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43 °F Forecast | Road Cams Sunday, April 3, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 3, 2005 Kids Health Connection volunteer Annie Sorensen takes Washington Elementary School students, from left, Oriel Cordoba, Leonard Barila, Ariana Albarran and Alicia Albarran on a taxi ride to see the dentist. Mail Tribune / Roy Musitelli Easier than pulling teeth A collaborative effort succeeds in giving dental care to children in need By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune Make no mistake, Leonard Barila doesn’t like going to the dentist. After months of problems ranging from crooked cuspids to an abscessed molar, the Washington Elementary School first-grader has definite opinions about dental work. "It hurts," he said. Still, when volunteer Annie Sorensen showed up Friday morning with a bag of toys and packs of snacks, Leonard was one of the first kids in the taxi headed for the Jackson County Children’s Dental Clinic in Medford. The 7-year-old thinks it’s simply Sorensen’s job to ease the sting of oral hygiene. Advertisement In truth, however, her presence is the result of a new Rogue Valley collaboration aimed at providing uninsured children full access to dental care — including the means to get there. Last spring, representatives from the Kids Health Connection and the Children’s Dental Clinic began working together to resolve one of the thorniest problems for poor families: getting to and from scheduled appointments. "Transportation is a huge barrier," said Karen Holt, director of the KHC, which runs school-based health centers at four area elementary schools. "Either they don’t have transportation themselves or they’re working. For them, without help, the kids wouldn’t get there at all." The dental clinic long has offered free services for poor, uninsured children. But until this year, logistics kept many kids from accessing the care. The first obstacle was finding some way to transport the children. Deb Silva, clinic director, inquired about medical errand services, but quickly learned local groups cater almost exclusively to senior citizens. Finally, she called Valley Cab in Medford, where Office Manager Rick Marcello arranged a discounted fee of $8 apiece for trips to and from Medford schools. "We gave them a good break," Marcello said. "Normally it would be $12 to $13 (each way)." With an average of 10 round trips a month needed, finding funding was the next problem. The dental clinic board had just received a grant from the Reed and Carolee Walker Fund, an endowment run by the Oregon Community Foundation. Those resources were targeted toward the $160 a month transportation bill. "(The Walker fund) has given us more freedom to provide services," said Silva. Once transportation was in place, Holt needed to find a volunteer to monitor the children during the lengthy treatments. "I didn’t want them going over without someone," she said. That’s where Annie Sorensen came in. A longtime community volunteer, she’d been asked to serve on the KHC board. But Sorensen said she was more interested in direct contact with youngsters. "I’m not really a board kind of person," said Sorensen, whose husband, Gregg Sorensen, owns Southern Oregon Subaru Volvo Mitsubishi. "Just let me hang out with the kids." Most weeks, Sorensen, 55, shows up on Fridays to accompany two to six kids in the taxi, usually a large mini-van. Because appointments for multiple children can fill an entire morning, the mother of three and grandmother of four learned early to provide some distractions. On Friday, five kids found their patience augmented with Legos, crayons and "Dora, the Explorer" videos. Sorensen also packed snacks such as cheese and pretzels, though on this day she’d forgotten Leonard’s favorite — bananas. "Last time he ate three bananas and an apple!" she said. Sorensen’s time is not spent simply baby-sitting, however. When the drilling of a filling proved too much for Ariana Albarran, 6, Sorensen was called in to hold the tiny girl’s hand. Within minutes, the first-grader with the long ponytails was curled in Sorensen’s lap, sobbing. "Don’t give any credit to me," Sorensen said, rocking the girl. "I’m just here for these precious kids." The Washington Elementary students are among more than 400 kids to receive support services that include Sorensen’s volunteer help. Overall, the Kids Health Connection already has served nearly 700 children at four schools this year, well above last year’s pace. Partnered with Asante Health System, Providence Medford Medical Center and La Clinica del Valle, the agency strives to provide basic healthcare to kids who’d otherwise go without. In three years, KHC has nearly tripled its budget, expanded its sites and increased its clients, Holt said. She’s quick to note, however, that increased service simply reflects increased need, one family and one child at a time. "The dental component is important," Holt said. "Many of our children wouldn’t have toothbrushes, dental floss or toothpaste if we didn’t provide it for them." Bowl-a-thon pledges to aid Kids Health Connection Marshall Holman, one of the top 20 bowlers of the 20th century, will lend his expertise to a Kids Health Connection bowl- a-thon fund raiser dedicated to expanding health services for children. Holman will serve as honorary bowler for the Kids Health Connection. Volunteers will collect pledges based on the number of pins they believe Holman will knock down during two games. For instance, a pledge of 5 cents per pin for two perfect games would equal a $30 donation to Kids Health Connection. The event is planned for 1 p.m. May 7 at Roxy Ann Lanes in Medford. Proceeds will go toward a capital campaign aimed at raising $214,000 to build a modular health center at Jackson Elementary School in Medford. The existing 400-square-foot health center at Jackson will be nearly quadrupled to serve an expanding population, said Karen Holt, Kids Health Connection director. "We turn away kids every day at Jackson," Holt said. For information about the agency or the event, contact Debbie Wilson at 944-3750 or e-mail [email protected] Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg Distance Education Diamonds Slippers Student Loans afsa teleconferencing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoo Fasa Advertisement s