For the second time in as many years, it looked like a Wright County community was going to be left without a local dentist.

Once again, the Community Health Center of Fort Dodge has stepped into the gap, preparing to give Clarion not only a local dentist, but convenient access to primary health care and behavioral care as well.

The move is a tribute to the dedication of the health center’s staff and the organization’s ability to react quickly to a community need.

And there is definitely a need in Clarion for dental care. For example, statistics amassed by the Community Health Center show that 15 percent of the kindergarteners and ninth graders in the county’s school districts need dental care or urgent dental care. That compares to a 12.8 percent statewide average.

The Community Health Center has already proven its ability to respond quickly to needs in Wright County. In March 2023, it purchased the former dental office of Dr, Misty Shaver in Eagle Grove after she announced she was closing it. In July of that year, the office reopened as the Community Health Center of Eagle Grove, offering medical, dental and behavioral health care. The community’s response to it has been overwhelming, with appointment slots booked far into the future.

Getting all that set up in Eagle Grove in a short period of time was a herculean task for the health center staff.

But with that accomplished the staff was well prepared to move when it was learned that Dr. Pamela Kelch was retiring in Clarion and preparing to close her office.

The staff is now in the middle of another massive effort to get a new location set up. The result will be a full range of care for Clarion-area residents. And just as importantly, those residents will have multiple ways to pay for that care, including private insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid and for patients who qualify, a sliding fee scale based on their ability to pay.

The new Community Health Center of Clarion will stand as another example of the dedication and level of caring exhibited by every member of the Community Health Center team. We are lucky to have them here.