By MEGAN HART

Kansas health centers will receive about $2.2 million in grants and Missouri health centers, including three in Kansas City, will receive about $7.5 million to improve access to oral health care.

The grants are part of $156 million in federal funding announced Thursday by the Health Resources and Services Administration for health centers in 47 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.

The grants will allow the health centers to boost their dental staffs by about 1,600 employees and treat 785,000 more patients. The health centers serve patients regardless of their ability to pay for services.

“Oral health is an important part of our overall physical health and well-being,” Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell said in a news release. “The funding we are awarding will reduce barriers to quality dental care for hundreds of thousands of Americans by bringing new oral health providers to health centers across the country.”

 

Kansas grant winners and amounts:

• Center for Health and Wellness/HealthCore, Wichita, $350,000.
• Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, Pittsburg, $525,000.
• Flint Hills Community Health Center, Emporia, $350,000.
• Heartland Medical Clinic, Lawrence, $350,000.
• Prairiestar Health Center, Hutchinson, $350,000.
• Salina Health Education Foundation, Salina, $286,420.

Megan Hart is a reporter for KHI News Service in Topeka, a partner in the Heartland Health Monitor team. You can reach her on Twitter @meganhartMC