Alcoa Schools reaches tentative dental agreement

Alcoa Board of Education has approved a tentative memorandum of understanding that will allow the district to continue providing dental services to underprivileged students.

During Monday’s meeting, the board approved an agreement with the Elgin Children’s Foundation, subject to advice from attorney John E. Owings and Director of Schools Brian Bell. The pair are recommending that it amend sections that concern governing law and indemnification.

“It’s a necessary change due to the trials and tribulations of Dr. Darrel Clabough and TennCare,” Bell said. “We’d still like to be involved in this program, and the Elgin Children’s Foundation has notified us that this is the way forward for us.”

Since September, Blount County’s three school districts haven’t offered dental care due to its provider’s administrative woes. DentaQuest has notified Children’s Mobile Dental LLC, helmed by Clabough, that it stands to lose its TennCare credentials.

Clabough has worked three years with Children’s Mobile Dental. In 2015, he served 2,264 children, including 550 in Alcoa alone.

Any memorandum of understanding reached between the district and Elgin Children’s Foundation doesn’t guarantee that both parties will move forward with the venture, Bell said. “We’re still working out the details.”

Based on preliminary discussions, Alcoa City Schools would have to transport students to Dr. Russell Chambers’ dental practice. It would be reimbursed $2 per mile.

The district would also likely need additional manpower to implement the program, Bell said. It would designate one employee to supervise children at the dentist’s office.

Chambers could provide service two half-days per week, he said. “We’re going to try to make it work, because it’s a great deal for our students. It’s just a question of making it work, pulling them out of classes, sending them to a dentist’s office, supervising them while they’re there and taking them back to classes.

“It’s hard to beat what we had with Dr. Clabough,” Bell said. “How can you beat someone pulling up to your front yard? How can you beat top-rate service, in addition to minimized distractions and out-of-class time? We had America’s best mobile dentistry program.”

If Bell and Owings are satisfied with the agreed-upon memorandum of understanding, the agreement’s term would run until June 30, 2016. Both parties can agree to extend for additional one-year terms. Either party can discontinue participation with our without cause on 30 days notice.

Source: http://www.thedailytimes.com/news/alcoa-schools-reaches-tentative-dental-agreement/article_2872e88d-8917-5b83-95f9-3c50cc2983dd.html

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