San Juan County presents dental van, housing trust and mobile services as models for rural public health

San Juan County Health and Community Services leaders described a set of local strategies to extend access in a geographically remote, ferry‑reliant county of roughly 18,000 year‑round residents that swells in summer.

Mark Tompkins, director of San Juan County Health and Community Services, explained their dental access work, which has used a dental van, partner clinics, philanthropy and an ABCD (Access to Baby and Child Dentistry) champion to expand services. “We have provided $444,000 worth of dental care in 2025,” a department representative said, and county partners continue to try to reduce a waitlist that still tallies hundreds of people.

Tompkins and Deputy Ellen Wilcox also detailed housing innovations. The county used a locally approved real‑estate excise tax and a one‑tenth of one percent sales tax to seed a HOME fund that has leveraged about $80 million in state and federal funds and supported more than 200 units in development, including modular and Community Land Trust projects.

San Juan’s newly acquired ‘‘wellness van’’—wrapped with community art and named for a local health pioneer—has been used for immunizations, pride events and outreach on islands where ferry schedules limit clinic access. County staff said that bringing services to residents increases uptake and noted recurring operational challenges like ferry reservations for oversized vehicles.

Board members praised the county’s partnership model and suggested state‑level advocacy for ferry prioritization when transporting mobile health units. San Juan officials urged the board to consider rural transportation and workforce policies when crafting statewide recommendations.