Hudson Headwaters Health Network has been awarded a Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) Catalyst Program grant to expand essential dental services in New York’s North Country, addressing a critical shortage that has left nearly 5,000 people on a waitlist for care.
The funding will support the addition of dental services at the Hudson Headwaters Ticonderoga Health Center, increasing access for residents who currently face long delays in establishing dental care.
Hudson Headwaters CEO Tucker Slingerland said the grant marks an important first step toward closing the region’s dental-access gap, though significant investment is still needed.
“As one of the region’s only nonprofit, safety-net dental providers, we serve all patients regardless of insurance status or ability to pay,” Slingerland said. “We see every day how limited access to dental care affects families, seniors and children.”
In addition to the Ticonderoga expansion, the network is developing plans to open a new dental site in northern Saratoga County and to increase capacity at its only stand-alone dental office in Warrensburg.
Hudson Headwaters said the combined efforts are aimed at strengthening dental care infrastructure across the region and easing persistent access challenges for underserved communities.