Healthcare Philanthropy Model Delivers $25M in Care

The Arkansas Mission of Mercy highlights the impact of high-volume, event-based service delivery for underserved groups.

Updated on Oct. 29, 2026 in Philanthropy

A row of empty dental examination chairs lined up in a bright, spacious hall, illustrating a mobile clinic environment. — The Arkansas Mission of Mercy has delivered $25 million in care through a high-volume, event-based dental clinic model that addresses critical healthcare gaps. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The Arkansas Center for Health Improvement has recognized Terry Fiddler and Suzanne McCarthy with the Dr. Tom Bruce Arkansas Health Impact Award for their public health contributions. The award honors individuals who have significantly improved the health of Arkansans.

Why it matters

The recognition highlights the role of large-scale volunteer dental initiatives in addressing critical healthcare gaps for underserved populations across the state. This operational model leverages organized, periodic clinic events to deliver care that public and private health systems often miss.

Since beginning operations, the Arkansas Mission of Mercy has delivered $25 million in free dental services to nearly 30,000 patients. The organization has relied on two decades of volunteer-led efforts to provide this care across the state.

The players

Arkansas Center for Health Improvement

A policy-focused organization that evaluates and promotes health system improvements for the state of Arkansas.

Terry Fiddler

The executive director of the Arkansas Mission of Mercy who has led the organization since 2013.

Suzanne McCarthy

An award recipient honored alongside Terry Fiddler for health impact in Arkansas.

Arkansas Mission of Mercy

A charitable organization providing free dental care to underserved patients through volunteer-led annual clinics.

The details

The Arkansas Mission of Mercy utilizes an annual clinic model to mobilize resources and volunteer dental professionals, bypassing the traditional permanent-clinic overhead. By concentrating services into high-volume events, the organization creates a scalable platform to address oral healthcare demand in underserved communities. This approach allows the entity to provide significant value without requiring patients to navigate standard billing or insurance infrastructure.

2006: Terry Fiddler began his work with Arkansas Mission of Mercy.
2013: Terry Fiddler became executive director of Arkansas Mission of Mercy.
October 27, 2026: The Arkansas Center for Health Improvement board presented the award.

Market Landscape

The Dr. Tom Bruce Arkansas Health Impact Award recognizes sustained public health contributions, providing a benchmark for philanthropic impact in state health initiatives. This latest presentation follows the established pattern of rewarding long-term service models that augment existing care infrastructure.

Operators in the health and nonprofit sectors should track the scaling of volunteer-based clinic models as a proven strategy for meeting high-volume demand. The success of this model demonstrates the viability of utilizing periodic, event-based delivery to provide services to underserved markets.

The takeaway

The Arkansas Mission of Mercy model proves that sustained volunteer engagement can overcome significant financial barriers to care delivery. Business operators should evaluate if episodic, high-intensity service models could similarly address service gaps within their specific target demographics.