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Closure of United We Smile dental clinic leaves veterans' care gap; county directs staff to explore options
Summary
After learning the United We Smile clinic closed and its board was dissolved, the county board directed staff to work with Veterans Affairs and the health department to develop options for continuing dental services for veterans; clinic staff said 20+ cases were in progress and about 311 veterans remain on the wait list.
The Grand Traverse County Board heard testimony that United We Smile, a clinic that provided free dental care to veterans and other underserved populations, abruptly closed after its fiduciary organization dissolved the clinic board and made staffing and financial changes.
"Over the last 2 years and 3 months that we've been open, we provided for veterans $1,246,298 of free dental care," Jennifer Kearns, founder of United We Smile, told commissioners. Kearns and staff dentist Dr. David Carlisle described an operation that used dental students and volunteers to treat complicated cases and that served patients turned away by other practices.
Carlisle said clinic leadership and staff were surprised by actions taken by the fiduciary. He said staff were let go, preceptors resigned, and some ongoing treatment plans were left incomplete. "We have multiple at least 21 cases in process when there's no dental clinic," he said. Carlisle also said clinic staff are uncertain about a roughly $2.9 million state allocation that had been earmarked to purchase the building the clinic occupied.
Michael Roof, director of Grand Traverse County Veterans Affairs, told the board the county currently does not have a payment owed under contract and that the county's prior approach had been to use a county veteran service fund grant and referrals to Dental Clinics North for assessments and payments when needed.
Scope of the disruption: County staff and clinic witnesses said volunteer dentists have agreed to finish about 20 cases that are already in progress, but clinic leaders reported roughly 311 veterans remain on a wait list. Kearns said the organization spent about $888,000 per year running the clinic and argued its books were sustainable; she said loss of the clinic will create a substantial regional gap in both services and training opportunities for dental students.
Board action: Commissioner Andrews moved and the board approved a directive asking Administrator Alger to work with Veterans Affairs Director Michael Roof and Health Department official Mike Leahy to explore options for continuing the services United We Smile provided and to return to the board with proposals.
Why it matters: The clinic had functioned as a safety net for veterans and people with complex needs who had difficulty finding care elsewhere; its closure affects ongoing treatment plans, students' clinical placements and a regional shortage of providers equipped to treat specialized cases.
Ending: County staff will consult with Dental Clinics North and other partners while the administrator and department leads develop options for board consideration.
