Interested in helping? Please fill out the volunteer application at https://www.ccchc2003.org/volunteer-application or donate toward the hiring of a full-time dentist: https://www.ccchc2003.org/donate

A few years ago, a patient came to the Champaign County Christian Health Center for a tooth extraction.

While there, he started chatting with volunteers, who shared about other services offered at the clinic in addition to dental care. When he mentioned he’d felt really tired lately, they scheduled a medical checkup and bloodwork, which revealed diabetes.

“They also asked if there were other things he was struggling with,” shares Louise Knight-Gibson, director of fund development and clinic director. “Mental health had been stigmatized in his family, but he decided as a father of three, he wanted to do better for his kids. He made an appointment with psychiatry, received medications that helped, and began to see a therapist.”

This man who initially came in for tooth pain has been able to transform his life simply by being encouraged to care for every aspect of his health.

“He wasn’t able to access care before, and the cost was intimidating. But our free services gave him the opportunity to seek medical care,” Louise says.

A Mission of Holistic, Compassionate Care

Champaign County Christian Health Center, founded in 2003, operates with a mission to show and share the love of Jesus Christ by providing holistic, free, and high-quality healthcare services. In 2024, the clinic served 354 patients.

Most patients are underinsured or uninsured and typically between 30 and 60 years old – “not old enough for Medicare but too old for Medicaid,” Louise says.

“People often assume it’s a certain type of person when they hear ‘uninsured,’ but we see people from all different backgrounds, from visiting scholars to immigrants,” she adds.

Critical Need for Dental Services

While holistic care remains the clinic’s goal, it currently faces a significant challenge: dental services are not currently being offered due to a lack of volunteer dentists and support staff.

“Although we recently received grant funds to purchase new dental equipment for our clinic, we’re struggling to connect with local dentists to volunteer at the clinic and help us work through our current waitlist,” Louise notes.

The waitlist of patients now exceeds 75 patients – many of whom are experiencing ongoing pain.

While extractions are an immediate and critical need, ultimately the clinic would love to be able to offer cleanings and other preventative care.

In the past, a volunteer dentist came in once or twice a month for a few hours, providing a consistent schedule that allowed patients to plan their visit. A return to that model would be ideal.

“We’d love to have a dentist or group of dentists come in on a regular basis, as well as hygienists, so we can start chipping away at our waitlist,” Louise says. “We’re very flexible and willing to work around their schedules.”

The clinic would also be open to a volunteer dentist accepting clinic patients in their own office instead of the clinic space.

Making an Impact

Looking ahead, the long-term goal is to expand dental services to include regular cleanings, fillings, preventative care, and oral health education.

“In the future, we want to provide more preventative care, taking care of problems as they come up,” Louise says.

Although the clinic has held several locations over the years, it moved into a permanent facility purchased two years ago – previously a chiropractic office, which is on State St. on the bus line, easy for patients to access. 

Beyond medical and dental care, the clinic provides practical support, such as help with referrals or filling out complex paperwork. A food pantry was also set up to help meet that basic need.

Because dental care is especially difficult to access without insurance, the clinic is calling on local dentists to help in whatever way possible. While volunteering is a wonderful way to get involved, it’s not the only way; financial contributions can also be put toward hiring a full-time dentist, moving the clinic closer to serving patients who need care.

Louise shares from firsthand experience that the gratitude from patients is significant.

“Our patients are always so kind and grateful,” she says. “The most enjoyable parts for me is getting to see them come through the door and getting to help each person one by one and see them improve.”