Whether your summer plans include water or woods, we are all pleased that the warm season is finally here.

Congratulations to all the graduating dentists!  It was a pleasure to work with so many of you this academic year – and to help 14 of you find positions in the state of Wisconsin, all in underserved areas.

So after a brief rest this holiday week, we look forward to beginning the new recruiting year.  I wish all of you summer recreation and peace and hope there is an empty hammock in your future!

Spring snow, April 15, Cornucopia, Wisconsin

Cornucopia woke up to spring snow, though luckily it just melted on highway 13.  Next stop – a view of Lake Superior with a wonderful blue/green color.  It was a really windy day, resulting in white capped waves as far as one could see.

South shore of Lake Superior, Bayfield County, Wisconsin

Next stop, the Dental Administration office of Marshfield Clinic in Ladysmith.

Dental Administration office of Marshfield Clinic, Ladysmith, WI

A productive meeting with Terri Kleutsch, busy overseeing all the Marshfield dental centers throughout the north of the state.  Thanks to Terri’s energy – and Marshfield’s vision, these centers are vastly improving the access of Wisconsin people to dental care.  Our program has worked with Terri to place more than 20 dentists at their centers since our program began in 2005.  After our meeting, a tour of the Ladysmith Dental Center, and a chance to say a quick hi to dentist Jason Kelbel, one of our placements from the Minnesota program.

The Marshfield Ladysmith Dental Center

My helpful tour guide!

Before departing, some scenes of Ladysmith.

The Flambeau River, downtown Ladysmith

Recommended for dinner – the Casa Mexicana restaurant in downtown Ladysmith.  Great service, authentic food and a terrific colorful dining room!

Casa Mexicana, downtown Ladysmith

Love those sun chairs!

River outfitters just across from Casa Mexicana

Bird watching site near Hwy 27 in Ladysmith

Gazebo picnic spot in Ladysmith, near Hwy 27

Good lodging in Ladysmith, The AmerInn Lodge

A scenic drive south on Hwy 27 through Amish country to R over to Osseo for lunch and amazing pie!  IF you have not eaten at a Norske Nook, you are missing out. 47 varieties of award winning pie, all homemade.

Amish buggy near Osseo, WI

Norske Nook in Osseo

And to sweeten the drive back to Madison – a difficult decision – rhubarb or pecan pie!

Enjoy your spring road trips in Wisconsin!

Snow Drops emerge

After a tough winter, full of blizzards and low temperatures, we in Wisconsin are really ready for spring!  And right on time the first Snow Drops appeared in my yard.  Admittedly – they found the warmest spot – facing south and protected from the winds.  We hope they herald a gradual warming trend.

In the dental world – a spring blizzard in Central Wisconsin forced the cancellation of the Wisconsin Oral Health Coalition annual meeting.  Evidently Stevens Point was hit with nearly 10 inches of snow, so to cancel was a good call.  The meeting has been re-scheduled for May 3.

Several of the community health clinics in the state have received funding for expansion and so the Placement Program has been busy finding dentists for them.  At this point we have several underserved / urban locations that have openings, as well as several rural spots in the state.  Please email me at siik@wisc.edu for details.

At this point in our recruitment year, which generally follows the academic year, we have placed 10 dentists at public health clinics throughout the state.  We are getting daily contacts from graduating dentists as they seek placements to begin their careers this summer.

Here we are on the Solstice – the shortest day of the year – and although we’re in the midst of the dark season, there is lovely new snow on the ground and longer days start tomorrow!   The Dentist Placement Program closes out calendar year 2010 with 18 placements – in towns all over Wisconsin.  One of the clinics we work with is in Ashland, on the ‘north coast’ of Wisconsin.  Here are some scenes of Ashland, including the life size murals that line the downtown streets and the impressive Chequamegon Hotel on the lake shore.  (In the early 1900′s vacationers could take the train from Milwaukee all the way to Ashland to stay at the original Chequamegon Hotel.)    I’ll close with best wishes to all for a wonderful 2011!

Mural - downtown Ashland

Chequamegon Hotel, Ashland, WI

City Hall, Ashland

And Happy New Year from all of us at the Wisconsin Office of Rural Health!

A lovely early fall view - Prairie garden in Ridgeway, WI

I was lucky to enjoy early fall colors last week starting in the beautiful southern counties and continuing north to Lake Superior.  The first photo was taken in central Iowa County – it’s a garden of original prairie plants as they were when Wisconsin was first settled.

Next I traveled north on 51 and saw the first bright orange colors in Portage County.  This was just after the great rains last week that flooded much of the state and I saw large areas of standing water, flooded parks and fields.

