The Garden City Telegram
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Health officials look to better serve dental needs
Published 9/18/2007 in News : Area coverage By Stephanie Farley
Kristi Schmitt, administrator for the Finney County Health Department, told county commissioners on Monday the department is working to better serve the dental needs of the community through a collaborative effort with the United Methodist Mexican-American Ministries.
Schmitt gave her monthly review of the health department during Monday's commission meeting, listing off current and upcoming activity by the department that includes new staff starting this fall, flu clinics expected to begin in October and ongoing interviews for a regional emergency preparedness director for the Western Pyramid region consisting of nine counties: Finney, Wallace, Sherman, Greeley, Wichita, Scott, Kearny, Hamilton and Lane.
She also said she was excited about an upcoming collaborative effort with Mexican-American Ministries (MAM) that will allow existing dental equipment at the health department to be used.
MAM is receiving $50,000 in public funding and $500,000 in private funding to start a dental clinic. The funding was created through the Dental Hub Grant program, which is a collaborative public/private initiative designed to increase the capacity of the state's dental safety net that serves uninsured and underinsured Kansans.
The $50,000 grant is for one year, and the $500,000 is from private health foundations and spread over a three-year period. The money would provide staff to operate the equipment.
Schmitt said the health department had been looking to use its existing operatory, which includes X-ray equipment, a dental chair and other equipment, but had been unable to find funding. She said MAM's funding will allow the two entities to "bridge" their services to better serve and help the community, which has seen a need in dental care for those uninsured and underinsured.
The operatory is located in an exam room at the health department, and Schmitt said it would be a convenient location for clients who come in for their regular appointments.
In other business, commissioners:
n approved $245,414.41 recommended by the county Public Works department for a screening plant, along with additional options. The county accepted a low base bid of $148,003.41 from Berry Tractor, along with other options that included $2,900 for 24-inch-by-40-foot conveyors that can be upgraded to power travel, preventing the department from having to manually move the conveyor and risk damage; a spray bar system; a 30-inch-by-80-foot conveyor; and Hammermill shredder. The screening plant would separate bigger rock from other material. Commissioner Don Doll opposed.
n listened to a report from Cathy Hernandez, Finney County Emergency Management coordinator, who said that because the amount of damage caused by an Aug. 20 storm didn't meet the state threshold to request a federal disaster declaration, the amount of damage not covered by insurance would be absorbed by the entities. Hernandez said Finney County entities sustained $987,954 worth of damage not covered by insurance -- total loss was valued at $1,187,954. Finney County Administrator Pete Olson said the impact was minimal for the county, itself, and that most of the departmental response during and after the storm already was built into department budgets. If a deductible had to be paid, it would either come out of the general fund or department budgets, Olson said, adding that he didn't know of that occurring a lot in this instance.
n told Olson they would proceed with discussion of possible changes to animal control regulations when staff with the city of Garden City were done looking at the proposed regulations, which would include chipping animals for identification.
n are waiting on final approval of a technical assistance planning grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration that would help fund a feasibility study of possibly extending certain utilities and services. After final approval, the county would seek an engineering firm to handle the study.
n received a U.S. flag and T-shirts from Sgt. Stacy Gonzales with the Kansas National Guard. Gonzales, who works for Finney County, recently returned from Iraq.
n approved a contract for the Beef Empire Days PRCA Rodeo at the Finney County Fairgrounds. The facilities would be leased to the organization from 2008 to 2012, and the organization will pay the county $8,125 at a rate of $1,625 per year for the facilities, plus any additional charges to comply with fairgrounds use policies.
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