Four Iowa dentists, including one from southwest Ioware, are the 2024 recipients of educational loan repayment awards from the Fulfilling Iowa’s Need for Dentists project, a collaborative public-private partnership.
This program engages dentists to establish dental practices in designated Iowa priority counties where access to dental care is limited, according to a news release. Recipients must devote a percentage of their practice to individuals who disproportionately face barriers to access care such as those enrolled in Medicaid, older adults, and other historically underserviced populations.
Since Delta Dental began the Loan Repayment program in 2002, 61 private-practice dentists have received awards and have provided 352,000 patient visits and more than 942,000 dental services to underserved Iowans in priority counties.
“It is critical that Iowans have access to quality dental care, no matter where they live in our state,” said April Schmaltz, president and CEO of Delta Dental of Iowa.
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Dr. Chet Meneely of Family Dental Center in Atlantic and Avoca is among the recipients.
Meneely is a 2019 graduate of the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics. Following graduation, he returned to his hometown and joined Family Dental Center as an associate with Dr. Tim Kreifils and became the sole owner in 2020.
Other award recipients were Dr. Kale Floyd of Anderson and Floyd Dentistry in Eldora, Dr. Zachary Johnson of Fuller Family Dental in Lenox and Corning, and Dr. Maxwell Loew of Prairie Trails Family Dental in Corydon.
For more information on the repayment program, visit iowafindproject.com.
