Dental clinics to serve Medicaid and uninsured patients are expected to open in Sturgis and Coldwater by the end of September after approval of an inter-local contract Thursday.
The Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency board has approved a recommended agreement with non-profit My Community Dental Centers.
Health Officer Rebecca Burns said it will fill a much-needed service in both communities, neither which has enough dental providers to serve the lower-income population.
Medical Director Lauren Vogel said tooth decay is an infectious disease that can lead to diabetes and other infections in the blood stream.
Primary-care doctors have found it difficult to find referrals to dentists who will treat Medicaid patients and the uninsured, according to Vogel.
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