KSHB 41 reporter Elyse Schoenig covers the cities of Shawnee and Mission. She also focuses on issues surrounding the cost of health care, saving for retirement and personal debt. Share your story idea with Elyse.
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The University of Missouri-Kansas City is looking to continue to fill gaps in rural health care with a potential dental school expansion in St. Joseph, pending funding and accreditation.
The university is already trying to eliminate affordability and accessibility barriers at the School of Dentistry in Kansas City, but Russ Melchert, interim dean, said the need goes far beyond the metro.
"What's probably never changed since I was a kid and my mom would have to drive us an hour and a half to an oral surgeon is this need for oral health care providers in rural areas,” Melchert said.
Melchert said data shows more promise. UMKC already has an MD program in St. Joseph and a pharmacy program in Springfield.
Data shows 79% of Springfield pharmacy school graduates have chosen to keep practicing in Missouri. More specifically, 65% of the graduates of that program have chosen to keep practicing in southwest Missouri.
"If you build it, they will come, and they might stay,” Melchert said.
Kyler Simoncic, a second-year student, agrees there's a "great need in the rural areas to have dental students go there."
"A lot of times, if these patients really need the care, they have to travel over an hour to Kansas City, Columbia or St. Louis just to get the care they need," Simoncic said.
Simoncic, of Sedalia, said his love for dentistry and passion for rural care can be attributed to his upbringing.
"I definitely would like to raise a family in an area that kind of has the values of my upbringing, and also provide care to kind of give back because I'm very appreciative of my upbringing,” he said.
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