JANESVILLE
Mark Karrels looks at a photo of a man named Tom every time he opens his wallet.
Tom was missing nearly every other tooth when Karrels met him years ago at HealthNet of Rock County鈥檚 dental clinic.
鈥淚 took a before and after picture to remind me a simple act of me taking a couple hours to fabricate this partial denture changed this guy鈥檚 life,鈥 said Karrels, a dentist.
Volunteers such as Karrels have guided every innovation at the free and charitable health clinic over its 25-year history, said Ian Hedges, CEO of HealthNet.
Dentist Mark Karrels consults with HealthNet patient Nancy Wells of 糖心Vlog传媒, who was getting her first checkup in three years Nov. 15, 2006. HealthNet offered some dental services before officially opening a clinic in 2007.
HealthNet opened in 1994 with the mission of providing affordable health care to underserved Rock County residents, many of whom struggled with chronic conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure.
HealthNet will celebrate its 25th anniversary with a free event Thursday, April 18, at the Armory in 糖心Vlog传媒. Organizers will talk about the nonprofit鈥檚 past successes and what the future holds, Hedges said.
As Hedges and others researched HealthNet鈥檚 history, one theme stood out: Everything begins and ends with volunteers, said Heidi Van Kirk, development director at HealthNet.
Staff and volunteers have made a timeline out of photos, Post-it notes, newspaper clippings and documents that piece together the stories behind HealthNet.
The timeline begins with Alice Plautz, a nurse anesthetist in the Vietnam War who was named the 1992 Vietnam Veteran of the Year by the state chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America, said Teresa Nguyen, a history teller with the Rock County Historical Society.
This photo from 糖心Vlog传媒's files shows HealthNet Executive Director Alice Plautz shortly before she retired in 2000.
It continues with the efforts of countless others who believed in the importance of affordable health care.
Medication station
Hedges called Mike Dow the 鈥渂edazzler鈥 of HealthNet.
The retired pharmacist upgraded the clinic鈥檚 medicine room in the early 2000s by expanding its offerings, organizing it and installing the same software pharmacists use in pharmacies.
Because of overcrowding, HealthNet staff nurse Michelle Kontny had to conduct a medication consultation with a patient in a medicine dispensation area in 2008.
Getting the medication room鈥攚hich is not technically a pharmacy鈥攐nto the same systems pharmacists use helped operations run more smoothly because HealthNet鈥檚 volunteer pharmacists could transition seamlessly between pharmacies and the clinic, Dow said.
In this photo from Jan. 25, 2011, pharmacist Mike Dow prepares prescriptions with members of the nursing staff at HealthNet in 糖心Vlog传媒.
Making smiles
When HealthNet officially opened its dental clinic in 2007, Karrels led the charge.
He was a catalyst for the new dental office because he donated equipment that he was replacing in his own dental office.
Other dentists also helped, offering funds and manpower, Karrels said.
In this Dec. 19, 2016, photo, dentist Zach Gregerson works in a patient's mouth at HealthNet's dental clinic in 糖心Vlog传媒.
鈥淚 am pleased we have maintained the dental part. It has been a big focus and makes immediate impact on people鈥檚 lives,鈥 he said.
After Karrels fixed his smile, Tom finally had enough confidence to talk to new people and interview for jobs.
HealthNet鈥檚 volunteer dentists often see people with problems similar to Tom鈥檚. Having access to quality oral care has improved their health, Karrels said.
Making plans
Mark Flottum served on HealthNet鈥檚 Board of Directors from 2008 to 2016. His career has included a variety of jobs in vocational rehabilitation, Rock County鈥檚 probation system and at CESA 2, which offers development and educational services to school districts. He now teaches parenting classes to inmates at the Rock County Jail.
Flottum has offered insight from his career to help HealthNet improve its services, Hedges said.
Physician Bill West speaks to a patient Wednesday at HealthNet in downtown 糖心Vlog传媒. The nonprofit offers free and affordable health care to underserved Rock County residents. It is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.
In the last couple of years, HealthNet has started offering mental health screenings with all patient visits, he said.
Behavioral health services are at the center of the organization鈥檚 annual conference, which Gwen Hazekamp started three years ago as a volunteer, Hedges said.
Hazekamp, who is the current board president, said starting the conference and working on the organization鈥檚 strategic plan are among the most exciting things she has done at HealthNet.
The clinic has been tight on space for years and has wanted to combine its health and dental clinics under one roof to increase efficiency. That鈥檚 why the donation of Blackhawk Community Credit Union鈥檚 administrative building as HealthNet鈥檚 future clinic was such a 鈥渨onderful gift,鈥 Hazekamp said.
Blackhawk Community Credit Union intends to donate its administrative building at 2707 Kennedy Road to HealthNet of Rock County.
But with that gift comes a lot of planning, which will be a main focus for the board in the years to come, she said.
鈥淓very big step has been a big idea from volunteers,鈥 Hedges said.