News

Contact: Sarah Bello

By Kara Dowaliby, Marketing Coordinator

Dental care for the community

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Columbia Memorial partnered with Medical Teams International and other local organizations to provide information, testing, personal protective equipment, and vaccinations to tens of thousands of Clatsop County residents. This partnership led to the creation of a program to provide free dental services in Astoria. These services would not be possible without volunteer dentists committed to helping our community. No dentist has provided more service than Dr. Jeremy Shakespear.

Dr. Shakespear has provided dental care for over a decade in Clatsop County. During that time, he has dedicated countless hours to providing free dental services through Medical Teams International's mobile dental van. Serving patients who may not have access to care, Dr. Shakespear has helped many in the community who might otherwise go untreated. He has regularly dedicated half a day or more each month to offering emergency dental care such as extractions, exams, and temporary fillings.

Patients are referred to the dental van through agencies like Clatsop Community Action (CCA), which also connects them to broader resources such as housing assistance, insurance allowance, and energy assistance.

The mobile dental van, supported by CMH and community partners, travels across Clatsop County to serve those in need. Despite limited resources, Dr. Shakespear's commitment remains strong.

"I just like working with people," he explains. "It's rewarding to help those who don't have access to care."

Viviana Matthews, executive director of CCA, praises the van's impact, noting how it serves as a gateway to essential services.

"When people come for dental care, they're also connected with other critical resources. Dr. Shakespear's dedication makes this possible," she says.

Dr. Shakespear's passion for serving vulnerable populations is rooted in his early career at Jordan Valley Community Health Center in Missouri after graduating from the University of Michigan Dental School. This foundation shaped his passion for working in public health, which has continued to grow during his years in Astoria.

"All of this is possible because of the collaboration between many community partner organizations, but nothing could happen without the dentists who all volunteer their time," says Chris Laman, CMH vice president of strategy. "No dentist has done more to support the program than Dr. Shakespear. His countless hours of service to this program is truly changing and saving lives."

Looking forward, Dr. Shakespear plans to continue his volunteer work, sharing that he can see himself staying involved until retirement. Over the past decade, his contributions have not only alleviated pain but also served a need for the underserved members of the community. His work exemplifies the power of service and the difference one individual can make.

Over the last 12 months, Astoria has had 12 full-day clinic events. A total of 155 individuals have received dental care, 29 of whom were Medicare patients, and 64 had no insurance. Since these events took place at Clatsop Community Action, 118 of the 155 people were newly registered in the CCA database and received some service from CCA.

Services that clients can receive when they walk in include: clothing vouchers, personal care/hygiene products, bus tickets for local travel (monthly and daily passes), rental assistance for late rent or deposits for new move-ins, referrals to the veteran service officer, and energy assistance for electric/gas/oil and wood. There are many other things that people may receive.

To support the mobile dental van or learn more about Clatsop Community Action, consider visiting Medical Teams International's website or donating to help ensure continued care for those in need.