(Dr. H.M. Kemple at the unveiling of the Kemple Clinic in 1998 | Courtesy of Mosaic Medical)
Gift of $81,000 Establishes Fund to Ensure Dental Care for Central Oregon Children
Mosaic Medical, a community health center with 15 clinics across Central Oregon, is proud and grateful to continue the vision of the late Dr. H.M. Kemple with the creation of the Kemple Children’s Dental Fund. The fund has been established with a generous gift of $81,000 from the Kemple Memorial Children’s Dental Clinic, which closed its doors last year after more than 20 years of service to our community. The fund will provide integrated dental services at Mosaic clinics for children throughout Central Oregon who are uninsured or from low-income homes, allowing Dr. Kemple’s vision to live on.
“We are grateful for the ability to provide this gift to Mosaic that will ensure children across Central Oregon can still receive dental services, regardless of their family’s ability to pay,” said Suzanne Browning, former executive director of the Kemple Memorial Children’s Dental Clinic. “And we are so pleased that Dr. Kemple’s legacy will continue to have a positive impact on our community.
Dr. Kemple believed that improving the health and well-being of all children and young adults in our community creates a strong, healthy workforce and vibrant economy. His goal was to ensure that all children in Central Oregon have access to quality dental care. He opened the doors of the Kemple Clinic in 1998, and after his passing in 2007, The Kemple Memorial Children’s Dental Clinic continued to be a place where Central Oregon children who were at risk, underserved or uninsured could receive the dental care they needed at no cost to their families.
For more than two decades the organization provided pro bono dental services, and in recent years their board closely watched state, regional and local efforts to integrate dental coverage into overall health improvement priorities. As a result of these successful comprehensive integration efforts across Central Oregon, the board realized in November of 2019 that their mission was finally complete. The decision was made to make a change. As the Kemple Memorial Children’s Dental Clinic prepared to close its doors last year, Mosaic Medical was honored to partner with the organization to create a plan to continue their mission of ensuring that all children in our community have access to quality dental care. Part of this effort includes the establishment of the Kemple Children’s Dental Fund. Mosaic Medical has also agreed to continue the annual “Brighter Smiles Campaign” fundraising effort to benefit the fund.
“We are humbled to receive this gift — of funding and of trust — that allows us to carry on the important work of Dr. Kemple,” said Megan Haase, FNP and CEO of Mosaic Medical. “We know that across the Central Oregon region there is a great need for dental care for children. Access to early dental care can make such a difference in the life of a child, and for the future of our community.”
Tooth pain and dental diseases — such as undetected cavities — are leading causes of school absenteeism for children. Studies have shown that children with higher absentee rates are at serious risk of falling behind in areas including reading and math, which is related to poor graduation rates in the future.
To contribute to the Kemple Children’s Dental Fund, please visit mosaicmedical.org or contact Mosaic Medical’s Development Officer, Angela Saraceno at donate@mosaicmedical.org or 541-323-3860.
