Left to right are Allison Taylor, representing Hope for the Inner City;
Larry Welch, DDS, president, Chattanooga Area Dental Society; Mrs. Carla Roy, Chris Roy, Robin Roy Moldenhauer and Charles Holt, DDS, past president, Chattanooga Area Dental Society.
At the recent officer installation dinner of the Chattanooga Area Dental Society, a resolution was presented to the widow and children of Dr. William B. Roy to rename the dental clinic at Hope for the Inner City, the Dr. Bill Roy Mercy Dental Clinic.
Dr. Roy, along with Dr. Martin Long, began the clinic in 1985 after participating in three mission trips with Mitch Mutter, MD for his Children’s Nutritional Program in Haiti.
According to Dr. Long, Dr. Roy remarked, “Martin, we don’t have to go so far to treat people in need.”
That seed grew into the present clinic located at the headquarters of Hope for the Inner City whose executive director, Paul Green, said, “We are humbled by the opportunity of carrying on the legacy of Dr. Roy through the ministry of Hope for the Inner City. His gentle manner and empowering spirit insured that everyone who visited the Mercy Clinic was not only relieved of their physical pain but also inspired by his engaging demeanor. We are pleased to rename this clinic in his honor insuring that ‘Changed Lives and Transformed Communities for the Cause of Christ’ always remains our mission.”
In the beginning days of the clinic, supplies were obtained from dentists who were closing their practices. Support came from the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga, the Benwood Foundation, the Chattanooga Area Dental Society, the Alliance of the Chattanooga Area Dental Society, and the Dental Department of Chattanooga State Technical Community College. The clinic maintains its work through donations. Dental Society members and staff continue to volunteer to provide treatment to those who cannot otherwise afford it. In addition, CADS has begun a fund to purchase much-needed supplies for the clinic.
Dr. Larry Welch, current president of CADS, said, “Naming the clinic for Dr. Roy is a way to pay tribute to the work that he did to provide care in this community for those who need it most. Dr. Roy believed in transforming lives one smile at a time, and those of us in the profession are honored to carry on that tradition.”
Immediate Past-President Dr. Charles Holt added, “Dr. Roy’s legacy is one which local dentists are proud to uphold. His example set a standard for all of us.”