The Springfield, Ill.-based nonprofit Central Counties Health Centers has opened an emergency care dental clinic inside Springfield, Ill.-based HSHS St. John’s Hospital, according to the State Journal-Register.
Here's what you need to know:
1. Central Counties Health Centers will bill Medicaid and private insurance plans for patients' dental care. For uninsured patients, the organization uses an income-based sliding scale.
2. Patients can schedule an appointment or request a walk-in appointment at the clinic, which is open on Mondays and Tuesdays. They can also be referred from the hospital's emergency department.
3. Amy Jones, the hospital's executive director of emergency services, told the State Journal-Register that the emergency department has been able to treat symptoms of dental pain, but the clinic will be able to provide patients with more permanent solutions.
4. Central Counties Health Centers received a $350,000 federal grant to fund the dental clinic.
5. HSHS St. John's Hospital provides the space for the clinic at no charge.