Iowa Mission of Mercy

Access to dental care is slowly becoming increasingly challenging for many Americans, but for those of low income or without health or dental care coverage, the problem is compounded significantly. The recent death of Maryland twelve-year-old Deamonte Driver tragically highlights the vital need for oral health care services for the underserved. This young boy died of a brain infection reportedly caused by an abscessed tooth. His family had lost Medicaid coverage and the mother was unable to find timely dental care for her children.

In Iowa and nationally, there is a growing awareness of this issue, and in fall 2008 Iowa will join a growing list of states where dentists, dental hygienists, dental assistants, and a host of volunteers will commit their time to provide free oral health care services to individuals who otherwise cannot afford care.

Through the Iowa Mission of Mercy (IMOM) event, mobile equipment will be used to establish a field dental clinic in the Cedar Valley area. The inaugural IMOM event will be held October 3-4, 2008, in Waterloo. During this event an estimated 1,000 Iowans will receive free dental care.

Even with the support and leadership of the Steering Committee, the time and resources needed to coordinate this event are considerable - there are many very important details to tend to ranging from a myriad of clinical issues to recruiting and managing volunteers to establishing operational protocols including security. Funding and a solid base of committed volunteers are the key elements to assuring the successful development and staging of an event of this magnitude. A successful inaugural event in October 2008 will pave the way for annual IMOM events.

The IMOM Steering Committee and its partners are enthusiastic and committed to bring MOM to Iowa in 2008 and beyond. We want to ensure that what happened in Maryland doesn't happen in Iowa. IMOM is not a guarantee against such a tragedy; but it is a very strong, positive step for Iowa.

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For more information on how you can contribute to making the Iowa Mission of Mercy a success, contact:
Deb Kazmerzak
Iowa/Nebraska Primary Care Association
dkazmerzak@ianpeca.com  - 515-244-9610, extension 5013