Total Dollars Awarded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (8-1-00 to 7-31-04): $ 351,140

Grantee: United Methodist Western Kansas Mexican-American Ministries, Inc., Garden City, KS

Co-funders: United Methodist Health Ministry Fund

Primary Objective: To improve the health of Southwest Kansas residents by improving and expanding oral health education, decay prevention, and access to dental care

Accomplishments:

• Registered Dental Hygienists performed approximately 6500 screenings from 8-1-2000 through 7-31-03 for children ages 3 through 12 in 21 schools.
• Project personnel and grantee staff provided preventive information to over 10,000 adults and children and distributed over 60,000 toothbrushes, timers, pamphlets etc.
• Lifetime Smiles developed and distributed poster and quick reference information cards in English and Spanish targeting specific dental at-risk populations.
• Assisted over 450 children and adults to be seen for dental visits.
• Incorporated dental information and fluoride varnishes into the Community Health Center Medical Model
• Media Campaign reached over 25,000 households in service area on a weekly basis
• Increased number of dentists who provide services for Lifetime Smiles from 7 to 21.
• Partnered with Kansas Dental Association and Partnership for Smiles to host Kansas Mission of Mercy( over 200 dentists, hygienists, and assistants volunteered to provide $510, 000 worth of dental care for 1733 individual in Southwest Kansas)
• Formed community coalition with representatives ranging from stakeholders, providers, and various social service community agencies to address dental access issues.

Future Plans:

The project plans and is seeking funding to keep the focus on access and referral through case management. The education component will continue through the clinic medical model, social service agencies and other various outreach projects.

Graduates 2003