC HAS TREATED OVER 13,897 UNDUPLICATED CHILDREN SINCE ITS OPENING IN 2011.OUR BELTON, MISSOURI DENTAL CLINIC REACHED ITS CAPACITY, AND THE BOARD BEGAN PLANS TO BUILD A NEW CASS COUNTY DENTAL CLINIC IN BELTON, MISSOURI. THE ORGANIZATION PURCHASED LAND IN 2023 AT 1000 E. MARKEY PARKWAY, BELTON, MISSOURI. THE GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY WITH THE CASS COUNTY COMMUNITY TOOK PLACE ON MAY 15, 2024, WITH CONSTRUCTION FOLLOWING AND THE OFFICIAL OPENING APRIL 21, 2025. 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 BELTON, MISSOURI, CASS COUNTY, AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. TELEDENTISTRYTHE CASS COUNTY DENTAL CLINIC TELEDENTISTRY PROGRAM WORKS TO INCREASE ACCESS TO DENTAL SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND TEENS IN CASS COUNTY AND SURROUNDING SCHOOLS. TELEDENTISTRY INCREASES ACCESS TO DIAGNOSTIC AND PREVENTIVE DENTAL SERVICES BY PROVIDING THESE DENTAL 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 AND COMPLETES A DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT PLAN, IF NEEDED. THE CLINIC SAW 233 CHILDREN THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, 102 OF WHICH WERE NEW PATIENTS WITH NO PREVIOUS ACCESS.IN-OFFICE SEDATION SERVICESCASS COUNTY DENTAL CLINIC OFFERS IN-OFFICE SEDATION SERVICES TO ELIGIBLE PATIENTS. YOUNG PATIENTS WITH EXTENSIVE DENTAL NEEDS, WHO ARE OFTEN UNABLE TO RECEIVE DENTAL CARE WHILE AWAKE, CAN RECEIVE SEDATION SERVICES AT CASS COUNTY DENTAL CLINIC. BEFORE OFFERING IN-OFFICE SEDATION SERVICE, CASS COUNTY DENTAL CLINIC REFERRED CHILDREN TO PEDIATRIC SPECIALISTS IN OTHER LOCATIONS OUTSIDE OF CASS COUNTY. 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 127 CHILDREN WITH TREATMENT USING IN-OFFICE SEDATION, TREATING A TOTAL OF 1,104 TEETH OR AN AVERAGE OF 8.69 TEETH PER UNDERSERVED CHILD.2023/2024 DENTAL SCREENINGSDURING THE 2023/2024 SCHOOL YEAR, CASS COMMUNITY HEALTH FOUNDATION HELD ITS ANNUAL DENTAL SCREENINGS WHERE 6,726 CHILDREN WERE SCREENED IN 10 SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN CASS COUNTY AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. STUDENTS LEARNED PROPER DENTAL CARE TECHNIQUES AND RECEIVED DENTAL SUPPLIES TO REINFORCE ORAL HEALTH AT HOME. VARNISH APPLICATIONS WERE ALSO PROVIDED TO 3,722 CHILDREN WHO RECEIVED PARENTAL PERMISSION AS A PREVENTIVE MEASURE AGAINST TOOTH DECAY. THROUGH THESE SCREENINGS, 1,546 CHILDREN WERE IDENTIFIED AS NEEDING NON-URGENT DENTAL CARE (WITHIN 3 MONTHS), AND 129 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 $55,209 WERE AWARDED TO 34 STUDENTS FROM ARCHIE, BELTON, GRANDVIEW, HARRISONVILLE, PLEASANT HILL, RAYMORE-PECULIAR, AND SHERWOOD CASS HIGH SCHOOLS.