Chicago, Illinois (April 22, 2013) -- Healthy Smiles, Healthy Children (HSHC), the Foundation of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), awarded 15 Access to Care Grants to organizations throughout the country that supported local service initiatives and provided oral health care access to underserved, at-risk children. Through these 15 community-based organizations, HSHC will reach at least 24,500 children over the next year.
The 2013-2014 HSHC grant phase marks the organization's biggest year to-date with the announcement of 15 Access to Care grant recipients totaling over $269,000 in a single year. The 15 Access to Care Grant awardees will receive up to $20,000 per year and funds may be applied to cover costs of clinic supplies and instruments, patient/parent education materials, preventive care or other activity with clear, direct impact on child oral care.
Access to Care Grants were awarded to the following:
-Center for Family Health Jackson, Michigan: $14,908
-Children's Dental Services Minneapolis, Minnesota: $20,000
-Children's Health Fund New York, New York: $20,000
-Columbus Neighborhood Health Center Columbus, Ohio: $20,000
-Community Health Center Lincoln, Nebraska: $10,000
-Cook Children's Medical Center Fort Worth, Texas: $20,000
-Kids Community Dental Clinic Burbank, California: $19,595
-Missouri Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Saint Louis, Missouri: $5,000
-Ostrow School of Dentistry of University of Southern California Los Angeles, California: $20,000
-Polk County Health Department Lakeland, Florida: $20,000
-Sisters of Charity Foundation of Canton Canton, Ohio: $20,000
-TOMAGWA HealthCare Ministries Tomball, Texas: $20,000
-University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine Buffalo, New York: $20,000
-Waukesha County Community Dental Clinic Waukesha, Wisconsin: $20,000
-Yale New Haven Hospital Pediatric Dental Residency New Haven, Connecticut: $20,000
"As president of HSHC, I'm fortunate to see dentists' generosity up close," stated Dr. David Curtis. "We're focusing on providing dental care to children whose families cannot afford it, and including the grants we'll award in July, the generosity of pediatric dentists have allowed us since 2010 to make 35 grants totaling more than $700,000 to support community-based access to care initiatives for children."
HSHC Access to Care Grants must be expended within 12 months of award, and recipients may reapply in subsequent years. Funding will be awarded to the 15 organizations on July 1, 2013.
About Healthy Smiles, Healthy Children: The Foundation of the AAPD
Healthy Smiles, Healthy Children: The Foundation of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry supports community-based initiatives that provide Access to Care for all children. Its overall mission is to provide dental homes for children nationwide. The Foundation was established in 1987 to support and promote service, education and research that advance the oral health of infants and children through adolescence, including those with special health care needs. For more information, visit the HSHC Web site at www.healthysmileshealthychildren.org.
SOURCE: American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry
