Family Healthcare: Providing Oral Health Care to In-Need Families throughout Southern Utah

By Lori Wright, CEO, Family Healthcare

The mouth is a mirror of the body. It is a sentinel of disease and critical to overall health, yet oral health is the least accessed area of health care, particularly for low income and uninsured Americans. Each year in Utah, there are thousands of emergency department (ED) visits for oral health care, for which EDs are not generally equipped. Most of these patients are treated for pain and/ or infection, but the source of the actual dental complaint remains untreated.

Apart from high costs of ED visits for oral emergencies, access to affordable oral health care is an economic issue in other ways. 18 percent of all working-age adults and 29 percent of those with low income report that the appearance of their mouth and teeth affects their ability to successfully interview for work. 62 percent of older Americans have no dental insurance. Traditional Medicare does not cover routine dental care; therefore, many lose their benefits upon retirement.

In southern Utah, Family Healthcare dental providers see patients regardless of their financial, insurance, or background situation, often caring for patients who have not seen a dentist for many years due to access and affordability issues.

However, it takes the proverbial village to help those with the greatest need. Family Healthcare relies on donations from community members as well as a strong partnership with the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation. As the philanthropic arm of Delta Dental of California, the Community Care Foundation is one of very few that supports access to oral health care for low-income patients.

“We are proud to partner with Family Healthcare to support their important mission of providing beneficial oral health care and preventive care services to inneed communities throughout southern Utah,” said Kenzie Ferguson, vice president of foundation and corporate social responsibility for Delta Dental of California. “The partnership enables us to achieve our broader mutual goals of increasing access to oral health care, especially for the underserved, and helping to make the communities we serve stronger, healthier, and more resilient.”

Together, we can make lives better.

Maria Amelia

Maria Amelia, a single mother who faces chronic economic fragility due to low income and other cultural and social barriers, came to Family Healthcare more than ten years ago, where she receives medical and dental care. In 2022, Maria Amelia required bridge work on her front teeth. The costs associated with the procedure were well beyond her financial means. Family Healthcare providers were able to help Maria Amelia by drawing on generous funding support provided by the Delta Dental Community Care Foundation. Maria is grateful to have received financial support that allowed her to reclaim her oral health and a smile she is proud of.

About the Author

Lori Wright, CEO, Family Healthcare

Lori Wright is the CEO of Family Healthcare. With more than twenty-five years of experience in community health, she is passionate about developing equity, where everyone is able to access high quality integrated primary health care. Family Healthcare’s mission is Making Lives Better, and as CEO, Lori’s efforts are focused on improving the overall health of patients and the communities that Family Healthcare serves.

Lori serves on a variety of committees across the state and throughout Washington and Iron Counties, including the St. George Area Chamber Board of Governors, Dixie Tech Pharmacy Tech Advisory Committee, and Association of Community Health Center’s Board. She also serves as co-chair of the AUCH Health Center Control Network. She is a Certified Medical Practice Executive by the American College of Medical Practice Executives and has received a BS in Community/Public Health and a Master of Public Administration from the Marriott School of Management.