Dental center gets perfect inspection

Northern Dental Access Center has received notification of its successful completion of a perfect radiation control inspection.

"I don't know the exact numbers, but I can tell you that it's very, very rare that a clinic meets every standard and does not have even minor adjustments required for compliance," said Candy Brown of the Minnesota Department of Health Radiation Control Unit.

Leah Hildebrant, registered dental assistant, provided the leadership in preparing the facility for the inspection, training staff and developing compliance manuals.

"Leah's dedication to quality and thorough compliance is especially noteworthy," said Executive Director Jeanne Edevold Larson. "We are extremely proud of her."

Hildebrandt is a recent graduate of Northwest Technical College's Dental Assisting Program and has been working at Northern Dental Access Center since its opening.

Northern Dental Access Center opened in January after years of community collaboration and fundraising. Located on Anne Street in Bemidji, it provides basic dental care to people enrolled in Minnesota State Health Programs such as Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare.

"We are here because of a recognized need for low-income children and families to have access to dental care in northern Minnesota," says Dr. John Lueth, president of the center. "It's extremely important that the service we provide be the best quality available and we were very pleased to be able to install state-of-the-art digital X-ray equipment, and it is especially gratifying that we have already met such a standard of excellence," he said.