Children’s Dental Services breaks ground on Northeast Minneapolis clinic expansion
Additional capacity at E. Hennepin Ave. clinic will triple the number of low-income children and pregnant women served each year
MINNEAPOLIS – Children’s Dental Services will soon triple the number of patients they serve, particularly children and pregnant women from low-income families.
Through the generous support of several donors including Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation, Children’s Dental Services (CDS) is expanding the Dr. John Williams Specialty Dental Center in Northeast Minneapolis. The project officially kicked off at a groundbreaking event yesterday. CDS provides oral health outreach, education, and preventive and restorative treatment to children and pregnant women regardless of family income or background.
This expansion was made possible through generous support from several organizations, including a $350,000 grant from Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation, and a $200,000 grant from Otto Bremer Trust. Since 2013, Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation has invested more than $1.6 million in Children’s Dental Services.
The Dr. John Williams Specialty Dental Center opened in 2014 to serve children from low-income families. The growing demand for dental care – particularly for families from culturally diverse backgrounds – exceeds the clinic’s current capacity. The clinic expansion will add 2,000 square feet of space, five new patient chairs, and a new panoramic X-ray, allowing CDS to triple the number of patients receiving care at the clinic.
“This dental services expansion project exemplifies the incredible advancements that are made via the intersection of private philanthropy from leaders such as Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation, Otto Bremer Trust, and public health service providers such as Children’s Dental Services, said Sarah Wovcha, executive director of Children’s Dental Services. “Exceptional livability, health equity and vibrant community are being created for Minnesota citizens through these linkages.”
The clinic provides accessible services to the residents of the North, Northeast and Marcy-Holmes neighborhoods in Minneapolis. These communities are designated Dental Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSA) by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. In addition to the comprehensive dental care available at the 728 E. Hennepin Ave. clinic, the site also serves as the portable dental hub for CDS’ mobile outreach efforts which serve more than 10,000 children and pregnant women throughout the region.
“Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation believes that everyone deserves a healthy smile, and we are thrilled this project will allow Children’s Dental Services to grow the number of patients it serves each year,” said Dr. Mary Johnson, vice president of dental services, Delta Dental of Minnesota. “Children’s Dental Services provides critical dental care for children in our community, especially those with diverse and special needs, and we are proud to support them.”
About Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation
In 2009, Delta Dental of Minnesota’s parent sold a company and used 100 percent of the proceeds to establish and fund Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation. Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation supports Delta Dental of Minnesota’s mission of improving the health of Minnesotans through oral health. Delta Dental of Minnesota Foundation works to expand access to dental care for Minnesota’s underserved populations across the state by primarily investing in dental care for people in need.
About Children’s Dental Services
Since 1919, Children’s Dental Services (CDS) has been dedicated to improving the oral health of children from families with low incomes by providing accessible treatment and education to our diverse community. CDS provides a full range of dental services to children from birth until age 21 and to pregnant women. CDS is particularly well equipped to serve bilingual or multilingual families from culturally diverse backgrounds, as demonstrated by its exceptionally diverse staff that speak at least 15 different languages. In 2012, CDS performed more than 88,000 procedures on 30,000+ patients over the course of 63,000+ visits.