Manchester Health Department Joins Forces With NH National Guard

Press release from the City of Manchester Health Department:

Jan. 10, 2023

Starting Saturday, January 7, 2023, and with approval from the Department of Defense (DoD), Manchester children will receive additional dental care they may not otherwise have access to. The City’s school-based oral health program has been around since the 1970s, providing preventative dental care to 600 students per year. However, recent years have seen a challenge in identifying local dental providers who are willing and able to accept uncompensated referrals for students who require more involved dental care.

“This partnership between the NHARNG and Manchester Health Department allows us to expand critical dental service to students in Manchester, ensuring cost is not a barrier to health,” said Mayor Joyce Craig. “Our students deserve high-quality, preventive care, and I’m grateful for the support from the NHARNG in providing these services.”

Through the DoD’s Innovative Readiness Training (IRT) program, which pairs military training requirements with community needs, the NHARNG’s Medical Detachment will provide fillings and extractions to children already using the long successful Manchester Oral Health Program.
“The IRT program is a unique way for the Guard to support local communities while gaining valuable, real-world training experience,” said NH Adjutant Gen. David Mikolaities. “There is nothing more fulfilling for our citizen-soldiers than to serve their fellow citizens in their own backyard.”

In the past year, the NH National Guard (NHNG) has supported multiple IRT missions, including a healthcare clinic for Cherokee Nation, Okla., an airlift for the state’s Nature Conservancy, and a construction project for Greenfield State Park.

City of Manchester Health Department Director Anna Thomas, who served in the military and the NHARNG, says this collaboration came to fruition after meeting with Col. Richard Oberman, deputy director of the Joint Staff for the NHNG. “For years, we talked about the ways our NHARNG medical assets could serve local communities in New Hampshire. We certainly experienced that benefit throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This new venture optimizes the best of both our worlds and assists our City and State’s most valuable resource – our children and families.”

This partnership and the care provided come at no cost to the families, the city or the health department. Future clinic days are being planned on a monthly basis to serve qualifying Manchester students from all 21 public schools through the end of the school year.

About the Manchester School-Based Oral Health Program:
The City of Manchester Health Department provides preventive dental services through its own dedicated certified public health dental hygienist and dental assistant. With 600 qualified students treated on average each year, it is the largest program in New Hampshire. Please visit: https://www.manchesternh.gov/D... for more information.

This press release was produced by the City of Manchester Health Department. The views expressed here are the author's own.