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SUFFOLK, Virginia — “It’s been a long time coming in a very short time,” said Western Tidewater Free Clinic Executive Director Ashley Greene as staff and city officials came out to celebrate the completion of the Western Tidewater Free Clinic Dental Expansion on Tuesday, Feb. 27. 

Located at 2019 Meade Parkway, the clinic added 1,000 square feet and increased dental chairs from two to four, with the clinic expecting to serve an additional 200 patients on top of their current 700 dental patients per year. Western Tidewater Free Clinic Board Chair Timothy Palmer opened the ribbon cutting ceremony by thanking supporters of the clinic.

“Through the efforts of our many supporters, we’ve expanded our capacity of our dental services, and we’ve upgraded other parts of the clinic as well where other medical care is provided,” Palmer said. “Obici Healthcare Foundation has been our largest supporter over the years, including for this expansion, and we’ve also received lots of support from many other foundations, municipalities, individual and corporate donors.”

Mayor Michael D. Duman expressed the importance of the clinic’s role in the Suffolk community.

“Since its founding in 2007, the Western Tidewater Free Clinic has been providing quality medical care to those most in need. This addition is another testament of how this organization has grown and expanded their ability to improve the lives of the underinsured and uninsured in our area. This does not happen without a dedicated staff and committed volunteers as well as the financial support from grants and generous donors,” Duman said. “The City of Suffolk is indeed fortunate that the Western Tidewater Free Clinic is a part of our community and recognizes the vital role they play in a quest to build a community where every individual has access to health care and support, something many of us take for granted.”

Greene expressed how she and the WTFC team are “thrilled” for the completion of the project.

“Although the project was relatively small, probably from our contractors perspective, or our architects, however to us, it was monumental and it was no small feat for this team to operate safely, securely, comprehensively for our patients while this was going on,” Greene said. “We now have a full time dental team, we’ve added another full-time dental assistant and we are up and running and so excited.”