General Info for Dentists
Participating Dentists
Frequently Asked Questions for Dentists
Will I need to take referrals on as regular patients?
No. Students referred to your office will continue to receive preventive services and exams through Bridging Brighter Smiles and the Verona Smiles initiative. If the student needs future care, they will be referred to whatever office is associated with their school.
Does my office need to get BadgerCare certified?
No. If you choose to see Verona students in your office, you can do it in one of three ways:
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Volunteer care.
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Subcontract via Verona Smiles.
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Get BadgerCare certified and bill the State of Wisconsin directly.
Each office will choose how they want to provide care.
In addition, dentists will be asked to report care provided via Verona Smiles so outcomes can be tracked and reported. Verona Smiles also intends to bill the BadgerCare program for services provided by Verona Smiles dentists. These revenues will support staffing and care coordination. As such, participating dentists who don’t plan on billing the BadgerCare program directly will be asked to get certified under the umbrella of Verona Smiles. Your office will not be identified as a Medicaid provider. However, if a dentist prefers not to provide their NPI and be certified, they are welcome to do unreported volunteer care.
If I decide to get BadgerCare certification through Verona Smiles, will I be required to see Medicaid patients?
No. Any participation or certification is specific to the Verona Smiles initiative.
Will we provide orthodontics or any other specialty care?
At this point, specialty care is not included. However, for children with emergent or severe needs, Verona Smiles will try to secure any necessary care.
Our Vision
The goal of Hometown Smiles is to assure that any student who needs dental care gets it, regardless of their ability to pay. The program serves kids who do not currently have a dentist, particularly students receiving BadgerCare or without insurance.
Through the Hometown Smiles initiative, we are assuring that every student is ready to learn and graduates with a healthy smile.
See the Hometown Smiles initiative in action:
Hometown Smiles Staff
The Hometown Smiles staff are there to organize, coordinate and support dentists, Bridging Brighter Smiles, school staff and community members as they assure kids get care.
Who We Are
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Amie Goldman
Executive Director (primary contact),
Hometown Smiles
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Dr. David Gundersen
Dental Director, Hometown Smiles
Partners
Hometown Smiles is currently serving the La Crosse, Wisconsin, area with partners: La Crosse Health Department, Scenic Bluffs Community Health Centers, and the School District of La Crosse.
