Free clinic gets donation to help with dental equipment

The Pocatello Free Clinic received a grant Wednesday for more than $36,000 to help upgrade its equipment.

The Portneuf Medical Center and the Portneuf Health Care Foundation donated a total of $36,561.44 to the clinic, which made quick work with the grant. The Portneuf Medical Family presented the check Wednesday to the clinic’s executive director, Mindy Hong.

John Abreu, VP of finance and the CFO for Portneuf Medical Center, recognizes how important the clinic is to the community.

“By providing the care in the free clinic, it does prevent that acute, emergency care that happens in our emergency rooms every day,” Abreu said.

The money is being used to improve operations at the clinic, but most of it is being used to upgrade dental equipment. With the grant, the clinic bought a nomad portable X-ray machine, a cavitron machine that’s used to clean teeth and two new dental chairs.

“A lot of people donate machines after they get new machines. So we have working machines, but may not be top of the line,” said Courtney Perrachione, director of dental services at the clinic. “Now, we have that top-of-the-line (equipment). We’ll be able to provide our patients the best health care that we can provide to them.”

Clinic board member Meg Long, who is also an associate professor in dental hygiene at Idaho State University, feels the grant is a validation of dental services at the clinic.

“We’re using state-of-the-art technology,” said Long. “It’s allowed us to do the type of work we should do, for the people who really need our help.”

The clinic mainly relies on volunteers for dental hygienists. The clinic also brings in senior dental hygiene students from ISU, through Long, to come in and help treat patients.