ALGONA, IA – Louscher Family Dentistry is proud to announce that two of its newest team members, Dr. Abby Thomas and Dr. Darrian Ward, have been selected for the Filling Iowa’s Need for Dentists (FIND) program. Both recent graduates of the University of Iowa College of Dentistry, Dr. Thomas and Dr. Ward are committed to serving rural and underserved populations in North Central Iowa.

The FIND program is a collaborative effort to recruit and retain dentists in Iowa’s rural communities. As program awardees, Dr. Thomas, who will primarily serve patients at Louscher’s Algona location, and Dr. Ward, who will be based at the Emmetsburg office, will receive funding assistance to help offset their dental school student loan payments.

A hallmark of the FIND program is the requirement of local matching funds, demonstrating the community’s commitment to supporting new dentists. Several organizations and utility partners stepped forward to provide the necessary $5,000 match for each dentist, totaling a $10,000 investment in local dental care.

The contributors for both locations are as follows: Corn Belt Power, Iowa Lakes Electric, and the Iowa Area Development Group Community Foundation contributed $2,000 each; Palo Alto Hospital, Emmetsburg Municipal Utilities, and Algona Municipal Utilities contributed $1,000 each; and Midland Power and Kossuth Area Development Group contributed $500 each. The FIND awards for Dr. Thomas and Dr. Ward would not have been possible without this generous support.

FIND project partners include Delta Dental of Iowa and the Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation, Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, Iowa Area Development Group, Iowa Dental Association, the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, the University of Iowa College of Dentistry and Dental Clinics, as well as numerous local organizations.