Our History

In 2011, The Caring Place and the United Way conducted a survey to determine the most prominent needs in Bradley County. The survey concluded that adult dental care was the most lacking in the community. A task force was formed and Dr. James Ohlsson, who was in private dental practice, was approached about addressing this need. He began volunteering at monthly extraction clinics coordinated by his wife Kelly, and the need for a full-time clinic quickly became apparent. In 2015, Karis Dental opened their doors full-time in downtown Cleveland, offering restorative, life-changing dentistry. Karis Dental has provided over $8 million in dental services since opening. 

Over the years, Kelly and Dr. Ohlsson noticed that numerous dental patients had underlying health conditions that were untreated due to a lack of medical insurance and financial resources. At the same time, Dr. Madison Torrence was working in the Emergency Room at Tennova, but his heart began to turn towards those who are underserved in our community. His passion for this population, along with Karis’ vision to expand services, resulted in a partnership to address access to affordable medical care. Karis Dental changed names to Karis Community Health, and after much perseverance and collaboration,  Karis Medical opened their doors in 2021, right next door to Karis Dental. Karis Medical provides primary care services which focuses on chronic disease management and health education.