US Department of Health and Human Services awards $1,049,999 to health centers in South Dakota to expand oral health services
(HOWARD, SD) – In a recent announcement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Horizon Health Care, Inc. (Horizon) has been named as one of two health centers in South Dakota to receive funding to expand oral health care services. The funding will increase access to integrated oral health care services and improve oral health outcomes for Health Center Program patients. Nationwide, nearly $156 million was awarded in funding to support 420 health centers in 47 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
Locally, Horizon will receive $525,000 in funding and plans to use this to establish a new dental clinic in Faith, SD. In collaboration with community partners, Horizon will expand oral health services in their existing primary care clinic located in Faith, to improve the availability of and accessibility to quality oral health care services for the patients. This expansion will bring oral health services to a community and surrounding service area that has not had dental services locally for well over a decade. Currently, the closest oral health care facility accepting uninsured patients is over 125 miles from Faith.
“We are pleased to expand our oral health care services into the Northwest region of South Dakota with this funding,” said John Mengenhausen, Horizon CEO. “In South Dakota, dental disease and lack of access to dental care are critical health care issues. We knew there was especially a need in Faith and Meade County, as well as the surrounding areas, so we look forward to the opportunities this brings for the area.”
The new dental clinic will be located within the current Faith Community Health Center and will be opening in late October 2016.
For over 38 years, Horizon Health Care, Inc. has been providing personalized, affordable, high-quality medical, dental and mental health care through a rural, community-based network in South Dakota. Horizon is a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) that serves the medical, dental and mental health care needs of South Dakotans in rural, medically underserved areas through 83,000 patient visits annually in 25 community health centers in: Aberdeen, Bison, Bryant, De Smet, Eagle Butte, Faith, Fort Thompson, Howard, Huron, Isabel, La Plant, Lake Preston, Martin, McIntosh, Mission, Plankinton, Wessington Springs, White River and Woonsocket. For more information please visit www.horizonhealthcare.org.