11/23/2025
Exciting news!
PrairieStar Health Center is excited to announce the launch of a three year capital campaign to address the need for access to affordable dental care in our community.
The Bridging the Gap in Access to Rural Dental Care project will address the serious oral health issues in the underserved nine-county area that PrairieStar currently serves by increasing access through the construction of a new dental clinic with almost twice the capacity. With 14 dental suites, including one that is handicap accessible, the new clinic will allow more in-reach and out-reach patients to be served. The project will also include a new drive-thru pharmacy.
The new dental clinic will also allow PrairieStar to provide greater access for kids through the dental outreach program. Currently, PrairieStar provides dental outreach to thousands of kids at 64 school attendance centers. Of the students PrairieStar screens in the schools, 17% need urgent care. Kids with dental pain miss school more often and have difficulty concentrating, leading to lower grades. “There is nothing more heartbreaking than seeing a 4-year-old with an abscess, a tired expression, and multiple areas of decay, stating that it hurts when they eat,” PrairieStar Dental Outreach Coordinator, Alicia Harrison said
This $9.6 million dollar project is already over half of the way to its goal, with generous donations and grants. Our hope is to raise the remaining $2.05 million by December 31, 2027, the end of the three year capital campaign.
For more information on the campaign, the expansion, or to make a donation, visit https://www.pshcks.org/bridgingthegap/
