Flooded dental clinic needs donors, state support

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In a nonstop news cycle, it’s easy to forget that a devastating natural disaster hit parts of northern Minnesota last summer. One of the communities most affected: tiny Cook, a St. Louis County community of 524.

Last June, torrential rainfall sent the Little Fork River surging out of its banks, swamping a wide swath of town. Keith Harvey, CEO of Scenic Rivers Health Services, thought the elevated downtown site on which the nonprofit’s dental clinic stands would shield it.

Patients came to sandbag but the floodwaters soon reached the clinic, located in a former hardware store, and breached it, leaving 3 to 4 inches of standing water inside. The waters receded after 24 hours, leaving behind extensive damage both to the building and expensive dental equipment.

Eight months later, Scenic Rivers is still struggling to return to full capacity, a pressing concern when it’s the only dental clinic for miles in this remote, sparsely populated part of the state. It’s also a mainstay for patients depending on Medical Assistance, a publicly funded program whose enrollees are either limited or turned away by dentists elsewhere due to low care reimbursements. In addition, it serves many patients who get their care through Veterans Affairs.

To care for vulnerable patients, the Scenic Rivers dental clinic urgently needs an emergency infusion of both private and public assistance to return to full operating capacity. While it has received some used dental equipment donations and support from state organizations, the clinic’s ongoing fundraiser estimates $750,000 is required to put things fully back in order.

There’s a long, long way to go. The amount raised as of Friday on its online donation drive: $355.

Minnesotans have a long, proud history of rallying around communities after disasters. It’s also a state that’s home to well-known philanthropic organizations, as well as conscientious legislators who care deeply about communities both inside and outside their districts.

This is an opportunity to carry on that honorable tradition by aiding a deserving organization. Scenic Rivers is a federally qualified health center, meaning its mission is to go where big health systems won’t: namely, medically underserved areas where many patients struggle to make ends meet. Lending a hand is in order, and it seems an opportune time for teamwork by private donors and legislators.

To answer one obvious question, yes, Scenic Rivers did have flood insurance on the building. But that didn’t cover replacing damaged dental equipment, including patient exam chairs (whose electronics tend to be in the base and sustained water damage), sterilizers, X-ray units, handheld dental tools and specialized cabinetry to hold and store equipment.

With the nonprofit stretched thin financially during normal operations, and facing further uncertainty about federal support, the resources simply aren’t there to cut a check for new equipment and other needs.

“Our margins are not positive, and we don’t have a lot extra,” Harvey said in an interview.

The flood also strained Scenic Rivers' financial capacity in another way. The dental clinic shut down for two months because of flood damage. Harvey paid staff regardless.

“If I lose a dental assistant or hygienist, I’m not getting them back. It’s hard to recruit staff for this area,” Harvey said. “It’s one of our biggest challenges.”

Building repairs and patching together salvaged or donated equipment has allowed Scenic Rivers to get four of its nine “operatories” — spaces with specialized patient-care equipment — back up and running.

But returning to full capacity is urgent for the nearly 3,000 patients who get dental care at this location. Adding to the urgency: The Cook clinic is one of the few in the area with a specialized lift to assist non-ambulatory elderly and handicapped patients. Even if these patients are able to drive elsewhere, other dental providers may not have a lift like this to ease their care.

Harvey has also faced setbacks in seeking out federal disaster assistance loans. Last summer, he naturally worked closely with officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). He said they steered him to the federal Small Business Administration (SBA).

“At the time, I was very encouraged. I thought we were gonna be OK, the money would come through and we’d be in good shape.”

But Harvey said that SBA has rejected two loan requests, one to pay for equipment replacement and another to offset “business interruption.” He was told that Scenic Rivers was “too big” to be eligible.

SBA officials declined immediate comment on the situation. Harvey is understandably “a little frustrated,” as he put it with admirable restraint.

Scenic Rivers has 11 clinics serving 8,500 square miles. While it’s not small, it’s not big, either, in health care system terms, especially in this age of mergers and consolidation. Its mission of providing care in medically underserved areas should also allow for SBA flexibility and support.

It’s unacceptable to let Scenic Rivers slip through the cracks. There’s a role here for U.S. House Rep. Pete Stauber, whose district includes Cook. He and the rest of the state’s congressional delegation should push the agency to reconsider or find an alternative pathway to help Scenic Rivers.

I also reached out to state Rep. Roger Skraba, R-Ely, who represents the area in the Minnesota House. Skraba, to his credit, understands the clinic’s vital role.

“This fills a huge need in northern Minnesota,” he said.

Skraba said he’d like to hear more from Harvey and is open to the idea of state assistance, though he also is hopeful private philanthropies and donors will step up.

California’s wildfires are understandably dominating current disaster assistance pleas. But this Minnesota clinic’s flood recovery is important, too. The work it does deserves our collective gratitude and support.

To make a personal donation, go to tinyurl.com/HelpScenicRivers. Charitable organizations and others interested in helping can email its administrative coordinator Kara Jean Baker at kbaker@scenicrivershealth.org.