Before Mission Health Lexington had six dental operatories, medical exam rooms or a pharmacy, Dr. Robert “Bob” Henry saw a problem.
As chief of dental service for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Henry regularly met veterans who needed dental treatment but did not qualify to receive it through the VA.
“It was obvious that if veterans had so many dental issues, the population in general — those who were lower income and without insurance — would also likely have dental needs,” Henry said.
Henry, then a University of Kentucky College of Dentistry (UKCD) faculty member and director of its General Practice Residency program, brought that perspective to a local effort to open a free dental clinic.
Building a place to serve
In 2005, members of Calvary Baptist Church and Faith Lutheran Church joined forces to form the organization now known as Mission Health Lexington. Henry was a founding board member. In June 2006, the organization opened its first dental clinic on Limestone Street, where volunteer dentists treated patients who could not afford care elsewhere.
For Henry and his wife, Donita, the clinic became a family commitment. A trained dental assistant with a master’s degree in social work, Donita initially assisted Henry at the clinic. She later became its dental coordinator, scheduling patients and coordinating dentists, assistants and other volunteers.
Donita served as coordinator for four years. Henry served as dental director for 10 years and remained on the organization’s board for 18 years.
One of Henry’s first tasks as dental director was to find dentists willing to volunteer.
“There was never a problem getting community and volunteers to support the mission,” Henry said.
Former UKCD faculty member Dr. Judy Skelton helped develop a rotation that allowed dental students to provide care at the clinic. So many students wanted to take part that a lottery was held each year, Henry recalled.
Faculty and residents volunteered, too, including those from oral surgery, orthodontics, periodontology and the General Practice Residency program.
Growing alongside the community
The original dental clinic had three dental operatories in a former dress shop on Limestone Street. In 2013, the dental clinic moved to a renovated former MRI facility on South Martin Luther King Boulevard. The move doubled the number of dental operatories from three to six, with space for three medical rooms and a pharmacy.
Henry recalled what it meant to have those doors open in the first place.
“It was great to finally have someplace for veterans who were not eligible to go at the VA to come to Mission Health Lexington for dental care,” Henry said.
The organization opened a vision clinic in August 2017. In 2019, it adopted the name Mission Health Lexington to reflect the range of services patients could receive under one roof.
Dr. Ron Singer, division chief of public health dentistry (left) and Dr. Robert "Bob" Henry (right) discuss Henry's work at Mission Health Lexington
Passing it on
Henry eventually stepped away as the dental director. Today, UKCD students and faculty continue to volunteer at Mission Health Lexington. At the clinic, students meet patients who may have gone without dental care because of cost or lack of insurance.
“It was mutually beneficial and a great opportunity to serve and help the community,” he said.
That kind of experience remains part of a UKCD education. Through outreach across Kentucky, students work alongside faculty and community partners to provide oral health care and education to people who may otherwise struggle to access it.
On Veterans Day, the story comes back to the patients Henry met at the VA. Their difficulty finding dental care helped draw him to the effort that became Mission Health Lexington. Today, UKCD students and faculty still walk through the clinic doors to care for Lexington neighbors facing barriers of their own.