Two thousand people — including 400 children — are on a waitlist at a single dental clinic in Council Bluffs; local healthcare professionals say Iowa’s Medicaid reimbursement rates, and a shortage of providers, can force neighbors to drive hours to get care in western Iowa.
“The need here in the southwestern part of Iowa is just overwhelming,” said Joel Dougherty, CEO of All Care Health Center.
The nonprofit is breaking ground on a new dental facility that will more than double the number of patients it can serve — up to 8,000 neighbors…