March 2022
Access’ Dodgeville Dental Clinic is currently undergoing an expansion project that which will allow us to serve more people who need high quality dental care.
Our Dodgeville Dental Clinic provides dental services to people throughout Iowa, Richland, Sauk, Grant and western Dane counties. The expansion will allow the clinic to take on an additional 1,500 to 2,000 patients annually. The project allows the clinic to move into the second floor, doubling its current 4,000 square feet and add four new dental operatories, bringing its total to 12 operatories. Additionally, the addition of an elevator will make the site more accessible and an upgrade to the HVAC system brings the air turnover rate at the clinic in line with other Access facilities.
“We have been honored to partner with individuals and organizations to bring quality, compassionate dental care to the people we serve,” Access CEO Ken Loving, MD, said. “This expansion is critical in our efforts to serve more people and improve the health and improve the lives of people throughout southwest Wisconsin.”
The expansion project was made possible through a $250,000 grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation to the City of Dodgeville.
In January, Access hosted Governor Tony Evers at the Dodgeville Dental Clinic. Governor Evers was on-site for a tour and conversation with our leadership, staff and providers at the clinic, and to recognize our organization for continuing to expand access to high quality dental services for a large geographic area, even in the midst of the pandemic.
Celebrate Smiles Back in Schools
March 2022
We are happy to have resumed our longstanding partnership with the Madison and Sun Prairie school districts and provide the Celebrate Smiles program in area schools this year.
Untreated dental decay is among the most preventable chronic disease for children. It causes kids pain, lost time in the classroom and diminishes performance in school. Our Celebrate Smiles program works to prevent tooth decay and educate children about good oral health. This program brings licensed dental staff to local schools, screening children in grades 4K-8. They provide dental sealants, fluoride varnish, as well as dental cleanings and restorative treatment as needed. Services are provided with portable dental equipment by dental staff led by a licensed dentist from Access Community Health Centers.
After an absence of more than a year, our presence once again provides dental services in the schools for children who would otherwise go without care.
For more information about our Celebrate Smiles program, please visit our Celebrate Smiles page.
Keeping Our Patients Safe
March 2022
Even though variants are increasing COVID cases throughout our community, we continue to work to ensure our patients are safe when they visit our clinics.
We’re proud to have provided the vaccine to over 7,500 individuals. We continue to provide COVID vaccines in clinic during the day, but also have held a number of evening and weekend clinics throughout the fall and winter and will do so into the spring. These clinics are open to all eligible patients and families. Please check our website for dates and times for future weekend and weeknight clinics.
Additionally, we have instituted the following COVID safety measures:
- We have instituted the COVID vaccine requirement for staff.
- We have implemented numerous safety and infection control practices which have been extremely effective at minimizing the spread of COVID within the clinics.
- The call center and registration staff screen patients and encourage people with symptoms to schedule telemedicine appointments with their provider or to schedule an appointment for after their quarantine/isolation period ends.
- We have a sustainable supply of PPE, including face shields and N95 masks and require all staff who have direct patient contact to wear them to minimize the risk of infection.
Keep Up the Good Work
It is a good time to continue with the other effective infection control practices we’ve put in place, including:
- Practice good hand hygiene technique.
- Social distancing when possible.
- Self-symptom monitoring and staying home when sick.
Thank you for your support, patience and understanding as we navigate the pandemic. We will get through this together!