OralHealthAccessInitiative
A Strategic Investment in Community Health
Dear Friends and Partners,
At All Care Health Center, our mission is clear: to provide affordable, comprehensive, high-quality healthcare to every member of our community, especially those who would otherwise go without care.
Today, we are asking you to join us at a defining moment for oral health access in our region.
The need for dental care in Southwest Iowa has reached a critical point. Every day, patients travel extraordinary distances from the northern and southern borders of Iowa and beyond seeking care at All Care Many arrive after years without treatment, living with pain, infection, worsening chronic disease, and few options for help. The majority of our dental patients rely on Medicaid or have no insurance at all, creating significant barriers to care in a region where too few providers are equipped or willing to serve them.
At this moment, more than 1,600 individuals remain on our dental waitlist.
We did not arrive at this campaign lightly For years, All Care has taken deliberate and strategic steps to maximize every inch of our current dental clinic before pursuing expansion. Alongside our partners, we reimagined and converted existing clinical space, upgraded equipment to improve efficiency, expanded Saturday dental services, and doubled our dental provider team from two dentists to four in 2025. Our teams have worked tirelessly to increase access while maintaining the high standard of care our patients deserve
Despite these efforts, the demand continues to outpace our capacity. The time to act is now.
We have assembled the leadership, operational expertise, and clinical team necessary to successfully execute this project and sustain it long into the future. Our Board of Directors has demonstrated its commitment by approving a significant reinvestment of organizational reserves to launch this expansion This bold step reflects both urgency and confidence in this vision
This new dental facility represents more than a building. It is the beginning of a broader healthcare campus designed to strengthen access, improve health outcomes, and meet the growing needs of our community for generations to come.
The impact of expanded dental access reaches far beyond oral health alone. Untreated dental disease contributes to diabetes complications, heart disease, missed school and work, emergency room utilization, and diminished quality of life. By expanding access to preventive and restorative dental care, we can improve overall health outcomes while restoring dignity, confidence, and improving quality of life.
Most importantly, this project is about people.
It is about children waiting months in pain for care, working parents driving hours because no local provider accepts Medicaid, and seniors living with chronic illness worsened by untreated dental disease. It is also about our dedicated staff and providers, who show up every day committed to serving patients with compassion, excellence, and respect, even as demand stretches our current facility beyond its limits.
Together, we have the opportunity to respond to this moment with purpose and vision
We invite you to partner with us as we build the future of accessible healthcare in Southwest Iowa.
With gratitude,
Joel Dougherty Chief Executive Officer All Care Health Center
All Care has consistently grown in response to community need by expanding services, locations, and care models to remove barriers and improve access for the most vulnerable populations. Each step reflects a commitment to meeting patients where they are and delivering care when and where it is needed.
All Care Exists to Ensure ALL Can Access Healthcare
Serving all patients regardless of ability to pay
Removing barriers such as transportation, language, and cost
Providing integrated, whole-person care
Expanding access to underserved populations
A simple conversation about a hometown t-shirt revealed how far some patients must go to find care. After waiting months to find a dental provider that accepted Medicaid, a Lyon, Iowa, patient traveled 160 miles to find All Care. Their gratitude was a powerful reminder of why access to care matters.
THENEED ClosingaCriticalGapinDentalAccess
Access to dental care in Iowa, particularly for Medicaid and uninsured patients, has reached a critical point. Low reimbursement rates and the complexity of treating high-need populations have made it difficult for many providers to sustainably offer care, leaving patients with few options
Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), like All Care, are structured differently. Through a federal reimbursement model designed to support care for underserved populations, FQHCs can provide comprehensive dental services regardless of a patient’s ability to pay, making organizations like All Care essential to maintaining access for Medicaid and uninsured patients.
In our region, there is a clear reality: without All Care, access to dental care for these patients does not exist.
Demand Far Exceeds Capacity
Dental Clinics in Western Iowa
=clinicacceptingnewadultMedicaid patientsasofJune1,2026
All Care currently maintains a waiting list of more than 1,600 patients, including over 300 children, with wait times ranging from 10 months to one year for those actively seeking care.
All Care has taken steps to expand access and maximize existing capacity:
• Adding Saturday Services
• Upgrading outdated and inefficient equipment
• Expanding operatory space within existing constraints
• Adding a third and fourth dentist
Despite these efforts, demand continues to outpace capacity.
Today, the dental program is operating at full capacity, with no additional room to grow within the current facility
Dental Patients Demonstrate Greater Social and Economic Vulnerability
A young girl came to school each day with severe dental pain that made it difficult to eat. Her mother faced financial barriers while searching for care. With help from our school-based healthcare team, she was seen the very next morning. Today, she is pain-free and on the path to a healthier future.
