The goal of the Free Clinic of Central Virginia is to be a center for those who lack access to essential health care services.
Jen K. Webb, a registered nurse and CEO of the Free Clinic, said the nonprofit organization is working to tackle one of the most pressing issues facing the community: dental care for the underserved.
“Dental access for the underserved is probably the worst it’s ever been,” she said. “Getting a new patient appointment if you are uninsured or have Medicaid is really, really difficult. So I really believe it’s the next public health emergency.”
The consequences of this lack of access are dire, with high school students among those bearing the brunt.
“We’re seeing high school students who are losing primary teeth and they don’t have any access to be able to get dentures or replacements,” Webb said.
People are also reading…
To address this critical need, the Free Clinic at 1016 Main St. is expanding its dental services by adding two new exam rooms to its facility. The clinic hopes to increase capacity and improve access to care for the community with the expansion. These new rooms will not only accommodate more patients but also serve as training grounds for aspiring dental professionals, Webb said.
“We decided to add the two operatories to our exam rooms to be able to increase capacity to see patients, but we’re also dedicating those rooms to be able to do apprenticeships with dental students,” Webb said.
The Free Clinic historically has been run by volunteers in the dental department but through grants it’s been able to add a dentist.
“A lot of people think that because we’ve got a dentist we don’t need volunteers anymore, but it’s not the case,” Webb said. “We needed a dentist because we needed to be able to increase access to care.”
Alongside the dentist at the clinic, Dr. Emma Hoffman, full-time are dental students from Virginia Commonwealth University.
“They partner with free clinics all over the state and the students come and see patients during their last year right before they’re going to be out on their own, Webb said.
Through partnerships with local organizations such as Beacon of Hope, the clinic is providing real-world training opportunities for high school students interested in pursuing careers in dental assisting.
Beacon of Hope is entering its third year in its internship program and Executive Director Laura Hamilton said its at capacity in what is offered.
“We started thinking differently and Jen was part of the conversation of how do we build cohorts of young people going into certain pathways like dental hygiene, in a way that we can expand and it can be effective.”
The pilot program involves combined dental hygiene classes at E.C. Glass High School and the students receive paid opportunities to gain practical experience in dental offices, along with wraparound services such as transportation and necessary supplies.
Hamilton said the internship aims to provide opportunities for upward mobility, particularly for underserved students and offers financial support for prerequisite courses at Central Virginia Community College and potential future dental school attendance.
She said the collaboration is unique to Lynchburg.
“I think this is one of those beautiful examples of things that work in Lynchburg that might not work anywhere else in the world because we all believe in giving the students a chance,” she said.
By empowering young individuals with valuable skills and opportunities, the Free Clinic hopes to shape the future of dental care in the community.
“It’s really very exciting,” Webb said. “These students can intern with us during the summer and then go on to pursue careers as dental hygienists or assistants, making a real difference in the lives of others.”
However, the clinic’s efforts would not be possible without the support of donors and community partners.
“Donors are huge for us,” Webb said. “Everything else is through patient, corporate, and individual donors in the community, as well as grants such as the one from the Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation.”
The clinic received $9,000 from GLCF.
The organization has provided grant support for various projects at the clinic since 2005 including its $100,000 Century Fund grant in 2020, Kathryn Yarzebinski, president and CEO of GLCF, said.
“This particular project is exciting because access to dental care is an important part of overall health in our community and because of the internship component that results in local students gaining career skills,” she said.
Webb said there are misconceptions that the patients at the clinic don’t work, which is false. About 80% of patients have a job but perhaps their company doesn’t provide dental or medical insurance.
“They’ve got to pay their bills and so they’re going to choose food over health care every day and those are the people that we’re here for,” she said.
As construction on the new exam rooms nears completion, Webb hopes the Free Clinic will make an even greater impact on the health and well-being of the community.
“You really don’t know how much [dental care] impacts people’s day-to-day lives until they have either a toothache or a mouth full of rotten teeth,” she said. “You can’t go to work when you have a toothache so what we do allows people to continue to work and we’ve got programs in the future where we’re going to be able to start offering dentures for the first time which is huge.”
Rachael Smith, (434) 385-5482