The Uncompahgre Medical Center (UMC) in Norwood, CO, has been awarded $100,000 from the Caring for Colorado Foundation to increase the availability of dental services across the region.
The funds will be used to support the clinic's oral health program, which provides dental services on a sliding-fee basis to eligible uninsured and low-income patients.
The award marks the fourth consecutive year the foundation has supported UMC Dental, which is also supported by the Colorado Health Foundation, the Telluride Foundation, and San Miguel County.
Since opening in 2008, the clinic has grown from a part-time to a full-time program that is staffed with three dentists and a hygienist, who are supported by dental assistants and an office manager. In 2011, the dental clinic saw almost 1,000 patients for more than 3,000 visits. Of those visits, 78% were attributed to uninsured and low-income community members.
