By Jean Cole
With the gusto of a second-grader, Jasmine Gill opened wide for the dentist Tuesday morning at Tanner School.
She showed no fear, no dread, just a beautiful smile.
She and other Limestone County students are taking advantage of the free dental screenings offered at their schools this month.
Sarrell Dental Center is a self-sustaining, non-profit group dedicated to providing dental care to children with Medicaid and ALL Kids insurance, a low-cost, comprehensive health care coverage program for children under age 19.
“Nearly six out of 10 Alabama children eligible for Medicaid dental benefits aren’t using those resources, leaving them at risk for myriad health and social problems associated with poor dental hygiene such as missed school days and low self-esteem,” said Sarrell Chief Executive Officer and former Athens resident Jeff Parker.
Students who need follow-up care after the screening can go to their regular dentist or to the new Sarrell Dental Center, which will open Feb. 1 in the old Public Health Building at 310 W. Elm St.
“This will be our final week of screenings at local elementary and high schools until the fall, said Christine Marsh, public relations representative for Sarrell.
Today, students at Johnson Elementary will be screened beginning at 8:30 a.m. and East Limestone High students will be screened beginning at 10 a.m.
On Thursday, screenings are scheduled at 8:30 a.m. for Tanner Headstart; beginning at 9:30 a.m. for Elkton Headstart; and at 10 a.m. for students at Piney Chapel Elementary.
Screenings for local day-care center will be scheduled soon.
CEO has Athens ties
Parker said he decided to come to Athens because he saw a need.
“We only open offices where there is a lack of access to care,” he said. “In Alabama, six out of 10 children who have dental Medicaid do not use it. That is a number we should all be ashamed of. The most recent number available from 2007 statistics has the dental Medicaid use in Limestone County to be at 38.4 percent, slightly lower than the state level.
One major reason the numbers are so low is the lack of access to care.”
The free screenings and other services give Sarrell the chance to present schools and parents with information needed to obtain health and dental insurance.
“Our dental screenings make parents aware of current oral-health problems their child might have and also serve as a reminder for parents to have regularly scheduled dental appointments for their children,” Parker said.
Sarrell opened in 2005, and has since grown to include eight centers throughout Alabama with a staff of 125 employees.
“In 2009, our offices had more than 55,000 patient visits,” he said. “We have partnerships with the University of Alabama Birmingham School of Dentistry, the Alabama Department of Public Health, and the National Children’s Oral Health Foundation. Over the last four years, the NFL Alumni’s Atlanta chapter has cited us as an outstanding organization in their Caring for Kids program. We are the only organization in Alabama to receive this honor.”
In Athens, the group has already invested $100,000 to upgrade the building that will house the local Sarrell Dental Center.
“We are also currently in the process of installing paperless technology, flat-screen televisions and up-to-date dental equipment.” Parker said. “The building has been completely transformed into a beautiful facility — one that will be sure to impress our patients and their parents.”
Early in his career, Parker served as the first Sara Lee CEO of the old Sweet Sue Kitchens business, which he acquired from the Beasley family. He grew the business, moved on to other projects, then retired from business at age 40, he said. For the past several years, he has been a professor in the business school at Jacksonville State University and CEO of Sarrell. He and his wife, Diana, have homes in Anniston and Atlanta.
“Athens holds a special place in my heart and I am happy we could bring this much needed service to the county,” Parker said. “If a child shows up in pain and we are open, the child will be seen that day and treated with dignity and respect at all times. This is how we operate.”
