Rural Illinois faces a critical shortage of dentists who accept Medicaid and Medicare, leaving many low-income residents to wait over a year for basic oral health care according to reports citing the Illinois Department of Public Health. Eagle View Community Health System a federally qualified health center in Monmouth, Oquawka and Stronghurst is trying to make an impact in improving oral health in our local communities. Marketing Director Sabrina Wilson shares the latest involvement with their Mobile Dental Unit:
“If you drive through Oquawka, it is sitting across the street from the clinic. We have been our four times. We have been to West Central a couple of times, we were at our Health Fair, and we were down in Macomb at the Middle School for one of their big back to school events that they have that serves over 400 kids. It is so nice to be able to take the mobile unit to a school and be able to have parent sign consent forms, so they don’t have to bring their kids to the dentist, they don’t have to take off work. For us being able to bring the mobile unit to them, to the school, is huge.”
Wilson says Dentist are hard to find who accept Medicare and Medicaid in Warren, McDonough, Des Moines and Hancock counties, so providing these cleanings, treatment and exams have been key and vital to the health of the area student population. Eagle View is already scheduled to be on-site at Western Illinois University this month and they will now serve all students enrolled in the Headstart Program in Knox and Warren counties.
