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Wilkes Public Health dental clinic reports high encounter volume, Medicaid-heavy payer mix
Summary
The Wilkes Public Health Dental Clinic reported 19,000+ encounters in FY 2024–25 and about 11,000 so far in FY 2025–26; its mobile unit visits schools and congregate settings four days per week, and the clinic credited several recent grants and partnerships for financial stability.
The Wilkes Public Health Dental Clinic told the Board of Health on Feb. 9 that it provided more than 19,000 patient encounters in fiscal year 2024–25 and has recorded roughly 11,000 encounters so far in the current fiscal year (as of Jan. 22, 2026). Arden Jolley, Executive Director, said the clinic’s mobile unit operates four days a week and serves schools, nursing and group homes, Head Start and Tyson facilities, with one dentist and two dental assistants assigned to the mobile unit on a typical day.
Jolley provided a payer‑mix breakdown the board can use for budget planning: about 75% of patient visits are covered by North Carolina Medicaid, 15% by private insurance or Medicare, 9% via the clinic’s sliding or nominal fee, and 1% self‑pay. She listed recent grant awards she said supported operations, including a $10,000 challenge grant from a health foundation, a $75,000 opioid‑related grant, a multi‑year BCBS endowment commitment and other philanthropic awards that have helped maintain services.
Jolley told the board the clinic is “grateful for the Health Department’s cost‑settlement support,” and said staff are averaging strong new‑patient intake; she described the team as a driving factor in service continuity. She also described ongoing emergency extraction clinics and the clinic’s nominal fee policy for uninsured patients who need urgent care.
The board received the report as an informational update; no formal motion was taken on clinic operations during the meeting.