The Consequences of Unmet Need
When access to dental care is delayed or unavailable, small, preventable issues often become serious health problems. Untreated cavities and gum disease can progress into infections, pain, and tooth loss, requiring more complex and costly care.
Poor oral health is also closely linked to chronic conditions that disproportionately affect the populations All Care serves
Without preventive dental care, patients often experience:
• Worsening diabetes
• Increased risk of hypertension, heart disease, and stroke
• Increased use of emergency departments
• Higher healthcare costs
• Missed work and school days
• Long-term health complications, particularly for children
For many patients, these outcomes are not due to lack of effort, but lack of access. Without timely dental care, manageable conditions escalate into serious health issues that impact both individual well-being and the broader healthcare system.
THESOLUTION IncreaseAccessThroughaNewDentalFacility
All Care Health Center is developing a new, stand-alone dental facility on its main campus. This purpose-built space will expand capacity, improve patient experience, and strengthen access to care for underserved populations
Purpose-Built for Growth
The 10,000 square-foot facility will include:
21 dental exam rooms
Capacity for 8 dentists and 8 hygienists
Modern clinical and support areas designed for efficiency and patient comfort
Expanding Capabilities and Services
The new facility will allow All Care to provide:
Nitrous oxide services for children and patients with anxiety or complex needs
Expanded preventive, specialty, and selective oral surgery services
Updated technology and equipment to improve efficiency and quality of care
Increasing Access to Care
This expansion will:
Increase annual patient capacity from approximately 3,200 to up to 8,000 patients
Significantly reduce wait times
Expand access for Medicaid and uninsured patients with limited care options
Improve access to specialized pediatric dental services
This project directly addresses the growing gap between demand for care and available dental services in the region.
This investment will help All Care meet growing demand while ensuring care remains accessible to all patients.
Strategic Location
One Campus, Integrated Care
The new dental facility will be located adjacent to All Care’s main clinic, creating a fully integrated healthcare campus
For patients:
Access to medical, behavioral health, dental, and pharmacy services in one location
Reduced transportation barriers and fewer trips between providers
Improved continuity of care, particularly for patients managing chronic conditions
Timeline
Phase
Planning & Preparation
For providers and staff:
Stronger coordination across medical, behavioral health, and dental teams
Greater efficiency through shared resources and streamlined communication
Improved patient flow and care coordination
Timeline
Summer 2025 – May 2026
Funding & Bidding
August– September 2026
Key Milestones
Land secured
Demolition complete
1,600 patients waiting for care
Project approved by Board Facility design completed
Board-approved investment
Request for bids
Bid recommendation to Board
Contracts initiated
Permits secured
Construction
October 2026 – July 2027
Opening & Launch Summer – September 2027
Groundbreaking event
Construction phase
Hiring
Equipment & furnishings installed
Staff move
Ribbon cutting & open house
Patients scheduled
IncreasingAccesstoEssentialCare
Outcomes:
All Care Dental services, today:
4 Dentists
3,200 patients served
1,600 person waiting list, including 320 kids
All Care Dental services, future:
8 dentists
8,000 patients served
Significantly reduced wait times
Expanded Medicaid and uninsured patient access
Improved comfort care with nitrous oxide
Economic Impact
Increased medical integration
Reduced emergency room utilization
Fewer missed school and work days
The project will create an additional 20-30 healthcare jobs in Council Bluffs, including:
Dentists
Hygienists
Dental Assistants
Additional patient access and support staff
Built for Access. Designed for Sustainability.
20+ years of successful dental operations
Conservative projections
Operational break-even at full capacity
Proven FQHC reimbursement model
Strong patient demand
All Care strategically maintains positive organizational margins
All Care Health Center is honored to recognize the individuals, families, businesses, and foundations whose generosity makes this project possible.
$500,000+ | Transformational Legacy Giving
All Care welcomes the opportunity to develop meaningful recognition opportunities that acknowledge your leadership investment in expanding access to care while aligning with your philanthropic goals. Transformational gifts may be recognized through significant naming and recognition opportunities, developed in partnership with the donor
$250,000+ | Exam Room Recognition
Create a lasting impact on oral health access through naming recognition on a dental exam room, where thousands of patients will receive care for years to come.
$50,000+ | Donor Wall Recognition
Join a distinguished group of supporters whose generosity is helping create healthier families and stronger communities through expanded access to care.
Executive Team
Joel Dougherty, Chief Executive Officer
Gina Klein, Chief Operating Officer
Dr Kristine McVea, Chief Medical Officer
Jacquie Peregoy, Chief Financial Officer
Board of Directors
Richard Arnold
Dr Rita Berthelsen, Ph D
David Burr
Sandy Byers
John Dalton
Jill King
Dr. Lucinda Klein-Lombardo
Paul Kline
Michael Messerly Jr.
Matt Tetzlaff
Milton Trabal
Dorothey Tunzer
Kim Vrba