By ADAM STEWART

Staff writer

Marion County Early Childhood Task Force is presenting plaques to physicians, dentists, optometrists, and mental health care providers who work with low-income families.

“Somebody needs to be there for the kids,” physician Don Hodson said Friday.

Hodson, of Marion Family Physicians Clinic, thinks most small-town care providers are good about working with families on Medicaid. It is in bigger cities, that it is difficult to find a doctor willing to accept Medicaid, he said.

“I feel like being a doctor is being a public servant, too,” he said. “You feel for the kids in a tough situation and want to help them.”

Linda Ogden, director of Communities in Schools of Marion County, said many counties don’t have health care providers who serve low-income families.

“Our county providers put the children first,” Ogden said.

Other care providers the task force is recognizing are:

• Medical — St. Luke Physician Clinic, Hillsboro Family Practice, and Michael Reeh, MD.
• Dentistry — Gerald Vinduska, DDS; and Robert Hague, DDS.
• Vision — Paul Unruh, OD.
• Mental health — Prairie View.
• Community health — Marion County Health Department.