In Wausau I visited Bridge Community Health Clinic – where it was exciting to see the result of the stimulus bill in action – they were able to complete construction on a wing that includes conference/education space and offices for providers.  I was pleased to visit with the new dentist that we recruited for the clinic, Dr. Jessica Schwantes, and especially to hear that she enjoys working at Bridge and has happily settled in Wausau with her family.  As usual, when visiting community health centers, it is so great to find beautiful facilities – whether it is the waiting area, the treatment rooms, or the office areas – the clinics are contemporary, light filled, pleasant places for people to obtain their dental and medical care.

Main entry to Bridge Community Clinic in Wausau

Break room space

Bright contemporary treatment rooms

Kid-friendly touches make young patients comfortable

Entry to Dental Clinic

My journey continued north on 51 through Minocqua to Hurley to Ashland.  Here is the view looking north from Hwy 2 near Lake Superior.  The colors were near their peak once we reached this area – dark reds, bright oranges and deep golds contrasting with the immense spruce trees lining the roads.

View from scenic overlook on Hwy 2 east of Odanah, WI

Finally, I reached Bayfield County – where the apples were nearly ripe.  Here’s a tree that is so tall that most of the apples are going to the local deer – and a bear or two!

An apple tree growing in the woods in Bayfield County, WI

As we all look forward to the last long weekend of the summer, it’s timely to do a wrap up of progress. August brought positive steps in the ‘access to dental care crisis’ in Wisconsin – new dental clinics opened in Rice Lake and in Marshfield – and our program found dentists for both of these clinics.

The clinics are run by the Marshfield Clinic Family Health Center, which means they will see patients regardless of income or insurance, on a sliding scale fee where appropriate.

Equipment for the Marshfield site was funded with a one-time grant of $2.3 million through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act – also known as the stimulus bill. This is one case where the money will make a great difference – in improved dental health for people in Wisconsin.

Our program wraps up the fiscal year with 14 placements – making a grand total of 65 dentists placed in rural and underserved locations in Wisconsin since 2005 when the program began.

We look forward to continued placements as we begin our new recruiting year! Dentists and graduating dentists please email or call us regarding positions in Wisconsin over the next 9 months. All our locations qualify for the state and federal loan repayment programs. We look forward to working with you in this important part of your career.

And we wish long, warm, relaxing ‘end of summer’ days to all!

Bayfield, WI from Madeline Island ferry, Lake Superior

Bayfield is one of my favorite places in Wisconsin – along with the beaches of Cornucopia and Herbster – which are wonderfully uncrowded! There is a current opening for a dentist in Ashland, just south of Bayfield, so if the south shore of the Big Lake appeals to you, please contact us!

As we wrap up the current academic year, we are pleased to note that we have found 15 dentists for Wisconsin communities in all parts of the state. In the last 9 months we had over 100 active candidates, referred 55 candidates to clinics, and 30 candidates completed site visits in the state. We now look forward to visiting the dentists in the various communities as they begin their new careers.

Please contact us for information about jobs in Wisconsin – and have a wonderful summer!

I enjoyed a recent visit to the busy dental clinic in Ashland that is operated by The Lakes Community Health Center in Iron River.

Much has happened since March of 2008 when dentist Tina Dahlke responded to our ad regarding communities in rural Wisconsin that needed dentists.

Dr. Dahlke was practicing in Alaska, two hours north of Anchorage, and was looking to return to her native Wisconsin. She hoped to find a start up opportunity near Lake Superior. She was thrilled when I told her that The Lakes CHC in Iron River hoped to open a dental clinic in the area – depending on finding an interested dentist. This was a match made in heaven – today, Dr. Dahlke has a full practice providing services to children, teens, pregnant women, and adults with chronic diseases. She also takes emergency cases for all ages.

The clinic, located on Main Street in Ashland, has just completed a second remodeling phase, resulting in 5 contemporary and beautiful treatment rooms, dental hygiene rooms and lab facilities. All medical insurances are accepted and sliding discount fees are available based on income. Since the clinic was quickly at capacity, and forced to use a waiting list, they have begun to plan for a second dentist. We are happy to be participating in that search – for a dentist dedicated to community health center practice and life on the shore of Lake Superior!

Approaching Ashland - Lake Superior is just beyond

Entry - The Lakes Dental Clinic in Ashland

Reception - newly remodeled

Clinic staff

One of 5 new operatories

Another new operatory

Up to date imaging

Busy staff in appointment area

Lake Superior - a close neighbor and heart of the area!

As April arrives this week new dentists have signed contracts to work at public health clinics all over the state.  Of the nearly one hundred dentists we have worked with since August, twelve will be starting jobs in rural Wisconsin after graduation – they are coming from schools in Minnesota, Michigan, New York, and our own Marquette in Wisconsin.

We continue to work with dentists, some exiting the military, to match them to spots in the state.  Please contact us at siik@wisc.edu if you wish to find a position in Wisconsin or have a position to fill.  And have a happy spring!