In 2005, inside a small, renovated auto parts store at 924 N. Broadway in Pittsburg, the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas (CHC/SEK) launched a dental program that would reshape oral health care in rural Kansas. Pittsburg dentist and founding CHC/SEK board member, Dr. Dan Minnis, was tired of seeing children go without dental care, so he purchased the building on behalf of CHC/SEK.
Half of the space was a modest dental clinic; the other half, a Fort Scott Community College dental hygiene training school. All the dental equipment was donated by the UMKC dental school due to Dr. Minnis’ advocacy. The dental clinic was able to help people who otherwise couldn’t afford to receive dental care.
Gail Kennedy, a retired CHC/SEK dental assistant and dental outreach coordinator, remembers the clinic being very busy and booked out for months. She has scrapbooks filled with newspaper clippings and photos of her days at CHC/SEK.
One story that has stuck with Gail is the story of Michael, a 9-year-old boy from Coffeyville. He was carried into the dental clinic in Pittsburg by school staff with a high temperature and an abscessed tooth. He hadn’t eaten solid food in weeks. The team was able to extract his tooth and get him some relief. They also worked on other dental concerns for him.
Dental Outreach
In 2006, just a year after the dental program began, Jason Wesco came to Gail and Pam Younger, CHC/SEK’s first Registered Dental Hygienist, for help launching CHC/SEK’s dental outreach initiative. The goal was simple but critical: reach the kids who couldn’t make it to the dentist. “We packed up our supplies and hit the road,” Gail says. “We’d go from school to school, town to town. Places like Elk Valley, Gridley, Leroy.”
The first school CHC/SEK worked with was Galena. Gail and her team quickly became known not just for their care, but for their seamless integration into school routines. “We’d show up before the bell rang, set up in libraries or classrooms, and be out before the buses rolled in. Schools used to call us ‘chameleons’—we got in and out without disrupting anything,” she recalls.
The program wasn’t just about cleanings, sealants, and fluoride. It was about catching serious issues early and advocating for children. One child came in with teeth broken to the gum line after a bike accident. “You could see the blood vessel pulsing,” Gail remembers. “We got her in to see a dentist. We did what had to be done.”
Over the years, the dental outreach program has treated thousands of children and encountered so many stories like these — in the clinic and in schools.
Director of Dental Support Services, Cindy Smith credits the program’s success to many factors: Reina Wilson, the dental outreach coordinator, who maintains constant communication with schools and staff; the hygienists and support teams who work hand-in-hand with school districts; and CHC/SEK’s dentists who support outreach hygienists.
“The relationship built between the outreach staff and schools over the years is due to very low dental outreach turnover,” Cindy said. “The school nurses know they can contact outreach staff if they have a dental question or a child in their office that needs dental care when outreach staff is not onsite.”
Reina Wilson, CHC/SEK’s current dental outreach coordinator, has been with the program for 15 years. She’s witnessed its evolution firsthand, from basic screenings and fluoride applications to a full-service model using mobile dental equipment in schools. All CHC/SEK outreach hygienists earned Extended Care Permits (ECP) allowing them to perform additional services at outreach events without a dentist onsite.
Today, CHC/SEK’s four dental outreach teams serve 42 school districts and 127 individual schools across southeast Kansas. They also partner with eight WIC locations and 15 Head Start locations. In the last year alone:
- 20,629 students received dental screenings
- 5,595 students received services such as cleanings, fluoride treatments, sealants, temporary fillings, baby tooth removal and sliver diamine fluoride treatments.
“The dental outreach program reaches thousands of students throughout the year, identifying needs for so many but also providing resources and opportunities to become healthier individuals,” Reina said.
Two Decades of Care
Now, 20 years later, the program has grown far beyond that first clinic on Broadway. CHC/SEK provides general dentistry services at Pittsburg North (3011 N. Michigan) and in Iola. Pediatric dental care, branded as SEK Smiles, is available at both Pittsburg North and Parsons, offering care for children in welcoming, kid-friendly spaces.
“The biggest positive impact I have noticed over the years is how cooperative and excited the kids coming into the dental clinic are after they have had a positive first dental experience with dental outreach staff,” said Cindy.
Looking ahead, Cindy hopes to offer more comprehensive services onsite in the future.
“Dr. Minnis had a vision 20 years ago, to improve the health of children in southeast Kansas, and this program has done exactly that,” said Jason Wesco, CHC/SEK President and Chief Strategy Officer. “We’ve treated hundreds of thousands of kids over the years, and we know the preventive care and education are working. We’re seeing fewer referrals during school screenings and healthier, happier smiles. After two decades, that’s exactly what we set out to achieve.”