TCC Report Card 2017 - Access to Community Resources, Health Care and Dental Care

ACCESS TO COMMUNITY RESOURCES Health and Dental Care

 

GOAL: 100% OF Calhoun County residents will have access to quality health care.

HOW ARE WE DOING? Work is being done to increase health care access in the community. Health care services are available at reduced cost through the Calhoun County Public Health Department, Fountain Clinic, Grace Health and the Nursing Clinic of Battle Creek. With a triple aim of expanding health care access in the community, recruiting and retaining medical staff; Bronson Healthcare, the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker, MD School of Medicine and Grace Health announced plans for a new residency training program. When fully operational, up to 18 residents will provide care at its two clinical training sites, Grace Health and Bronson Battle Creek.  Additionally, the Nursing Clinic of Battle Creek, a program of Community HealthCare Connections, operates a free mobile medical clinic which travels throughout the county, providing treatment for basic illnesses and injuries.

GOAL: 100% of Calhoun County residents will have access to quality dental care

Although tooth decay is largely preventable, it remains the most common chronic disease of both children and adolescents. Tooth decay is four times more common than asthma among adolescents ages 14 to 17; and also affects adults, with 90% of people over the age of 20 having some degree of decay. vi In Calhoun County, only 63.2% of adults reported visiting a dentist in the previous year, while 32.7% reported not having dental insurance at some point in the previous year.