About the Kansas Dental Charitable Foundation / Kansas Mission of Mercy

The Kansas Mission of Mercy (KMOM) was created in 2003 through the leadership and commitment of the Kansas Dental Charitable Foundation (KDCF) and the Kansas Dental Association to provide care to Kansans in need.

KMOM is a two-day free dental clinic hosted once a year in different areas of the state. To date, KMOM has provided more than $17 million in dental care to 29,000 patients, thanks to the generous contributions of Kansas dentists, hygienists, dental assistants, and general volunteers.

About the Bruce Bergstrom Award

The cooperation and participation of the dentists and dental community are key to the success of KMOM; however, KMOM also relies on many non-dentist general volunteers, who generously give their time and commitment to fulfill its dental mission. 

These general volunteers are interwoven into the very fabric of what makes the loving spirit of KMOM so overwhelming. 

Each year, KDCF honors one outstanding KMOM general volunteer with the Bruce Bergstrom Award for outstanding service. The 2018 award recipient is Farrol Brown. 

About Farrol Brown

Farrol is a carpentry and remodeling specialist and the owner of Farrol Brown Carpentry in Pretty Prairie, KS. He began volunteering for KMOM in 2004 when he attended KMOM Pittsburg. Since then, he has traveled to KMOM projects in cities across Kansas, only missing three. He started with a group from the United Methodist Church in Hutchinson that manned the Hutchinson Disaster Relief Trailer. They prepared and served hot food and coffee to patients who were waiting overnight for treatment.

When the disaster trailer was no longer able to travel to KMOM projects, Farrol did not let that deter his passion for KMOM. The day before set-up, Farrol could be found at the KMOM site marking the floor so dental chairs, units, and tables could be placed appropriately. 

Then, on set-up day, he has always helped with whatever was necessary – driving the forklift, assisting with clinic plumbing and electrical, unpacking and delivering supplies to the right area, and making sure everyone has what they need to do their job. 

When troubleshooting clinic issues, trying to find something, or needing a volunteer to escort a patient, “Ask Farrol” or “Farrol will know” has become a standard response. He has even gotten his wife, Marcia, involved with KMOM and she has accompanied him to five projects, so far.

His carpentry expertise has also been an enormous asset. Between KMOM projects, he has built hand sanitizer stations, table stabilizers, and even walls for the x-ray area in his shop. There is no job too big or too small when it comes to KMOM and he jumps at the opportunity to help. 

The “man with the red hat” has become instrumental to the success of each event.

The Kansas Dental Charitable Foundation (KDCF) is pleased to announce that the 2018 Kansas Mission of Mercy (KMOM) free dental clinic will be held on February 9-10, 2018 in Hutchinson, KS at the Kansas State Fairgrounds.

This is the same location as the 2011 KMOM. 

Dr. Susan Evans has volunteered to Chair the 2018 event.  If you live in the area surrounding Hutchinson and are interested in being included on the local planning committee, contact Dr. Evans at DR@susanevansdds.com or contactus@susanevansdds.com.

This will be the KDCF’s 17^th KMOM event since its inception in 2003. To date, Kansas dentists have provided 27,821 Kansans free dental care valued at over $16.4 million through KMOM.  

The Kansas Dental Charitable Foundation (KDCF) recently created the first annual Kansas Mission of Mercy (KMOM) Bruce Bergstrom Award for outstanding service, which was presented to its namesake at the Annual Meeting of the Kansas Dental Association on Saturday, April 8, 2017.

Each year, the Bruce Bergstrom Award will be given to a KMOM general volunteer that exemplifies Bruce’s legacy of service.

KMOM was created in 2003 through the leadership and commitment of the Kansas Dental Charitable Foundation and the Kansas Dental Association to provide care to Kansans in need.

Since 2003, KMOM has provided over $16 million in free dental care to 28,000 patients throughout Kansas.

Bruce Bergstrom’s passion for Missions of Mercy began at the first event in Kansas when his wife, a dental hygienist, suggested he volunteer. He met and talked with low-income Kansans who needed dental services and had no other way to access them, and he became determined to help as many people as he could. 

Bruce is the founding Executive Director of the America’s Dentists Care Foundation (ADCF). ADCF is located in Wichita, Kansas, and is the organization that provides equipment and technical assistance for nearly all of the Mission of Mercy projects, including the Kansas Mission of Mercy, throughout the country. 

Through his leadership, dental Missions of Mercy have spread to nearly all 50 states. As of today, ADCF supported projects have provided over $150 million in free oral health care to almost 250,000 patients.

Bruce retired from ADCF in 2015, and continues to dedicate his time and skills to help those in need.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment Office of Primary and Rural Health is updating its Charitable Health Care Provider (CHCP) record system. For this purpose, beginning November 30, 2016 letters have been sent to providers, including dentists and hygienists, that have provided charitable services in some manner since 1990 but have no specific point of entry identified, such as clinic name or address.

Due to a hiccup in their system, is quite possible that the dentists and hygienists who are receiving this letter are in KDHE’s database due to their charitable participation with the Kansas Mission of Mercy (KMOM) because KMOM has no consistent, specific clinic address. KDA Operations Coordinator Niki Sadler reached out to Sara Roberts, Director of KDHE Office of Primary Care and Rural Health on Wednesday for clarification on how recipients should address the letter and included forms.

• If a dentist or hygienist was an individual charitable provider connected with a location other than or in addition to the Kansas Mission of Mercy (KMOM) and wish to continue as such, complete the documents enclosed with the letter and follow the instructions as it states. However, do not include any KMOM participation. Only the locations outside of the KMOM project(s) should be referred to in this correspondence.

• If a dentist or hygienist was only a charitable provider through KMOM, he or she may disregard the letter. All necessary Charitable Health Care Provider records are transferred to KDHE by the KDA office after each KMOM event. If you do not have the Charitable Health Care Provider Form on file for your participation with KMOM, you will be asked to complete the appropriate form at the KMOM registration desk when you pick up your name badge.

Sara Roberts and Niki Sadler have been working to streamline the reporting system for CHCP forms in regards to KMOM, however the letters were sent prior to when the streamlining process began. If you have any questions, please contact the KDA office at 785.272.7360 or niki@ksdental.orgor email KDHE at primarycare@ks.gov.

 As of January 2016, the treatment value of patients receiving dental care though the Kansas Donated Dental Services Program since its inception in 1996 has passed $10 million….$10,034,152 as of January 26, 2016 to be exact! 

Thanks to the 342 Kansas dentists and 61 labs who currently volunteer to the DDS Program and the many more who provided services throughout the 20 years of the program! 

The DDS Program is overseen by the Dental Lifeline Network. 

To volunteer or more information visit  Dental Lifeline Network – Kansas.