Shawnee Health to open Southern Illinois pediatric dental center accepting Medicaid
FOX23 News at 9 p.m
MARION, Ill. (KBSI) — Shawnee Health will celebrate the opening of its new Children’s Dental Center in Marion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Sept. 1, marking the launch of what officials say is Southern Illinois’ only pediatric dental facility that accepts Medicaid.
The event will be held from 10 a.m. to noon at 3115 Williamson County Parkway.
The new center, funded by a $2.5 million grant from the Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation, replaces Shawnee Health’s former general dentistry clinic with a renovated facility dedicated to pediatric dental care for patients from birth through age 21.
The Children’s Dental Center includes two specialized treatment suites and will offer comprehensive pediatric dental services, including treatment under general anesthesia.
According to Shawnee Health, families in Southern Illinois have often been forced to travel long distances — in some cases to Springfield — to access specialized pediatric dental care under anesthesia. The new facility is expected to serve hundreds of children each month across Shawnee Health’s 19-county service area, reducing travel, wait times and other barriers to care.
Shawnee Health said it currently serves children from more than half of Illinois’ counties and has nearly 200 children waiting for specialized dental services.
“This investment from the Illinois Children’s Healthcare Foundation allows us to create a facility that not only meets the dental needs of our youngest patients today but also sets the stage for healthier futures across our communities,” Di Riley, Shawnee Health’s chief director of clinical services, said in a statement.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony is open to the public.
