OKANOGAN COUNTY — On March 22, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will be dedicating $13.9 million in federal funds to improving aspects of Washington healthcare, including an initiative to expand dental care in Okanogan County.
The funding passed through the Senate in the latest round of appropriations bills for the 2024 Fiscal Year and aims to improve patient service, access to healthcare and increase research capabilities. The funds will be divided among five health care facilities and one pathogen research lab.
“These projects will help cancer patients in eastern Washington find housing near treatment and expand dentistry services in Okanogan County,” said Sen. Cantwell.
Family Health Centers is a primarily preventative healthcare facility for residents of both Okanogan and North Douglas counties that currently offers medical services in six locations, but only has four locations for dental services, along with a mobile dental clinic. Dental services are in high demand in the area with a waiting list of hundreds of people at each Family Health Center dental clinic, according to Sen. Cantwell’s press release for the funding.
The facility plans to use the $2.9 million it will receive from the federal funds to expand and build a new dental clinic within its largest medical clinic to double service capacity for local residents.
The remaining funds from the $13.9 million will be divided between the following projects:
$1.5 million for Cancer Can’t – Spokane County
$1.5 million for Comprehensive Life Resources – Pierce County
$2.5 million for Summit Pacific Medical Center – Grays Harbor County
$2 million for Jefferson Healthcare – Jefferson County
$3.5 million for the University of Washington – King County
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