New Family Health Services Dental Clinic for Adults with Special Needs

JEROME, IDAHO — Family Health Services (FHS) has opened a new dental clinic in Jerome that will provide services to adults who have special healthcare needs and complex medical histories. The Advanced Delivery Dental Clinic (ADDC) has been specially designed to accommodate patients and remove the limitations that dentists must navigate in traditional dental clinics.

This clinic welcomes patients who may otherwise struggle with access to routine and preventative dental care, and was made possible by the philanthropic support of numerous organizations, including a $300,000 donation from Delta Dental of Idaho and a $10,000 donation from both the Blue Lakes Rotary Club and the Keveren Foundation.

The ADDC celebrates neurodiversity, and the ADDC team is striving to rethink traditional practices in dentistry to design a more inclusive space. Some of the inclusive features include adaptive hygiene tools, intra-oral cameras, an ADA accessible exam chair, and a sensory room for patients to relax in. The clinic’s exam rooms also feature floor-to-ceiling photo murals of Southern Idaho that were captured by a patient.

As a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), FHS strives to identify the unmet needs that are present in South Central Idaho, and to develop solutions that improve the health and well-being of under-served communities. The ADDC is the ninth addition to FHS’ network of dental clinics, and is driving health-equity with an emphasis on adults with disabilities, geriatric patients, and those who are dependent on caregivers.

Dr. Brooke Fukuoka—the ADDC dentist—has extensive experience treating patients who have special healthcare needs and adults living in long-term care. While working as an FHS provider, Dr. Brooke partnered with the St. Luke’s Magic Valley Health Foundation to launch a hospital program and provide local hospital dentistry for adults who required general anesthesia in 2015. In 2018, She then established her private practice—Your Special Smiles PLLC, a portable clinic serving patients living in long-term care and group homes. The new ADDC provides a central space for her and her team to continue to refine solutions to better serve this community, and FHS is honored to help drive this mission.

If you have questions about this clinic, or would like to arrange an interview with Dr. Brooke Fukuoka or Family Health Services’ CEO Aaron Houston, please contact Karlie Haskins at 208-751-2185 or khaskins@fhsid.org.

About Family Health Services:
Family Health Services is a non-profit Federally Qualified Health Center that has served the people of South Central Idaho since 1982. We provide excellent medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, and community-based services.We welcome all patients, regardless of their ability to pay. All forms of insurance are accepted, including Medicaid and Medicare, and sliding-fee discounts are available for those who qualify.

For more information about FHS, including employment opportunities, please visit fhsid.org.