Uncertain Future for St. Mary Health Center: Free Emergency Dental Services at Risk of Shutting Down in Wilmington, NC

The St. Mary Health Center in Wilmington, NC is facing the possibility of closing its doors soon. The center offers free emergency dental services to low-income patients in the area. In April, the center received a letter from the St. Mary Basilica, where they have been located for decades, instructing them to vacate the premises. Despite purchasing an insurance plan in hopes of securing more time, the center was still asked to leave by July 1.

Executive director Laura Vinson expressed feeling blindsided after receiving the letter from the basilica. She explained that they had been misled into believing there was a plan to help them stay until a new location could be secured. Volunteer Kathy Smith, who has been with the center for a decade, found the situation shocking and expressed concern for both patients and volunteers. Patients are worried about where they will receive care next and the closure will also impact medical and dental students who work at the center.

Vinson mentioned her disappointment in seeing the outreach work of the basilica being disregarded despite attempts to contact them for their perspective on the situation. The center is now actively seeking a new location and is asking for any available properties to be considered as potential new sites. The uncertain future of St. Mary Health Center has left many in the community saddened by