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Benton County approves one‑year regional dental coordinator role with Blue Cross funding
Summary
The county accepted a $75,000 Blue Cross Blue Shield Plus grant and approved a regional dental coordinator job description and recruitment as a county employee funded by a mix of the Blue Cross grant and workforce infrastructure dollars; commissioners noted the role is contingent on grant continuation.
Benton County public health will recruit a one‑year regional dental coordinator after commissioners approved a memorandum of agreement for $75,000 in Blue Cross Blue Shield Plus funds and adopted a job description for a county employee to perform the role.
Public health staff said the regional dental coordinator will focus on improving dental health among children, coordinating regional efforts and supporting a potential dental clinic in the county facility. The grant MOA provides $75,000 for the position in 2025 and staff proposed using workforce infrastructure grant funds to cover roughly the remaining 25 percent of salary and benefits if needed.
Public health director Jacqueline explained the funding plan: "The $75,000 from Blue Cross will cover approximately 75% of the position cost; our workforce infrastructure grant can cover the remaining 25% through 2028 if needed," she said. Commissioners approved the MOA and moved to recruit the position as a county employee covered by the AFSCME collective bargaining agreement; board members added that the position will end if grant funding is not renewed.
The board also authorized submission for an additional $5,000 tobacco prevention SHIP grant to support existing tobacco programming.
Next steps: staff will post the regional dental coordinator position, recruit under county employment terms and monitor grant funding availability for 2026 and beyond.
